There’s nothing worse than being tired all the time. Waking up and feeling unrefreshed, unable to start your day. It makes you feel hopeless and frustrated or maybe even worried.
Are you tired all the time? Worried that you just don’t have any energy – and you don’t know why? Are you disturbed enough by your fatigue that you’re even thinking of going to the doctor?
Well, in some cases, yes you should go to the doctor if you feel tired all the time. However, you should check this list first, to see if the cause of your fatigue is a common one, and one that’s easily fixable.
So let’s start at the beginning – with the most common reasons people always feel tired. Here are the 3 most common reasons plus their solutions:
3 Most Common Reasons For Fatigue
1. You’re Not Getting Enough Sleep (Or Good Enough Sleep)
This one seems super obvious – and it is – but it doesn’t make it any less common of a reason. Fact is, most people out there aren’t getting enough sleep. If you’re not on a good and restful sleep schedule, don’t drink caffeine or alcohol for a couple hours before you go to bed, make sure the TV is off, and keep your room as dark as possible for the most restful sleep (1).
2. You’re Not Getting Enough Exercise
This is maybe the most important one on this entire list. If you’re feeling tired all the time, the best cure is some good old fashioned exercise to perk you back up.
I know that sounds like a paradox, but it’s 100% true. If you work out and finish 3 hours before bed time, you’re going to get much better sleep, and feel much more rested in the morning (2).
Plus, far from making you more tired, exercise actually creates energy in your body. There have been countless studies done on the subject and they all discover the same thing – people who exercise feel much less tired and fatigued than those who don’t.
Try doing 30-40 minutes of exercise for 4 days a week. Try that for 4 weeks, and you’ll notice a world of difference in how you feel and how tired you are. Keep going with that program and you’ll feel even better.
3. You’re Not Eating The Right Food
If you’ve got a habit of consuming some sugar or caffeine to perk you up when you’re tired, I’ve got bad news for you – that’s going to do the opposite of what you want. It will cause your blood sugar to go haywire, leaving you more tired than you were before.
Instead, try eating more lean protein, along with fruits and veggies (3). They’ll give you energy your body can use over time, rather than all at once, leaving you more satisfied and awake for more of the day.
Now if you solve those three issues and you’re still feeling fatigued, it could be due to one of these other concerns.
More Reasons You Always Feel Tired
If you’ve fixed all 3 of those issues and you’re still feeling tired and exhausted all the time, it’s time to check with a medical professional.
Here are a few medical causes for tiredness and fatigue:
4. Nutrient Deficiencies
There are a lot of nutrients that can cause fatigue if your body doesn’t get enough of them. One of the most common deficiencies doctors see is potassium deficiency – and they can easily find out with a routine blood test.
5. Thyroid Issues
Both over and under-active thyroids can cause fatigue and tiredness. A doctor can easily do a blood test for your thyroid hormones to find out for sure.
6. Sleep Issues
Sometimes, even if a person is getting enough sleep, they’re not getting enough quality sleep – and that might be due to any number of issues. If you’re always feeling tired and nothing helps, you might want to try visiting a sleep lab to see if you have any sleep problems. This goes double if you snore.
7. Depression
Feeling down, sad, and completely not hungry along with tired? You could be suffering from depression. If you’re having trouble enjoying the things you used to love and you’re feeling tired all the time, it’s a huge sign that you’re depressed. Talk to a therapist – they’ll be able to help you.
8. Heart Disease
If you’re feeling tired all the time, it could be because you have an undiagnosed heart condition – especially if you’re a woman. If you’re getting tired more easily and having more trouble doing exercises that used to be a piece of cake, talk to your doctor about the possibility of heart disease.
9. Diabetes
If you’re just flat out not feeling good all the time, like you’ve got zero energy and just can’t function – plus you have symptoms like blurred vision and excessive urination, it could be a case of undiagnosed diabetes. Have a doctor do a blood test to check.
10. Anemia
Anemia occurs for women more often than it occurs for men, especially if they’re having a heavy period. A doctor can easily check with a blood test, and you can fix this issue easily by adding more iron to your diet. Try eating more dark, leafy greens and meats – and if your doctor ok s it, try using an iron supplement.
In summary…
10 Reasons You Feel So Tired
- You’re not getting enough sleep (or good enough sleep)
- You’re not getting enough exercise
- You’re not eating the right food
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Thyroid issues
- Sleep issues
- Depression
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Anemia
Yes, these are sleep killers. I didn’t know that diet could be that much of an influence on this. Thanks!
Fatigue might be looked at differently than just being tired. I would head to the doctor’s office if you think you have been feeling this way a long time.
People these days are not getting enough sleep, that is where it ALL starts. It is not always easy to get recommended sleep every day, but you have to at least try!
Could a person have such low blood pressure that they sleep a lot more than the normal person? It makes sense right, the less blood you have flowing through your body the less energy you will have, right?
These are the most common reasons, however, there might be more to it. I would say a visit to the doctor if something does not seem to be right.
I got my blood work checked and it showed that I was deficient in a few things, but not the vitamin D. Is that a good thing?
I guess it depends on the other things you are deficient in.
Eating the right foods is key. There is good vitamins, minerals and natural sugars that can give you the right kind of energy.
You make some very good points here!
I think vitamin B is one that will cause you to be more sleepy than you should be, right?
I do not know about that. I would be interested, however.
Anemia is a very serious condition as well. Low blood pressure and things like that can easily cause you to feel tired all the time.
Hmm, good reasons. I think it would be a good thing if I changed up my diet and got more sleep, but that never happens :)
I can see who these things would cause me to be tired. I just wish I could “catch up” on my sleep. Is that possible?
According to doctors and sleep experts, you cannot catch up on your sleep. It is just not something that is possible.
Great list. I personally never feel tired. In fact, I tend to be awake for like 18 hours a day and that leaves just enough time to sleep and get going on my next day.
I have been getting such bad sleep lately. I think it might have to do with the new puppy living in our home. What do you think?
When I was feeling tired all the time, I went to see the doctor and apparently I have low blood pressure that is affecting me. Who do I fix that?
Not getting enough rest is a no-brainer, but if your diet is all messed up, that is going to play a major role as well!
Depression is a big one and I think that is my problem.
That is too bad. You should seek help to see if depression is exactly what you have.
After awhile I just hope it has nothing to do with an illness or something like that. I can deal with fatigue from lack of sleep, or vitamins that are not in my body, but I do not want to know I have a tumor or something like that.
Some people just work too much or try to pack too much into one day. That can mess with your health and things like that. Take a quick nap or just a few minutes to yourself.
Yup! There is always that person looking to add another hour to the day so they can get “more done”. Do you REALLY get MORE done?
Fatigue is never a good thing. Besides what you eat, drink or the amount of sleep you get, it could mean you are coming down with something….the worst is that you could have cancer if it is an extended bout with fatigue. Go to the doctor in that case.
There is so much to say about how you can get better sleep, but I tend to put it on the sleep you get and the food you eat.
You got that right.
This is very true! Good point!