Occasionally, many of us will feel exhausted. Between work, a busy family, and social life, we can all find ourselves wondering: “Why am I so tired?” If this sounds like you, then you’ve come to the right place.
The Reasons You Could Be So Tired
Struggling with ongoing tiredness that doesn’t seem to have a reason can impact on your ability to do daily tasks, concentrate, and spend time with your loved ones. But before you visit your doctor or healthcare provider, it may be helpful to see if you can work out for yourself if there’s a reason for your exhaustion. For example, are there any parts of your life that might be particularly tiring? Or has an event triggered your tiredness, such as a bereavement or relationship breakdown?
Psychological
The psychological causes of tiredness can be much more common than physical reasons. The most common psychological causes of fatigue include:
- Stress
- Emotional shock or bereavement
- Depression
- Anxiety
Physical
Several health conditions can leave you exhausted: iron deficiency, an underactive thyroid, or low testosterone.
You could also be feeling exhausted due to:
- Being overweight as your body must work harder to do everyday activities
- Being underweight or having poor muscle strength
- Cancer treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy
- Medicine or herbal remedy side effects
Lifestyle
We’re all guilty of cramming too much into our daily lives and over-consuming alcohol, sugar, or caffeine to stay on top of things.
The leading lifestyle causes of tiredness include:
- Drinking alcohol, which can interfere with the quality of your sleep
- Exercising too much or too little can affect your energy levels
- Consuming too much caffeine can upset your sleep pattern
- Working at night, especially if your shift pattern varies
- Napping during the day to combat tiredness
Tiredness as We Age
While you could be fighting exhaustion due to these reasons, tiredness can also impact us as we get older. However, you can get your energy back by making some lifestyle changes or speaking to a medical professional.
8 Lifestyle Changes to Improve Your Energy
If you’ve been asking yourself: “Why am I so tired?”, these lifestyle changes could help you regain some energy and fight back against tiredness.
1. Eat Little and Often
Rather than eating three large meals a day, keep your energy consistent with small meals every 3 to 4 hours throughout the day.
2. Exercise Regularly
When you’re tired, exercise might be the last thing on your mind, but regular exercise and activity can help you to feel less tired in the long run. Begin with a small amount of exercise each week and build up slowly.When you’re tired, exercise might be the last thing on your mind, but regular exercise and activity can help you to feel less tired in the long run. Begin with a small amount of exercise each week and build up slowly.
3. Lose Weight
Carrying excess weight can strain your body, particularly your organs, leaving you feeling tired. Try to maintain a balanced diet and add more activity to your day.
4. Get More Sleep
It sounds obvious, but many of us aren’t getting the 7-9 hours of good quality sleep each night as recommended by the CDC.
Tips for good quality sleep:
- Go to bed and set an alarm to wake up at the same time each day
- Avoid naps during the day
- Take time to relax before bed
5. Reduce Stress
When we’re feeling stressed or anxious, it uses up a lot of energy. Introducing relaxing and mindful activities into your day could help you manage stress, such as working out, practicing yoga or tai chi, or listening to a guided meditation.
6. Avoid Caffeine
It sounds counterintuitive, but that 3 pm coffee to help you get over the afternoon slog could be impacting your sleep and, in turn, your energy levels.
7. Drink Less Alcohol
While it might feel like a glass of wine in the evening helps you fall asleep, alcohol impedes our ability to sleep deeply. This is because alcohol suppresses the REM cycle, where most of our restorative sleep occurs.
8. Drink More Water
Dehydration can suck our energy, and sometimes you might feel tired because you’re mildly dehydrated. The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine have determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids for men. Fluids include water and non-alcoholic beverages.
Why Am I So Tired? When to See a Doctor
There are numerous reasons for feeling tired, many of which can be corrected with some of the lifestyle changes discussed in this article.
However, if you’ve been feeling tired for several weeks with no respite, you may be suffering from fatigue. Fatigue isn’t relieved by rest and can be a symptom of an underlying medical condition. So, it may be time to speak to a healthcare professional about how you’ve been feeling.
At Opt Health, our team of men’s vitality doctors can provide you with specialized advice in the privacy of your own home. Speak to an expert physician one-on-one over video conferencing, get test results, and medication delivered, all from the comfort of your own home.
