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Why Am I Always Tired? Common Reasons Why You Feel Tired All The Time

Do you get up from sleep and feel that you do not have any energy to get out of bed? Do you get home from work and think that you do not have a single ounce of life left in you? Do you skip the gym saying that you feel tired all the time? These are signs of fatigue.

Imagine you are in the middle of an important meeting at work, and you cannot focus because you don't seem to have the energy! Well, this can be a massive blow to your work-life, right?

Reasons Why You Feel Tired All The Time

A severe illness can usually make you feel tired all the time, but minor illnesses can drain the life out of you. There are specific reasons for being tired all the time. The causes of this lifeless feeling could be due to the lack of sleep, medications, stress, and even heart disease.

In this article, Boldsky shares with you some of the possible reasons why you feel tired all the time.

Why Do You Feel Tired All The Time?

Why Do You Feel Tired All The Time?

Your habits play a significant role in boosting up your energy levels. Even improper diet and unhealthy lifestyle affect your immune system to a greater extent. Lack of sleep is another major cause for feeling tired. Well, such habits need to be cured as they can make you tired quickly. To fight lethargy, you need to be physically and mentally active [1].

Your low energy may be a symptom of any of the body organs or hormones not working well in the body, such as in the case of hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. Sometimes, the deficiency of some essential nutrients may also be a reason for your weakness and tiredness. Sleep disturbances and stress can also be a reason for your weakness and low energy. When you are stressed, you require energy to deal with it, hence leaving you tired in the process [2][3].

The human body can remain healthy and active only if it has an optimum level of energy. When the body is not producing enough energy, you experience fatigue. The reasons for fatigue may be various; mostly, it can happen due to ailments and diseases. During this time, the antibodies use up a lot of energy to fight the disease internally, inducing fatigue [4].

So, here is a list of reasons you could feel tired all the time and have a look.

1. Anaemia

1. Anaemia

One of the common reasons for tiredness is if you suffer from anaemia, resulting from a deficiency of red blood cells that transport oxygen to different parts of the body. If you feel tired all the time accompanied by headaches, difficulty in concentrating, a racing heartbeat, difficulty in sleeping, etc., get yourself checked [5].

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2. Thyroid Problems

2. Thyroid Problems

In this case, your tiredness is accompanied by dry hair and skin, brittle nails, puffiness under the eyes, a hoarse voice, an increased heart rate, mood swings, irritation, etc. The thyroid gland secretes hormones that control primary bodily functions. If the thyroid does not function properly, it throws your hormones out of control and messes with your energy levels [6].

3. Diabetes

3. Diabetes

Along with low energy levels, if you always feel thirsty, there is a frequent need to urinate, a blurred vision, sudden weight loss, irritation and anger, you need to check your blood glucose levels [7]. The tiredness could be a symptom of diabetes, where the metabolic disorder limits insulin production, which in turn leads to several undesirable symptoms, including fatigue, weakness, etc.

4. Vitamin B12 Deficiency

4. Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Vitamin B12 is one of the primary vitamins required by the body to maintain optimal energy levels [8]. The lack of this vitamin in our body causes fatigue and mental confusion. You can either take it as supplements or go for natural sources like eggs, chicken, and fish [9].

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5. Sedentary Life

5. Sedentary Life

Living an inactive life is one of the major contributing factors to weakness and tiredness. Studies link sedentary lifestyle to chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), characterised by extreme, unexplained fatigue daily [10]. Replacing the sedentary lifestyle with an active one can help reduce the tiredness and boost your energy levels.

6. Lack Of Sleep

6. Lack Of Sleep

Adequate sleep is as essential as having nutritious food when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The way poor lifestyle habits, untimely meals, and lack of exercise cause many diseases, lack of enough sleep can cause tiredness, which is a well-known fact [11]. Individuals need at least six hours of sleep every day for the mind to function correctly and for the body to remain healthy and energetic.

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7. Certain Foods

7. Certain Foods

Just like how food can boost your energy levels, certain foods can make you tired, not sleepy, but tired. Foods such as gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, and corn are some of the common foods that can make you tired. Food sensitivities or food intolerances are a common cause of tiredness in many [12].

8. Stress

8. Stress

Normal amounts of stress daily are not something to be overly concerned about, but chronic stress has been shown to have an impact on your energy levels [13]. While avoiding stress can be impossible at times, you can adopt stress-managing strategies such as yoga or meditation to help yourself.

9. Depression

9. Depression

If, along with decreased energy levels, you find it hard to concentrate and sleep, frequently dwell in the past, feel negative and hopeless all the time, do not want to socialise, and confine yourself, you could be suffering from depression. Make sure to take the help of a psychiatrist at the earliest or talk to a loved one to whom you can confide in [14].

Ways To Get Out Of Bed When You Are DepressedWays To Get Out Of Bed When You Are Depressed

10. Lack Of Hydration

10. Lack Of Hydration

Staying hydrated is extremely important for your overall health. Dehydration occurs when your body has an insufficient amount of water. This insufficiency leads to disruption of the body's normal functioning, leaving you extremely tired and exhausted [15].

Some other reasons why you feel tired all the time are as follows:

  • Excessive consumption of energy drinks
  • Lack of protein intake
  • Lack of calories consumption/limited calorie intake
  • Excessive consumption of refined carbs
  • Arthritis [16]
On A Final Note…

On A Final Note…

If coffee doesn't help keep your eyes wide open, you should probably see a doctor who can help you deal with this problem. It is essential to understand what is causing you to be tired all the time, so you may improve that and enhance your energy levels.

Story first published: Wednesday, January 13, 2021, 13:07 [IST]
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