Why Am I Tired all the Time?

Do you ask yourself that fairly frequently? If so, it may be more than just feeling run down from a cold or from being overworked. There are a number of reasons why you might be feeling tired all the time, and even better, once you know the reason you might find that it’s actually a simple fix! Here are a few things that could be sapping your energy and what you can do about it.

You’re Anemic

If you are low on red blood cells, then you’re suffering from anemia. This can lead to fatigue because your body isn’t getting as much oxygen as it needs. This can be caused by a number of issues, including being iron deficient, chronic disease, or blood loss. In most cases, it’s iron deficiency. This can be especially true of women since they may lose blood during menstruation or during pregnancy. The solution here is to take a multivitamin or iron supplement to boost your red blood cell count.

You’re Depressed

People who have been diagnosed as being depressed are tired, don’t sleep well, and often don’t eat right. This all adds up to being exhausted all the time. While it’s sometimes hard to see the symptoms of being depressed, especially if you feel this way all the time, it does certainly affect your body. While there’s no easy test to determine if you’re depressed, your doctor may refer you to a therapist who can help determine if you are. If so, going through counseling, changing your diet, or even turning to medication as a last resort can help.

Your Thyroid is Malfunctioning

If your thyroid isn’t producing the right hormones in the right amounts, you’re going to feel very tired. It may be over-producing or under-producing, both of which can make you feel tired and weak. Too much hormone and your muscles will feel like you’ve been exercising all the time—they will have that weak, weary feeling to them. Too little hormone, and you’ll find it hard to get going in the morning and have difficulty concentrating. Thyroid issues can easily be determined by a simple blood test, and often, correcting them is as simple as taking one small pill every day.

You have Sleep Apnea

This issue means that you’re actually waking up a lot during the night because your breathing is interrupted. This could be happening anywhere from a few dozen times a night to a few hundred, and even if you never become fully conscious, your brain does go into alert mode, bringing you out of deep sleep. The result is that you’re dead tired the next day. Fortunately, spending a night at a sleep clinic can help determine if you have sleep apnea and get you in contact with experts who will help you overcome it.