7 Reasons Why You're Constantly Tired.

Are You Constantly Tired? Here are 7 Possible Causes.

Are you constantly tired? Indeed, you’re not on your own if you never feel rested and your va va voom has got up and left the building. There are a number of reasons why you might feel constantly tired. To regain your former lust for life you need to get to the root cause of the problem. Whilst certain causes may be plain to see, for example lack of sleep, other causes may be a little harder to spot. Here are 7 reasons why you might be constantly tired.

1. Lack of Sleep.

We may as well start with the most obvious cause for exhaustion and that’s lack of sleep. Whilst it is a no brainer that lack of sleep can cause you to feel tired, it is surprising how many people underestimate the importance of sleep. Indeed, people can often see the merit of a good diet and exercise but often think they can skimp on sleep. The popular saying ‘I’m sleep when I’m dead’ springs to mind. Unfortunately, no matter how rock and roll you think you are, lack of sleep will catch up with most of us eventually. Therefore, if you’re constantly tired then the first thing you need to do is ask yourself honestly if you are getting enough shut eye.  On average, most adults need to get 7-9 hours of good quality sleep. 

2. Stress.

If you’re under sustained stress, then your energy is going to impacted. Whilst a certain amount of stress is inevitable and even healthy, constant stress will drain your resources.  Stress encourages your body to make more fight or flight chemicals which prepare you for an emergency. Our bodies are not designed to be in this state constantly and as a consequence you will eventually feel burnt out. You can read more about stress and how to combat it here.

3. Poor Diet.

Your body is like an engine and food is the fuel that you put into it. Put the wrong fuel in and your body will suffer. There is a ton of advice on what a healthy diet looks like but the general consensus is that you should be eating whole foods and cooking from scratch when possible. What’s more, if you’re on a diet to lose weight then calorie restriction might also be causing you fatigue. If this is the case, you can try upping your calories just a little to see if this helps. As long as you remain in a calorie deficit you can still lose weight.

4. Too Much or Too Little Exercise.

Exercise is a great tool for keeping your body healthy. Indeed, if you’re sat for long periods of time then a good exercise plan can help you feel energised.  Conversely, too much exercise can contribute to exhaustion. If you suspect that you might be over doing it then you should try reducing your exercise to see if this is a contributing factor.

5. Depression.

One of the key symptoms of depression is feeling constantly tired. If you feel like you can’t get out of bed in the morning and have lost interest in the things that you normally enjoy then you could be suffering from depression. If you are concerned that you might be suffering from depression you can check out this overview from the NHS. We would always recommend speaking to your GP if you need help  with your mental health.

6. Alcohol.

Some people believe that having a night cap is the recipe for a good night’s sleep. Whilst the odd drop won’t affect your sleep too much, regular consumption of alcohol can interfere with sleep. This is because alcohol reduces the amount of Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep that you get leaving you feeling anything but refreshed.

7. Physical Causes.

If you have ruled out all of the above causes, then it is possible that there is a physical cause for your tiredness. Indeed, there are a number of health conditions that can cause tiredness and exhaustion. These include anaemia, sleep apnoea and under active thyroid gland. The NHS recommend that if you have been feeling constantly tired for more than 4 weeks that you should contact your GP to establish the root cause.

Takeaway.