If your symptoms are compounded by other problems like very high fever, diarrhea, or severe pain that does not go away, it’s best to consult your doctor or go to an emergency room if you fear it is life threatening.
But for those who are just bothered with a non-violent fatigue, this may be the answer to your question why am I always tired. You don’t have to worry too much because sometimes, the reason could just be in your habits. It could also be because of the foods you eat or whatever your activities are.
Why Am I Always Tired?
Let us first take a look at the simple explanations that may explain your question why am I always tired. These are the not serious, nonemergency reasons why you’re tired all the time.
Skipping Breakfast
When you sleep at night, your body continues to use what you ate for dinner to keep your blood pumping and continue the flow of oxygen. In the morning, when you wake up, you need to refuel your body. Breakfast is the way to do that. If you skip breakfast, you will feel sluggish. Eating breakfast is how you kick start your metabolism. But you also have to eat the right foods.
Good breakfast should include whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fat. You can have oatmeal with some peanut butter, a fruit smoothie, low-fat milk, eggs, and maybe some whole wheat toast and low-fat Greek yogurt. This could be a good solution to your problem of why am I always tired.
Junk Food
High sugar foods and simple carbs have a very high glycemic index which is an indicator that carbohydrates rapidly increase blood sugar. If your blood sugar constantly spikes, you will experience sharp drops that cause fatigue throughout the day. You should keep your blood sugar steady by sticking to lean protein along with whole grain foods in your meals. These include chicken, brown rice, salmon, and sweet potato. You can also eat salad with chicken and fruit. Junk food may be the culprit in your problem why am I always tired.
Not Exercising
When you skip your workouts to save energy, it actually does the opposite. Studies show that sedentary healthy adults who began exercising lightly for as little as 20 minutes continuously for three days report having less fatigue and more energy after six weeks. Regular exercise helps boost strength and endurance. This will make your cardiovascular system more efficient and therefore deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. So next time you’re asking why am I always tired and are tempted to just stay on the couch, maybe try brisk walking.Not Enough Water
You may also not be drinking enough water and find yourself wondering why am I always tired. Even when you are slightly dehydrated which is as little as 2% of normal fluid loss, it affects your energy levels. Dehydration reduces blood volume and it makes your blood thicker. What happens is your heart pumps less efficiently. This will reduce the speed that oxygen and nutrients reach your muscles and organs.
Iron Deficiency
Another reason to your problem why am I always tired is that you may not be consuming enough iron. Iron deficiency can make you feel sluggish, irritable, weak and lack focus. You will feel tired because there is less oxygen that travels to your muscles and cells. Increase your iron intake to reduce risks of anemia. To do this, you can start eating more beef, kidney beans, tofu, eggs, dark green leafy vegetables, and nuts. You can also add peanut butter and foods that are high in vitamin C to improve absorption of iron. Here are some of the foods that are high in iron.
It’s important to note that iron deficiency could also be a sign of an underlying health problem so you may also want to check with your doctor.
Too Much Clutter
Aside from health related reasons, one not so obvious cause of why am I always tired could be that you have a very messy environment. Too much clutter causes mental exhaustion which restricts your ability to focus. This will limit your brain’s ability to process information. Then you will end up feeling tired all the time. You should make sure that your work and personal items are organized. It will help you have a positive start to your day.
Caffeine
It’s good to start your day with coffee in the morning. But if you rely on caffeine all day, it can disrupt your sleep cycle and make you feel tired the next day. Caffeine blocks adenosine which puts you to sleep. When you consume caffeine six hours before bedtime, it affects your sleep. Of course, this could differ from person to person as some people get so used to it that they have no trouble sleeping even after taking caffeine.
Serious Implications
Now here are the other more serious possibilities to your question why am I always tired. Again, do not panic if you think this applies to you. Carefully consider the details and then consult with your doctor to discuss your symptoms. Your doctor is the best person to advise you what to do.
Thyroid Disease
This may mean that you have hormonal imbalance caused by stress and diet. This is also caused by food intolerance to gluten and dairy.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
This is also due to hormonal imbalance and affects up to one million people each year in the United States. Women are more prone to chronic fatigue syndrome especially in their 40s to 50s.