Why am i always tired?

It’s no secret that a lot of people just feel constantly tired. A fast life, a lot of stress around work, children, money does not contribute to us feeling better – that is for sure.

What are the potential reasons why you feel constantly tired?

1. Lack of quality sleep

Your body does many things while you sleep, including the release of hormones that regulate metabolism and energy levels (1).

Sleep must be calm and uninterrupted so that your brain can go through all five phases of each sleep cycle (2).

Adults need an average of seven hours of sleep for optimal health (3).

Napping can help temporarily increase energy levels. But on the other hand, sleeping during the day instead of at night disrupts the circadian rhythm of your body (biological changes that occur in response to light and darkness during the 24-hour cycle).

Research has found that when your sleep pattern is out of sync with your circadian rhythm, chronic fatigue can develop (4).

In this video you can learn how to improve the quality of your sleep.

Increased physical activity during the day can also help you sleep better at night. One study on older people found that exercise helped improve the quality of their sleep and reduce fatigue levels (5).

2. You are not eating enough calories

Eating too few calories can cause a feeling of exhaustion.

Your body needs a minimum of 1200 calories a day for basic functions – organ work, breathing, movement …

When you ingest too few calories, your metabolism slows down to conserve energy.

There is a decrease in the activity of the thyroid gland and reduced secretion of thyroid hormones, and thus you are brought to the phase of constant fatigue.

Your body can function in a range of calories depending on your weight, height, age, physical activity, and some other factors.

In addition, it is difficult to meet the needs for vitamins and minerals when calorie intake is too low. If this continues continuously insufficient iron intake e.g. can lead to anemia.

To keep your energy levels at a higher level, avoid drastically reducing your calorie intake, and if your goal is to lose weight, you can reduce them gradually.

3. Too little physical activity (sedentary lifestyle)

Inactivity could be the root cause of your low energy. Now, many people say they are too tired to exercise.

Some are just lazy, and others still have a more serious health problem. For example, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a condition of the body that is characterized by extreme, unexplained fatigue daily.

People with CFS tend to have low levels of strength and endurance, which limits their ability to exercise.

However, research on 1,500 people who have this syndrome has found that exercise can also reduce fatigue in those who have CFS (6,7).

Research has also shown that exercise can reduce fatigue in both healthy people and those with more serious illnesses such as cancer. In some forms, even a minimal increase in physical activity is useful (8,9,10,11,12)

To increase energy levels, replace sedentary behavior with active ones. For example, stop instead of sitting whenever possible, take the stairs instead of the elevator and walk instead of driving short distances.

4. Inadequate hydration

Dehydration occurs when you do not drink enough fluids to make up for water lost in urine, stool, sweat, and breath.

Several studies have shown that even mildly dehydrated can lead to lower energy levels and reduced ability to concentrate (13,14,15).

Common symptoms of dehydration include thirst, fatigue, dizziness, and headache.

Often people claim to consume enough water but do not pay attention to the intake of diuretics.

Consuming coffee and energy drinks leads to more frequent urination.

Water loss can reduce fluid in the blood, which further affects the reaction of your cardiovascular system to maintain blood pressure and blood flow.

Dehydration can lead to rapid heartbeat and low blood pressure. It can also lead to feelings of fatigue and lethargy.

In addition, coffee and similar stimulants in larger quantities can lead to excessive work of the adrenal glands, and by burning them, you will additionally increase fatigue due to a temporary increase in energy.

5. Intake of too many refined carbohydrates

When sugar and processed carbohydrates are consumed, they cause a rapid rise in blood sugar. This signals your pancreas to produce a large amount of insulin to inject blood sugar into your cells.

This jump in blood sugar levels – and the subsequent drop – can make you feel tired. Wanting fast energy, you instinctively reach for another portion of refined carbohydrates, which can lead to a vicious circle.

Several studies have found that reducing sugar and processed carbohydrates in meals and snacks leads to higher energy levels (16,17,18).

To keep your energy levels stable, replace sugar and refined carbohydrates with whole foods that are rich in fiber, such as vegetables and legumes.

Of course, there are other reasons why you may have a lack of energy: diabetes, celiac disease, fibromyalgia, etc.

You can read more topics here.