5 Reasons You Feel So Tired All the Time
Oct 11, 2023
Do you wake up feeling exhausted even after getting a good night’s sleep? Do you wish the day was over at noon because you’re so tired you don’t think you can make it through?
It’s not uncommon to feel tired now and then, but there may be another issue if your fatigue is an ongoing problem affecting your ability to function during the day.
Dr. Rajendra M. Rampersaud, our sleep medicine expert at NY Metro Sleep in the Bronx, New York, is on a mission to help New Yorkers feel more rested.
Here, we want to share some reasons you may feel so tired all the time.
Diet, exercise, and stress management affect your physical and emotional well-being and your ability to get a good night’s rest.
Eating a balanced diet gives your body all the energy and nutrients it needs to thrive during the day. Regular exercise boosts energy and improves sleep quality. Finding healthy ways to manage stress may prevent you from taking stress to bed, which can lead to fitful sleep.
When you feel tired all the time, take a look at your daily habits. Making better food choices, drinking plenty of water, and finding time for exercise can make a significant difference in how you feel. Taking care of yourself also helps you better handle stress.
Insomnia is a common sleep problem that makes it hard to get an adequate amount of high-quality sleep. If you have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep night after night despite feeling exhausted, you may have depression.
Depression is a common mental health condition that affects sleep and energy levels. If you have a low mood and low energy, you should schedule a visit with your primary care provider for a depression evaluation.
Hormones direct many vital functions, including sleep and energy. Sex hormone changes are part of aging and a common cause of fatigue.
You may also feel tired often if you’re not producing enough thyroid hormones — a condition called hypothyroidism. Thyroid hormones are in charge of your metabolism, which determines the amount of energy your body needs to run basic systems like digestion. A decrease in thyroid hormone levels lowers your metabolism and your energy.
Many medical conditions can make you feel tired all the time, such as diabetes, kidney disease, or anemia. Seeing your primary care provider yearly for your annual physical exam can identify health issues before they become a serious medical condition.
Your chronic fatigue may also be a symptom of a sleep disorder. Sleep apnea is a serious sleep condition that causes people to stop and restart breathing repeatedly while they sleep. You may not wake up and realize what’s happening, but the breathing issue makes it impossible for your body to get high-quality sleep, so you wake up exhausted.
If your sleep is why you feel tired all the time, we can find out why and help you develop a plan to improve it. Getting enough high-quality rest not only gives you back your energy, but also improves your physical and mental well-being.
Call our office today or schedule a consultation with our sleep medicine expert online.