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Why Am I Always Tired?

Tired Man
That is a great question. Unfortunately, there is no one right answer. There are dozens of reasons why a person may be tired all the time.

Some have to do with lifestyle, others are medical and still others may be due to stress or emotional issues. Everyone has a unique lifestyle, quality of health, body type, and stress level.

Therefore, the reason why you are always tired is probably unique to you.

The purpose of this site is to give you some insight into the possible reasons why you are always feeling tired in order to help you better understand why you are constantly tired.

Once you have determined why you are always tired you can take steps to overcome this feeling.

LIFESTYLE

Sleep related issues are always the prime suspect when you are suffering from chronic or severe fatigue. However, lack of sleep may not be the reason you’re tired.

Plenty of people get adequate sleep but are not able to slow down or manage stress during the day. Others do not relax or do not really know how to relax.

Stop Waking Up During the Night

SleepSleep is very important. If you are asking yourself, “Why am I so tired?” it’s quite possible that you are not getting enough sleep. When you don’t get enough sleep your body does not have a chance to feel any other way but tired.

Not getting enough quality sleep builds up a sort of “sleep debt” that leaves you feeling chronically tired. Determining how much sleep you need, your sleep cycles, and the best ways to get to sleep are unique to you but regardless of your individual situation, there are simple things you can do to help yourself stay asleep and stop waking throughout the night.

One of the biggest reasons people wake up in the night is because they have to go to the bathroom. No matter how urgently you need to go, you still are breaking your sleep cycle in order to relieve yourself. For most people, the reason for waking up is having too much to drink too late in the evening.

Hydration is very important and will help you feel less tired, but no matter how hydrated you are, if you wake up during the night to go to the bathroom, drinking all that water is contributing to making you tired rather than preventing it! The key is to make sure that you drink as much as you can earlier in the day.

Try not to drink anything after 8pm. If that does not work, slowly move that deadline earlier and earlier in the day until you find a time that allows you to drink enough water but stay asleep all night.

Another tip for sleeping through the night is to keep your bedroom cool, but not cold. When you are hot, it causes you to sweat. This will make you uncomfortable and will cause you to wake up. If you keep your bedroom cooler, but not cold, it will help you stay comfortable all night long.

Furthermore, you should use natural cotton sheets versus synthetic fabrics. Cotton sheets will breathe more, allowing you to stay cooler.
Sounds also tend to wake you up during the night. Although you grow accustomed to certain noises, they still prevent you from achieving a quality sleep.

One of the best solutions to this problem is to sleep with ear plugs in. However, if that is too uncomfortable, try a sound machine which emits “white” noise. This noise sounds like a radio that is not tuned to a station. The sound has an amazing ability to mask other sounds. Having this steady noise will help you achieve a deeper, more restful sleep.

If you have trouble falling asleep in the first place, try to establish a relaxing routine just before bedtime. Listen to relaxing music, do some simple stretching exercise or spend a few minutes meditating. You can also try an herbal sleep aid such as valerian or chamomile to help you relax before bedtime.

Manage Stress during the Day

You may be thinking “I am always tired” when the really problem is “I am always under stress.” Stress can be caused by many things.

If you have a demanding job or work long hours or if the responsibilities of managing a home overwhelm you, the stress of these situations will cause you to feel very tired.

If you deal with difficult people every day, whether they are family members or co-workers, the emotional tool of these encounters will also be stressful and draining. Or the cause of your stress may be something temporary that is going on in your life, such as moving, starting a new job or dealing or the loss of a loved one. Even something good like planning a vacation can be stressful!

There are several effective ways to manage stress. First, if you pay attention to your general health and take care of your body, it will be easier to deal with stressful situations. You can also use specific exercises like yoga and meditation or deep breathing when you are going through something stressful.

In fact, remembering to breathe is one of the most effective ways to manage stress. It may seem simple, but the first thing many people do without even realizing it when they are under stress is to slow or even stop breathing. If you don’t take deep breaths, you deprive your body of energy-giving oxygen.

No matter how busy you think you are, take time – even five minutes – for yourself each day. Find a comfortable place where you can relax with a cup of herbal tea or do a short meditation exercise, and make this a regular routine.

Taking a mid-morning and mid-afternoon break can help you recharge so you can face the rest of your stressful day without feeling drained or overwhelmed.

Exercise

If you’ve ever done any kind of exercise, you know that it can make you feel great. Of course, if you overdo it, exercise can actually contribute to your fatigue. But if you are always feeling tired, you may not be getting enough exercise. Exercise is important because it helps your blood flow and circulates oxygen through your body, and as mentioned, it is oxygen that gives you energy.

Many people who are constantly tired do not have a regular exercise routine. If this is the case for you, you may be thinking, “I’m too tired to exercise.” Or perhaps you think you are too busy to fit exercise into your day. Think again. Everyone has time to exercise. Even 20 minutes of moderate exercise per day can help to increase your energy level. If you think about it honestly, you probably waste more time than that on a daily basis dong something like flipping through TV channels, surfing the internet or gossiping on the phone.

Simple but energizing exercises include brisk walking, a few minutes of yoga sun salutations or even something as simple (and fun) as dancing in your living room to your favorite music! If you don’t believe in the power of exercise to energize you, try it just once the next time you feel drained. Take a brisk walk around the block and see if you don’t feel better, even for a short time. Now think how much better you will feel all day every day if you make exercise a part of your daily routine.

HEALTH AND YOUR ENERGY LEVEL

It makes sense that a healthy person has more energy than a person who suffers from any kind of illness. In fact, tiredness is a primary symptom of many medical conditions. If you are tired all the time and you have a generally healthy lifestyle, you may have an underlying medical condition that is causing your fatigue.

Here are five medical problems that may be the hidden cause of your fatigue. In addition to these, almost any kind of infection or illness can deplete your energy levels.

Sluggish Thyroid

Hypothyroidism, or “sluggish thyroid,” is a common problem, especially in women. Many people with low thyroid function are not even aware that they have the condition. The thyroid gland is responsible for producing hormones that control your metabolism. The more efficient your metabolism is, the higher your energy level will be. The most common sign that your thyroid is not functioning properly is fatigue.

Anyone who suffers from chronic fatigue that cannot be explained should have a blood test to determine if hypothyroidism is the culprit. Your doctor will test levels of two hormones, known as “T3” and “T4” to see if they are low. If a sluggish thyroid turns out to be the problem, the condition can easily be treated with hormone supplements.

Food Allergies

Fatigue can also be caused by allergies to certain ingredients commonly found in foods. If you have a food allergy, your body treats the ingredient as an invader and makes antibodies to fight it off, and all that “fighting” can be exhausting!

Common food allergies that cause fatigue include gluten (the protein in wheat products), dairy and soy allergies. If you suspect that you have a food allergy, try an elimination diet. First, keep a log of everything you eat. When you feel especially tired, notice what you ate 30 minutes to an hour earlier. If a pattern develops, eliminate that food from your diet completely and see if your energy improves.

Anemia

Your blood carries oxygen throughout your body via hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that is rich in iron. If you have an iron deficiency, your blood will not be able to do its job and you will feel exhausted because of oxygen deprivation.

Many women suffer from iron deficiency anemia during the reproductive years. This is especially true for women who bleed heavily when they menstruate. But even if you are not a menstruating woman, you can develop anemia if your iron intake is inadequate. Anemia can also develop if you do not have enough folate or vitamin B12 in your diet.

Your doctor can do a blood test to see if you are anemic. If you are, you can usually correct the problem with iron or vitamin supplements. If supplements do not help, you may need to find out if you are losing blood for some reason.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a condition in which you actually stop breathing for a moment now and then throughout the night. When this happens, your body reacts by waking just enough to get you to breathing again. If you have sleep apnea, you are not getting adequate rest because your sleep is continually interrupted.

One sign that you may have sleep apnea is snoring. If your partner has complained that you snore, check with your doctor to see if sleep apnea is suspected, especially if you always feel tired despite thinking you are sleeping through the night. Sleep apnea is caused by an obstructed airway and is more common in people who are overweight.

Certain lifestyle changes, like losing weight or quitting smoking if you smoke can correct the problem of sleep apnea. There are also devices that can keep your airway open while you sleep. If you have sleep apnea, it is very important to treat it because left untreated, this condition may increase your risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Undiagnosed Heart Disease

Fatigue is a hallmark sign of heart disease. If you are easily tired after activities that you used to be able to do with ease, such as walking up a flight of stairs, your heart may not be working up to par and may need to be evaluated for heart disease.

If your heart is not pumping blood efficiently, your tissues and organs are not getting enough oxygen. Heart disease causes fatigue in the same way that anemia and shallow breathing do. It leads to oxygen deprivation which exhausts the body.

MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL ISSUES

The answer to the question, “Why am I always so tired?” may also be that you are constantly under some kind of stress. The stress may be obvious, such as job-related stress or the challenge of moving, but it can also be related to a mood disorder such as anxiety or depression.

If you are always tired, do an internal check of your emotions. Are you often sad or disinterested in things that used to be pleasurable? If so, your fatigue may be related to clinical depression. Do you often feel anxious or worried? Then you may have an energy-robbing anxiety disorder. Tiredness is a symptom of both conditions. The good news is that both are treatable through a variety of methods including lifestyle changes, counseling and, if necessary, medication. If you think you are depressed or anxious, talk to your doctor.

TAKE SMALL STEPS

ChangeIt is often difficult to accept the need for change, and it can be even harder to actually make lasting changes. If you are already feeling exhausted, the idea of needing to change things in your life might seem completely overwhelming. This can be especially true when you are faced with making the lifestyle, health, diet, sleep, and other changes recommended throughout this site.

However, thing will not change if they stay the same! In other words, that feeling of “always tired, no energy” can only go away by making changes.

If you mind has been consumed with asking yourself why you always feel tired, then you are probably becoming more and more agitated. This agitation makes you prone to making desperate and often dramatic changes.

Unfortunately, dramatic changes usually don’t last and you will just be setting yourself up for failure. This failure may cause you to become depressed (or more depressed if depression is the cause of your fatigue), and you will begin to feel even more tired.

Instead of making dramatic changes, try taking smaller steps. If you are constantly tired, then there are probably several aspects of your life that should be changed. Instead of making all of these changes all at once, try addressing only one thing at a time.

If you are continuously asking yourself, “Why do I always feel so tired?” the first issue you should address is sleep. As you read above, there are many different facets to sleep that might need to be altered in order to eliminate your sleep debt.

The resources on this site will give you great guidance for making changes to your sleep habits in order to finally feel rested. However, even these changes should be made slowly in order to not increase your stress.

After you have addressed your sleep issues, you can begin to slowly improve your diet, amount of relaxation, exercise habits, and other aspects of your life that keep you always feeling tired.

Slowly, but surely, these small changes will begin having a profound effect on your body. Before you know it, you will be feeling more energized and youthful than you have in a long time.

Finding Your Unique Solution

It is time for you to stop saying, “I am always tired.” It is time for you to feel excited about life again. No matter how truly exhausted you are, you still have the power to overcome your condition.

Do not be overwhelmed, you can make yourself feel more alert, energized, and healthy.

The key is to learn more about the reasons behind your tiredness. As stated earlier, you are a unique person and that means the reasons for your tiredness are unique.

If you research tiredness while examining your circumstances, you will be able to find the answers you need. Not only will you determine the cause of your problem, you will discover your unique solution. You will be able to arm yourself with this information and permanently eradicate the feeling of tiredness.

End Tiredness ProgramThe purpose of this site and the tools provided here is to help you achieve this kind of comprehensive understanding of tiredness. One great resource on the site is the e-book End Tiredness Program.

This e-book discusses the factors which cause tiredness in great detail but in a way that is easy to understand and use. It will help you better understand which factors most affect your energy levels and determine your unique needs.

More importantly, End Tiredness Program will give you thorough instructions for the changes you need to make to overcome your fatigue. The program can be your essential guide to finally increasing your energy and feeling better than ever.




{ 233 comments… add one }
  • heidi January 2, 2012, 4:41 am

    Hi, I’m 19 and going through a really hard time right now because of my constant tiredness. I have a 13 month old son & a husband, my husband works from 9-9 and I work from 4-9 so I’m with the baby all day and working all evening and it is a marathon in itself just packing his stuff to go to my moms house while I work, let alone playing, feeding him, getting him out of the house ect ect I feel tired to the point of tears all the time, I’ve become easily frazzled and i just don’t feel like myself anymore, my body feels weak and i am just all around exhausted and i don’t know what to do at this point…I’ve been taking adderol since I was around 11 years old, and i feel like adderol is the only thing that gets me by right now, I sometimes have to take a half pill more than my daily dose just to go to work so sometimes I’m short at the end of the month, and without adderol I literally cannot get out of bed(and i know, that’s terrible but I’ve been on it so long I probably do have a dependance) So, is there anything you guys suggest for me to do or take?

    • SAm January 12, 2012, 5:48 am

      heidi gurl dont feel bad. i take adderall and its the only thing that gets me by at work. sleep all morning and still tired. then i have to take an extra just like you. i cry at night bc im tired of being tired. dont know which way to go..

  • Megan January 10, 2012, 3:18 pm

    For probably the past 6 months maybe longer I havent been anything but tired. I am 19, have two jobs and in college but neither of my jobs stress me out i work three days a week and maybe one or two days on the weekend at my second job. I have to work to get myself out of bed in the morning and it takes forever for me to fall asleep at night because im wide awake but all day i struggle to keep my eyes open. Even on days of no work or school i sleep in and am still tired. I do have a bleeding disorder but it affects my platlets so i dont think thats it. I have also gained 15lbs or so and im just done with this sleepyness!!

  • SaraBeach January 11, 2012, 5:28 am

    I am a 27 yr old female. I was having all of thsee smptoms, then about 3 months ago, l was diagnosed with systemic lupus. It is an autoimmune disease that attacks your own body. Do yourself a favor and make an appointment with a rhemtologist and get tested!

  • Benjamin January 13, 2012, 6:34 pm

    Hey my names ben im 20 and iv been feeling like this for nearly a year now, it started when i was finishing college im not overly intelligent but i had a big interest in what i was studying which i lost when i started feeling tierd dizzy and ill and resulted in me not finishing college, it started making me depressed and i went through a really rough stage of not talking to many of my friends leading on to me not taking part in any many activities apart from going out and getting drunk because that would cure my depression for the night, it carried on throughout the year and slowly i started losing more things in my life i quit my job on an impulse of finding a better job my boyfriend was the one person who would be there for me but he split up with me 2 months ago because we would constantly argue, my friends now dont want to bother with me because i havent made the effort with them,

    So iv tried different techniques to cure my tierdness/anxiety/depression/illness, iv tried eyedrops to wake me up drinking more water i gave up smoking joined the gym tried going out more but i just feel uncomfortable as nothing seems to interest me, me and my boyfriend are on talking terms again and hes helping me iv applied for jobs but have had no luck as its nearly impossible these days, i went to the doctors alot but i think i will have to go again, i even had laser eye surgury because i thought that because im lightheaded and dizzy 24/7 it might be because of my poor eyesight but i still have the same feeling.

    I need some sort of help is councelling the way forward? does anyone recognise these symtoms? i used to be so healthy happy and active now im the opposite :( I need help.

  • LoriB January 18, 2012, 5:28 am

    I have been gluten free for three years. I went off milk for a year now. I eat organics only, hormone/antibodic free meat, trying to cut sugar out of my diet. Haven’t cut caffeine out yet. I lost 40lbs. My Blood pressure is normal now. My constipation, bloating, swelling, allergys, infections lungs, sinus and ears are better. My sleep is a problem. I work night shift and never have a consistant sleep cycle. I am tired all the time. My ears ring. When I am off I try to flip back to living days and sleeping nights but it makes me feel sick. I take benadryl and melantonin for sleep but sometime still feel unrested after sleeping 7 hours? I need help. Guess I am venting. Maybe after 17yrs of night shift I need to change to days or do a different job!!

    • John June 29, 2013, 3:00 pm

      Lori – Night shift will take years off your life if you don’t adapt properly. It wouldn’t hurt to go see a sleep specialist.
      My shift schedule was 4 x 12 hour shifts – 2 from 7 am till 7pm, then 2 from 7 pm to 7 am. I try to adjust my routine to meet my work schedule. If I’m going into work at midnight, I get out of bed at 10.00pm, cook my breakfast, and generally try make my night shift routine as much like my days shift routine as possible. When I come home from work, I would stay up till at least noon preferable 3:00 pm, so I’m sleeping how I would on Dayshift. I have hearing loss and ringing. Overdosing on ASA based products will also make your ears ring. Found that out the hard way.
      It’s also amazing the number of shift workers with sleep apnea problems. I’ve just turned 63. IF you’re working shifts, your fatigue can cause you to over eat, your brain is tired, and can’t decide if you need food or sleep so you eat.

      I’m starting retirement now, and have also found I’m deficient in thyroid and testosterone. _ You need to see your GP & get some blood tests done. Another thing affecting lack of ambition is vitamin B12.

      Not trying to be preachy, this is just stuff I found through 30 years of shift work.

  • Nikita January 18, 2012, 7:47 pm

    Ok im 24 years old. Ive been feeling very sleepy since the first day back to work after crimbo 2011. I dont know what to think, i always feel tried, i have to get up at 6am for work but i struggle so much! I have to leave at 7am to get to work for 7:30am and i get upat 6:50 where i just wanna stay in bed and carry on sleeing!! I work 7:30am till 5pm in an office! And when i get my hours lunch i feel that i could so easly nod off!! I do have some nights sleep where i wake up at 3-4am needing the bathroom, but like it says on here try not drinking near sleep time, tried it dont work!! I get in from work and then nod off for awhile, not long say 30 – 45 mins. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?

  • Natasha January 20, 2012, 2:29 am

    I am currently 19 years old, full time college student and part time worker at a Petsmart in the Pet Hotel. I have problems with always being tired as well, I will go to bed at around 9pm (when I am not working until 10-11pm at night) and will wake up constantly throughout the night for no reason I can think of. 9pm bed time, will wake up almost every hour on the hour, (i.e. 10, 11, 12:30, 1:30, 2, ect) all the way until I actually need to be up for classes at 7am. I have tried not drinking or eating anything anytime after 6-7pm for dinner but it still does not help. My boyfriend and I keep our room at a comfortable 70 degrees (we live in alaska so its a good temp for us) and have a fan blowing for white noise. Also we make sure that our door is closed and windows are shut to keep out any light/ sound that might pass through. I dont have a set exersize routine because I am constantly walking throughout the day around my campus and while I work, I am constantly chasing dogs around, playing tug of war with them, and while I am not busy with that I walk around the dog’s room and take them for walks through the hallways. I do have a slight problem with my breathing, when I do anything to strenuous I have trouble regaining my breath and my chest hurts. (So I cannot run, do to many steps, ect) when my heart-rate is at resting pace I take long slow deep breaths, 6 second enhales and 5 second exhales on average.
    I eat fairly healthy, plenty of fruits and vegetables as well as eating more chicken compared to beef or other red fatty meats. I eat fish on occasion (especially salmon and halibut since its easy to fish for durring the right times) and my boyfriend and I only treat ourselves occassionally to fast foods such as taco bell or mcdonalds once or twice a month. I do drink alot of coffee which may be partially the reason why I get so thirsty but I do make sure that I refrain from drinking any after 3-4pm that way it shouldnt affect my sleeping schedual.
    Also I dont have any depression issues, I am happy a majority of the time and do enjoy playing video games and going out for walks. The only problem is that I feel to tired to do anything including just sitting on a couch to play video games most of the time. I also get headaches a lot of the time but dont know what they are caused by :(

    If anyone would give me any advice on where I should begin looking at things to change, please let me know.

  • Shelton January 23, 2012, 12:26 am

    I would like to start off by saying, I do feel.exactly like most of you here.. But I do have a couple things happening with me that’s a little different.. 1st. I have ocd, and one if the things that plagues me during my sleeping time is my sheets.. I’ll explain, if they wrinkle up under my me and are not straight it causes me to have to get up and fix them, so they are right. Also, my covers have to be right on the top too. Both the blanket and sheet have to be flush with each other. If not of course I have to fix it.. I also have sleep apnea. I haven’t the money though to.get the test run. But I wake up every night, several times a night. With that startled, gasping for breath feeling.. It actually does scare me.. Cause sometimes while in asleep, I try and wake myself up, cause I know im not breathing.. And it takes sometime, at least it feels like it, for me to wake myself up.. Scary!!! I am a truck driver, and my life has completely went to crap.. And yes I do have lots lots of stresses .. I take effexor 200 mg, for depression. I take remeron 30.mg for depression. Also take lipitor for my cholesterol, not sure the name but I take a med for my high blood pressure.. I could write a novel on the stuff going on with me. But this isn’t how I use to be!! The last Two years or so has simply been overbearing.. I’ve contemplated suicide.. Been to hundreds of doctors. Nobody knows.. I even admired my self to a hospital. Was there a week, with no results or ideas:(
    I also have anxiety, panic attacks.. Friend and family, tell.me I need to turn to God for help.. Trust me I have asked God to help me. I feel like im out of options.. I’m at a job I.hate… I’ve been driving a truck for 20 years, its all I’ve ever done.. I love seeing the country, by with my health and sleep issues I feel like im at my end here… If anyone would like to talk, I would love that.. You can find me on Facebook.. I actually have two accounts so when u enter my name It will show two of me.. But im using the one with a guy that has two sides to his face.. Its a prince.. So look me up at shelton Lambert, from Brookhaven, Mississippi.. Thanks

  • Shelton January 23, 2012, 5:46 am

    Wanted to add some more, to what I was saying.. I have always had issues sleeping.. When I was young, my mind would race out of control, the minute I would lay down, it still does to this day, sometimes!! Anyway, so I would lay there and toss and turn. Until I had a raging headache.. Then I would get nausea.. I did find a way that helped, and I know it’s gonna sound silly, but it absolutely did the trick. I would start singing my abc’s over and over, then I would count from 1 to 100 then 100 to 1.. Usually after that my mind was not racing as bad, and I would sleep. I also have really bad allergies. So when I would lay down my knows would stop up, all the time. So my parents would put Vicks vapor rub, in my nose, and on my chest. And also put a fan on me to keep air circulating.. On top of that I also slept with a humidifier.. Yep, !! We lived in a trailer so any noise, would wake me up. But after years and years of troubles sleeping, it just seems to get worse.. And I know my ocd plays a part in it, But I also know there’s alot more to it than that.. I am now laying in my bed writing this.. Not sure if anyone else has any of these issues or not.. Maybe I am alone! Thanks

    • karen February 19, 2013, 9:38 am

      You are not alone. Racing mind syndrome is part of insomnia. I also have that. I have had trouble sleeping my whole life. Good days and bad. Anyway, sometimes I write down what is running through my mind as I lay awake and that helps. It isn’t a cure, but does relieve some stress. Also, I work full time and care for my aging mother, so I worry a lot. Its hard not to, but so much is not in my control. I wish you and everyone here well.

  • Deandre January 25, 2012, 7:31 pm

    I’m 16 years old and every single day I feel so tired. It’s like a regular routine for me to be tired all the time. I need my energy because I play basketball and I have to get through the day. It sucks of the fact that I feel like I haven’t been asleep at all. On weekends, that’s no problem for me. But on weekdays, I look like the living dead, so to seek. I need a solution. I try to get the right amount of sleep. I just don’t feel like it. :(

  • Valerie January 27, 2012, 11:48 pm

    I just got up at around 1am after going to bed around 12pm. As you can kind of guess that is a bit TOO much of sleep. The issue is I wake up and im still tired, as of right now its almost 4pm and I feel like going back to bed. I unfortunately cant change my sleep scheduled atm since my college classes end at 10pm at night. I figure my issue for the most part is that I am iron deficient, I know this because of blood tests from previous illnesses. So my plan is to start taking iron pills and hope that helps. I thought id post this idea on here so that others might try iron pills, especially if you are a woman. They are sold almost at any grocery store or pharmacy in the U.S. and you do not need a doctors note to get bottle. Again this was suggested by my doctor, its not a self diagnoses.

  • Conor January 30, 2012, 3:45 pm

    My Names Conor..
    I’m a good looking down to earth 31 year old and I’m still very young at heart.

    I have had problems with sleep for many years… and still do.

    With hindsight I realize that the problems I have regarding my sleeping really revolve around my lifestyle and not being able to cope with my past, up bringing etc etc let alone the now…

    I got into drugs at a young age at a time where it was for fun and something I chose to do as an experience with my circle of friends at the time, but as time went on I used recreational drugs more and more…

    With hindsight I realize it was my way of escaping reality and with time my mind and body recognized it as my form of coping with the pressures and or stress’s of life but eventually the effects of my drug taking/ habit got to a point where it started to ruin a lot of things regarding family, life choices, relationships and also heavily interfered with me being able to live life naturally and more importantly learn to grow as a person.

    My sleeping patterns were always out of whack and have always been that way since I was about 21.

    I gave up the drugs before I turned 29 and as a result the realities of life I had yet learnt to deal with with slowly surfaced to a point where I had my 1st anxiety attack some couple months later and at that time not understanding what was going on my anxiety got worse and worse to a point where I would suffer massive anxiety and panic attacks..

    Some people would speculate and believe it had to do with the drugs which to a certain extent I would agree with but it really came down to self analyse on what is really going on in life.

    For some people sleeping problems may purely just be a condition that is out of there control… But for others like me it is something we do have the ability to cure or change…
    Its really just a matter of choice…

    A Healthy Lifestyle…
    Good Food…
    Regular Exercise…
    Positive thinking….
    Good energy….
    Being around a healthy environment that will support this lifestyle…
    And good people…

    We live in a world and are brought up to think and feel that for us to be happy we must base this on exterior things e.g money, clothes, status, so much pressure on social status, materialistic things and body image that we easily lose touch with simply being… We lose touch with enjoying the experience of being able to be at one with who we are… And in this process can easily become unhappy about life and as a result make choices in life that are hugely influenced rather than being completely free…

    Happiness is a choice…
    Being at peace with your life is a choice…
    and with these changes come good sleep…
    come a new zest for life that will revitalize every living essence of your being both spiritually and physically…

    So if you are like me and have suffered sleeping problems, fatigue, always tired…
    Make the choice to make the change…
    and let what is meant to be happen naturally…

    • Kelly April 18, 2012, 12:47 am

      I think you are so right! I am 43 years old, have been going through the tiredness/anxiety/depression scene for about 5 years now. I have been through a battery of medical tests, and all the things that people talk about on this site. I have also been through the drug issues as well. One thing I can say is that I do not find pleasure in alot of things, but when I do get into something, or I am working, I find the energy to do what I have to do. When I crash is when I quit doing those things. I am quite unhealthy in eating, exercise habits, water intake.. I do it all wrong- including unhealthy relationships all the way around. I do feel trapped sometimes, and that I am out of control. I keep telling myself that I need to change it, but it is a vicious circle for me, because the tiredness, anxiety doesn’t allow me to get out sometimes, I avoid social situations.. and used to be the most outgoing you could imagine. It is a choice, and I am sick of being tired, and sick of feeling like I have no control. I feel for the teenagers on here, because I can’t imagine feeling that way then. I really hope they can get a grip before they live a lifetime of the hell I have experienced, and the hopelessness.

  • Samantha February 3, 2012, 4:42 pm

    In my experience, I can only say exhaustion and tiredness is very common in teenagers as you are all still growing, and not just outwardly. Your internal organs are also growing to their full adult size and it’s like a powerhouse of activity inside your body as it races to complete its predestined and optimal hormonal balance. As long as you’ve done all the med checks, try to eat well, get exercise, fresh air and rest and sleep when you can, your body should right itself eventually. Try not to worry, that’s killer. Sorry if this sounds old fashioned but I got this advice from my grandma and she lived healthily till 97yrs (despite a bout of bladder cancer in her
    70s). In fact, she always told me, as did her mother (lived til 93) rest when you can and don’t over do it, and be mind to yourself. I wish you all bags of happiness and energy in your life. Take care

  • Samantha February 3, 2012, 9:14 pm

    Be kind to yourself and be gentle on yourself.

  • Derrick February 4, 2012, 4:16 pm

    Okay I have done a lot of studying on the internet and books about health and nutrition, so I’m going to do my best to tell you what I know about tiredness. First off tiredness can be caused by a number of things like it was discussed in the above explanations. I won’t put in here a few things because I noticed someone had already put it up above. However, I have a few to add to it. The first is electromagnetic chaos from computers, cell phones, TVs, satellites, etc… The second is microwaves which can kill all the nutrients in the food and has shown to cause cancer in lab rats. The third thing is shampoos, perfumes, deodorants, and soaps, which are laden with poisonous industrial chemicals. The fourth is air pollution, take a look at your environment. Do you live around a factory or power plant? Now I would add food here but it has already been talked about. Except I didn’t see it said that even eating out one time a week is enough to make you’re system overruned with to many chemicals. You’re water supply is important to note also. Do you have a good filter? One with
    reverse osmosis to kill off bacteria. I can’t really tell everything on here in detail it would take me all day, but anyway good luck hope this helps.

    Derrick

  • Col x February 12, 2012, 1:50 am

    @Conor..
    wow that was a very interesting read, and i totally understand what you mean. Thank you for that.

  • Crystal February 27, 2012, 6:15 pm

    I’m in high school and I go to sleep at 10.00pm and wake at 6.00am or 6.30am. I sleep for the whole 8 or 8 and a half hours and do not wake up but I am constantly tired. When I’m at school I yawn through out my lessons and fight falling asleep in class and I even come home and nap for an hour or so but I am still TIRED. I eat solid healthy food at lunch and dinner and have snacks in between so I do not understand why I am tired and have no energy. People often notice the bags under my eyes as they are so visible. I do not know what problem I have.

  • Maarion March 1, 2012, 4:43 am

    Hi,
    I am 15 turning 16 soon enought. i go to sleep arround 11:30 ( beacause if i go earlier i dont fall asleep and just end up getting back up and eating) i wake up at 6:50 when i should be up by 6:30 and when i get back from school (at 3) i eat and go right to bef because i cant take it anymore. I usually wake up arround 9 or 10 if my rents let me sleep. Also, i play hockey at least 4-5 times a week. I can sleep up to 14 hours straight. Also, these past days, just getting up from bed and walking to the top of the stairs ( witch are a few meters away) leave me looking like i ran 5k. I really dont know what is the problem please help!

  • Justice March 8, 2012, 3:31 am

    Hello.
    I’m 14 going on 15, and I am averaging 5 hours of sleep. during weekdays I get 4 or so hours, but on weekends i may sleep for 12+ hours. I’m never energetic, and both friends and teachers are commenting on how dead i look. I’m slightly overweight, but quite tall, and i used to have energy in the mornings, so i don’t think my problem has to do with weight. I know that my comment is just about the same as everyone else’s comments and problems, but i’m slowly getting apathetic and having sort of mood swings, ranging from sudden laughter (which is actually nice) to an illogical anger at any/every one or thing. the irrational anger is disturbing me a little, and i find myself becoming more apathetic in order to not start ranting and screaming at my friends. Just hoping for the names of some safe herbs or whatever else that may help. thanks to anyone who answers.

  • always tired March 12, 2012, 2:00 pm

    im not sure whats happening to me,but im always tired,the little bit i do around the house im tired,i walk a little im tired.i go to the mall with my daughter and i get tired as soon as we go to the mall.im getting a bit forgetful at times,im 47.i cant seem to understand this..

  • christy March 15, 2012, 3:01 am

    Im 25 im a bit overweight but im pretty active i work in a warehouse 40hrs wk the dept im in im always walking and lifting heavy things so theres my exercise…i get between 7-9hrs sleep 1-2 meals a day and plenty of liquids the thing that bothers me is that i can drink 2 amps and feel no energy i can drink them before bed and fall asleep instantly energy drinks donot give me energy idk why even when i take naps im still tired i do snore and friends and family do say it sounds like i struggle for air but i cant tell bc im asleep and i dont feel any diff unless someone wakes me then i just feel angry…my sis got surgery to get her adnoids and tonsils removed that helped for a bit then she started snoring againg so surgery doesnt work… and my mother is on a cpap machine bc she has apnea but…..HELP!

  • chris March 22, 2012, 3:47 pm

    Before I would stay up till 3 or 4 with friends. Go to work will tons of energy at 8, had a second Job at 5, and went out again the same night till 3or 4. I am almost 21, and all I want to do is sleep. I only work one job now and i rairly ever go out. I have been in a relationship with my boy friend for almost a year and I have joined a Marathon team and got a new puppy. I am always tired and sleep not only all night, but any time I am alone during the day. When I am with my friends I feel so sleepy and embarrassed because I don’t have the energy they do. I think this lack of energy could come from the stress of my friends, boyfriend,puppy, and Marathon team all in one. I know I can’t please everybody, but I still try my best. I really want to feel like me again.

  • DILLON March 25, 2012, 11:00 am

    HI IM DILLON

    For a While now i have been getting really tired easy and im fit healthy eating right i take iron tablets what else can it been its really worrying me ??

  • L'Wren March 28, 2012, 3:08 pm

    I am 19 years old and for the past year or so I have been having difficulties getting a good nights sleep. I toss and turn and wake up multiple times. Even when I get more then 8 hours of sleep a night I wake up feeling exhausted like I hadn’t even slept. I recently started college but I dropped out after a month and a half because I was always so tired and couldn’t concentrate on the work. I have been to the doctor multiple times. Iv checked my blood pressure, thyroid, checked for diabetes and for anemia they have all came back normal. I eat very healthy and try to get in exercise when I can, I have recently started taking a multivitamin but it didnt seem to make much of a difference. I use to be the last one to go to bed and the first one up in the morning, and now it seems like I do nothing but sleep or think about how tired I am. My mom is worried that I am depressed but I dont feel sad or anything and im assuming that if I was depressed I would be the first to know… I feel like I have tried everything going to the doctors, vitamins, healthy diet and exercise, Iv tried every energy drink on the market, even caffeine pills (I would NOT recommend they gave me the shakes and did not make me feel any less tired) I NEED to go back to collage in a few months and I want to have a positive experience and be able to focus on my studies…any maybe even dare I say party a little lol. I would love any advice of things that have worked for others chronic exhaustion.

  • Robin April 10, 2012, 6:44 pm

    After suffering from severe fatigue for months, I had my thyroid checked – – twice – -sadly, hoping that was the problem so that I could “take something” to make it better. That was not it. I am healthy in every way and exercise 4-5 times a week. I finally went to a naturopath and after an simple saliva test, discovered that I was suffering from adrenal fatigue. I believe that many of you may have the same issue….brought on by stress, not enough sleep and just life in general. It is made much worse by caffiene & energy drinks because these things give your body a “false signal” that it has energy, which causes your adrenal glands to continue to function improperly. Google “adrenal fatigue”….there are many recommended supplements out there. If you can, find yourself a naturopathic dr. to help with this, as you will not find a “regular MD” who will diagnose this issue. Believe me, I have tried.

  • dolly April 18, 2012, 10:07 pm

    omg!i thought it was only me,its like i cant get enough sleep and as soon as i get up to do something/go somewhere i get tired so easily.i have two kids and it very hard for helppppp.

  • Dakota April 20, 2012, 3:35 am

    Ok so Im 16 years old and it seems that most of us teens my age battle the same problem i Go to school try to stay awake and find myself Closing my eyes and falling asleep c=occasionally i wish there was a way to get rid of it i Execise i work at dominos pizza :]
    I Dont need to rest there but i also take naps before work and i forget things in class i do so much better working than in class either way i want to stay awake What would determine the reasons for me being unable to sleep or stay awake.

  • Tim April 23, 2012, 10:41 pm

    Hello, I am 15 and somehow, my eyes are always tired and they feel heavy every time. I wake up at 6 am every morning to go to school which do not help it even if I go to bed early (around 22). I sleep at school and even when I come back to school, I lay in my bed and randomly fall asleep for two hours. I sometimes go outside and do a lot of biking during the weekend but somehow, I am always restless. Even after that. My mom also thinks I am doing drugs… She even “threatened” me that she was gonna test me (lol). How can I ameliorate my problem?

  • Marcus April 24, 2012, 10:50 pm

    One possible explanation for many health problems is that you may be suffering from gut dysbiosis. Basically, this means that the healthy bacteria in your gut/intestines have been overrun by unhealthy bacteria and this negatively affects your body’s health both mentally and physically. This can cause extreme fatigue and major digestive problems. This is often caused by excessive diets consisting mainly of processed foods, wheat, sugars as well as regular use of precription drugs. Mother’s can only pass on the gut flora they have to their children, so if she has been on “the pill” or has gut dysbiosis or symptoms leading up to it, chances are that her children will have even less healthy gut flora than her. Each successive generation will be less and less healthy and hence this is likely a leading cause of why the newer generation of children are plagued with many diseases including chronic fatigue, autism, OCD, ADD/ADHD, dislexia, depression, dyspraxia, etc. Many of these diseases were rarely seen before whereas nowadays it seems to be quite common. (Remember health starts in the gut and there is a stong connection between your gut and your pschology.) You can read about this in detail in Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride’s book ‘Gut and Psychology Syndrome.’ She gives an in-depth explanation and is fairly reliable since she has degrees in neurology and nutrition. Check out http://www.gaps.me/ Hope that helps. Please post if you have digestive (stomach/intestinal) and or mental health problems. Do they seem to be connected?

  • liss May 26, 2012, 2:35 am

    31 okay here’s one for you all. I went from the opposite never could sleep since childhood. I would go from not sleeping at all for several days to maybe only getting 3-5 hour a night. I don’t know if I’m just slowing down as I get older or what. I get about 6-8 hours a night now but I feel exhausted all the time. Any thoughts?

  • Nicholas August 10, 2012, 5:41 pm

    I’m 15 years old,
    I haven’t felt like this ever in my life.
    I’ve been sleeping late but, I would still get in a good 8-9 Hours of rest and still be tired. I don’t know what it is but it is irritating and Its like 7 days till school starts and I don’t want to feel like this. Please Help.

  • Jeanne September 22, 2012, 3:23 am

    I just turned 19 this month. I have a 4month old and my boyfriend a full time job so I’m a stay at home mom. I’ve felt tired constantly since i was about 16. I used to sleep like 18hrs a day when i wasn’t at school just so I didnt feel tired. I did have some problems with depression then but I’m a lot better now. Exercise and being outdoors seemed to help my mood and exhaustion (and still does) but i can never motivate myself to actually get out and about. I have also recently realized that i probably have an iron deficiency and I’ve tried getting more iron. That helped a little but now that i have a 4month old son, (and he is SO fussy!) I’m constantly too overwhelmed to make time to actually cook a healthy meal or get him ready to go for a walk. Cant really afford to spend extra cash on supplements. Plus i read that your body doesnt absorb the vitamins from pills as well and its better to get it from food. my son sleeps from 9pm till about 7am with 2/3 feedings through the night and i try to sleep whenever he does but I’m still always so tired and I want to have the energy to actually enjoy playing with him during the day. I’m so tired of always being tired!

  • Jimmy Fenster October 3, 2012, 1:01 am

    I am 48 years old and tuckered almost everyday. I am a single parent of a 2 year old son. I have to wake up three times a night to check on him and change diaper and pee sometimes, sometimes moreso no pee. I get to work and within an hour I am ready for a nap. I do get a little energy at night because I am busy with Little Jimmy. I do have bouts of anxiety and a few months ago even thought of suicide, whoa what a month that was. I smoke a little less then a pack of cigarettes a day, no excersise and have not seen a doctor in over 30 years. I used to be so energetic and this past years stress has just seemed to kill me energy wise. I am not over weight but I do eat like crap. I feed my baby the right stuff but most the time I dont like what he has so I just do not eat dinner. I think I should see a doctor but what kind, physical or mental. I also have more back pain lately since the tiredness has gotten worse. Hmmmmm, I just feel screwed. I want to be around for 30 or so years to watch my boy grow. I have no insurance and am very scared. Any thoughts would help. I have been as honest as possible. I also tried a testosterone booster but did nothing. What about a testosterone shot once a month? I heard that would help plus a little better diet. I am also considering a iron supplement and minimal excercise. The minimal excercise because I litterally hav not much time every week between work and taking care of a toddler. Thank you for any help, ANYONE….

  • oma October 22, 2012, 3:29 am

    I am 84 years of age, and I am often very tired. The worst exhaustion was when I was on hypertension pills(high blood pressure pills) Then I noticed that weakness was a side effect of the pill. Most pills have nasty side effects. So check with your pharmacist, or better with your doctor. Oma.

  • brandon October 31, 2014, 8:11 am

    I have been having sleep issues my whole life, when I was younger I would stay awake for about a week and then sleep for a whole day and do it all over again. I was diagnosed with extreme insomnia and have tried taking medication but for some reason the meds never worked. But for the past 2 years I have been nothing but tired all the time, Idk if it’s my relationship or the fact that the people in my life treat me like carp on a daily basis. My gf and I just recently had a baby girl and I have to be a stay at home dad(which by the way was not my choice) and it’s driving me nuts, I hate being home all the time and I feel like I’m losing my mind.the biggest problem I have is that I can’t fall asleep when I want to and I can’t stay asleep for more than a half hour before I feel like I’m about to die(paranoia) and have to wake up, walk around my apartment, and have a smoke out side (which doesn’t help since I live in Alaska).my sleep issues have gotten to the point where I get angry if I lay down before I’m ready for bed but I get angry if I can’t get to sleep as well. If anyone has any tricks that might work please let me.know cuz I’m desperate.

  • Loiss Green September 9, 2015, 10:40 am

    I just noticed that the comments on here are very old ones, but I’m going to leave a comment anyways .. I’m not sure where you are from but where I am from only the rich can do what you are saying to do when it comes to this whole routine of ” Exercise” I am a welder who works at a factory that makes the big R.V frames for the buses, I get more exercise then a lot of people out there just thinking about it. I have no time for ” Meditation ” because if I close my eyes I will not be opening them until the next morning ! And for that ” White Sound ” it would have the ” Amazing ” ability to piss me off ! Nothing get’s on my nerves any faster then hearing that sound of a radio not coming in and making that terrible fuzzy sound, I have been known to throw a radio away that does that.. Oh let’s not forget that ” Mid Morning Break ” Us people from the real working crowd call that our 10 min break before our 20 min lunch break. We don’t have the pleasure of taking a ” Mid Morning Break ” like the ones who have to much time and money on their hands do… But all this is my opinion and since it’s my opinion and no one can say it’s wrong or right because everyone has a right to their own opinion.. So this brings me to the question of what can the working class do about their tiredness ? Thanks for reading this.. Have a good nap everyone!!

  • KRISHNA December 14, 2016, 9:33 am

    IAM 18 YEARS OLD BUT MY DOUBT IS WHEN IAM 16 OR 17 YEARS OLD …..IAM FEEL SO TIRED IN AFTERNOON ..BUT I CANT SLEEP AND GOING FOR PLAYING CRICKET CAN IT AFFECT MY DACE …AND I ALSO THINK TOO MUCH PLEASE GIVE ME SOME SOLUTION FOR MY FACE AND MY OVERTHINKING BECAUSE NOW I FEEL SO TIRED

  • Dennis J. Herman June 17, 2017, 2:52 am

    Hello, my name is Dennis. Lately I have been tired, and tend to take naps throughout the day when I’m not doing anything. Which is not normal for me. I am fit, I played basketball for 2 years, and love to exercise. I still can’t figure out why I am so tired though. Could someone explain why I might be tired?

  • Aylin Vidals October 30, 2017, 4:13 pm

    Hi there, I’m 21 years old and I’m just so tired so sleepy. I work 8:30-5:00 Mon -Friday. I don’t have kids, but I do have a husband, I do my daily things cook, clean, laundry. Saturday 5:45am to 2:00pm. I also manage to play soccer but that’s only once a week. Then I have another job from 3:00 to 12 midnight. I don’t get it I sleep everyday at 10, 10:30ish. and wake up at 7. It’s about 8, 9 hours. I don’t know what to do…

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