You’re tired: It seems to be a common refrain among everyone. There are so many different reasons why. Maybe you’ve got kids and they’ve kept you up too late, one too many nights. Maybe you got up too early to exercise—itself a big drain on your energy resources. Or maybe you’re not really sure why you’re tired, but constant fatigue is certainly a good thing to investigate the cause of.
First fact is that — Know that you’re not alone! About 20 percent of us are what is termed “unusually tired.” About 10 percent of us are suffering from what’s termed prolonged fatigue. And then understand that there are reasons besides lack of hours of sleep for tiredness. For example, if you suffer from anxiety, you may find that sleep is more elusive than you like. What other reasons might you be suffering from chronic tiredness, and what can you do about it? The graphic below explains it.
Poll five people and odds are good at least one of them cops to feeling tired. In fact, chronic exhaustion is so pervasive the medical field has coined a new acronym for the condition: TATT, or “tired all the time.”
This helps explain why there are countless resources devoted to teaching people how to get better sleep and stop feeling tired. While that information is hugely important, it’s not the end-all be-all of fatigue. Sometimes, tiredness isn’t the result of poor sleep habits. It can also stem from a variety of conditions that have been proven to zap people of their mental and/or physical energy.
If you’re chronically exhausted and sleep tips aren’t cutting it, it may be time to consider these more surprising reasons for feeling TATT
1. Anemia
Anemia can take many forms, each characterized by a deficiency of the red blood cells needed to sufficiently distribute oxygen throughout the body. This can lead to exhaustion, which may be present all the time, or may ramp up during physical activity. Other symptoms of anemia include shortness of breath, dizziness, pale skin, odd food cravings, headaches, feeling cold, and irritability.
What to do: If you’re experiencing these symptoms, consult a medical provider to diagnosis the problem and find the best solution or treatment for you. Eating a healthy diet and one that is high in iron is very important if you do have anemia.
2. Anxiety
Anxiety can provoke drowsiness in several ways. For starters, it can make you toss and turn all night long, which prevents quality sleep. Racing thoughts can also drain you of energy during the waking hours—mental and physical tiredness are actually common symptoms of anxiety. Other symptoms of anxiety include irritability, trouble concentrating, restlessness, a pervading sense of dread, muscular tension, shortness of breath, headaches, and stomachaches.
What to do: A number of lifestyle factors can help keep anxiety in check. These include stress reduction techniques such as daily exercise, meditation, yoga, listening to music, developing a social support system, and scheduling time for doing things you enjoy. If these strategies aren’t doing the trick, it may be time to chat with a mental health professional.
3. Food Sensitivities
For people with food sensitivities, that sleepiness happens quite frequently, in fact, feeling physically fatigued and/or mentally sluggish after eating a certain food is one of the best indicators that you are sensitive to it.
Other signs a food isn’t jiving with your body include bloating, belching, gas, and/or loose stools after eating; chronic constipation; and/or muscle and joint pain that sets in after meals.
What to do: Please check this link out about what to do and fact for those with — celiac disease and gluten sensitvity facts and diet.
4. Seasonal Allergies
Seasonal allergies send your immune system into overdrive, which taps your body’s energy reserves. Congestion can make it hard to get a good night’s sleep, and many over-the-counter medications designed to treat seasonal allergies list daytime drowsiness as a side effect. All these factors explain why even a mild case of hay fever can provoke fatigue.
What to do about it: Lifestyle choices can help you weather seasonal allergies more effectively. These include eating healthy, changing your clothes once you get home so you don’t track allergens throughout the house, keeping air conditioner filters clean, and avoiding common allergens.
What to do: Try treating and dealing with you’re seasonal allergies naturally. If you’re not sure what your allergy triggers are, consult a medical professional.
5. Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea can wreak havoc on a person’s body in a number of ways, not the least of which is persistent fatigue. That’s because sleep apnea prompts your breathing to stop and re-start throughout the night, thus preventing sound sleep and causing exhaustion. It also puts sufferers at a heightened risk for cardiovascular disease, depression, diabetes, memory loss, and car and work accidents.
What to do about it: If you suspect you have sleep apnea, consult a medical professional immediately. They can help you get tested and identify viable treatment options.
6. Thyroid Disorders
More than 30 million Americans have a thyroid disorder, many of whom experience sleepiness. The thyroid produces hormones that regulate heartbeat, metabolism, and body temperature, among other duties. When a person’s thyroid is underactive, it doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones; when it’s over-active, it produces more than necessary. This results in a cascade of symptoms, including exhaustion, depression, anxiety, changes in appetite, mental sluggishness, sleep disturbances, and rapid changes in weight.
If you have a thyroid disorder it is extremely important that you get a proper diagnosis and care.
There can be many reasons for tiredness besides not getting enough sleep and it is important to find out why you are tired and to find the right solution for your situation. Eating a healthy balanced diet is a good step in the right direction but sometimes their are underlying causes that need to be diagnosed by a professional health care provider. By considering a variety of medical and lifestyle factors, you’ll be on your way to feeling peppy, healthy, and having a happier life.
Do you have any of these conditions or think you might an do you feel tired all the time?
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