Why am I Tired All The Time?
Several conditions can tire you, including nutrient deficiencies, anaemia, and thyroid trouble. You might also not get enough deep sleep, the most important of the four sleep stages.
Whether feeling tired has an underlying medical cause requires investigation, usually with blood and urine tests. However, if you have type 2 diabetes or another condition linked with sleep problems, these are also points of investigation.
This article explores the possible reasons you always feel tired, giving you a few avenues to explore.
Let’s jump in!
Iron deficiency
Iron deficiency prevents your body from producing and carrying haemoglobin in red blood cells, reducing oxygen content in your body.
A lack of iron can also cause iron deficiency anaemia, where your body lacks a significant portion of healthy red blood cells. The good news is you can treat iron deficiency with iron supplements and by eating nuts and red kidney beans.
Pregnant women are likely to have iron deficiency, with severe anaemia increasing the risk of premature birth and low birth weight.
B12 deficiency
Vitamin B12 deficiency is a known cause of daytime fatigue and excessive tiredness, causing symptoms that gradually appear and intensify over time.
B12 is critical in creating red blood cells, nerves, DNA, and hormones. The body can’t make it, so we need it from our diet. The best foods that deliver it in valuable doses are red meat, eggs, poultry, dairy, and fortified foods.
Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
The thyroid gland produces hormones regulating metabolism, sleep-wake cycle, mood, and energy levels. An underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) is where your thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones.
Fatigue, daytime tiredness, weight gain, and depression are the most common symptoms of hypothyroidism. Treatment usually involves hormone replacement tablets.
Obesity and being overweight
Being overweight increases your risk of chronic fatigue, daytime tiredness, severe heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
Studies show that daytime sleepiness is directly related to metabolic activity and that obesity accounts for a significant portion of physical fatigue, meaning being overweight can make you physically and mentally exhausted.
Being underweight
Being underweight can also give you fatigue and excessive daytime sleepiness, especially when linked to an eating disorder like bulimia.
If you are underweight, you are more likely to have nutritional deficiencies and a weakened immune system, making you tired.
The solution is to put on weight safely with a healthy, balanced diet that minimises the consumption of junk food and unhealthy fats.
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Dubbed “the silent killer,” carbon monoxide can leak into your home from gas appliances, pipelines, fireplaces, and portable generators.
Symptoms include fatigue, daytime sleepiness, headache, dizziness, feeling sick, weak, confusion, and shortness of breath.
We recommend getting carbon monoxide alarms and placing them in the same rooms as fuel-burning appliances like fires and boilers.
Side effects of medicines and some herbal remedies
Sometimes, fatigue and daytime tiredness are attributable to medications (prescribed or otherwise) and herbal remedies.
Antidepressants, muscle relaxants, antihistamines, anti-emetics, and drugs to treat high blood pressure can tire you.
Regarding herbal remedies, these can interact with medicines and other herbs, so we recommend consulting your GP and giving them the label. It might turn out that the herbal remedy you take is making you tired.
Not getting enough deep sleep.
For most people, daytime sleepiness and fatigue are symptoms of not getting enough deep sleep. Deep sleep is the most crucial stage because it triggers a brainwave slowdown with enhanced metabolic (bodily) activity.
Simply put, you need deep sleep to heal and regenerate. Your pituitary gland releases human growth hormone, and your metabolism kicks into overdrive during deep sleep, giving you the energy and drive to get things done.
If you enjoyed this article, read our piece on the latest sleep stats.