It is extremely common to feel exhausted on a frequent basis. In fact, around one-third of healthy adolescents, adults, and elderly people report feeling tired or weary.
Fatigue is a frequent symptom of many ailments and serious diseases, although it is usually caused by simple lifestyle factors.
Fortunately, most of these issues are simple to resolve.
This article discusses eight possible reasons why you’re constantly tired and offers tips for how to regain your energy.
1. Consuming Too Many Refined Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates can provide a rapid source of energy. When you eat them, your body converts them into sugar, which can then be utilised as fuel.
However, consuming too many refined carbohydrates might make you weary throughout the day.
When you ingest sugar and processed carbohydrates, your blood sugar quickly rises. This causes your pancreas to create a large quantity of insulin in order to get the sugar from your blood into your cells.
This rise in blood sugar levels, followed by a drop, might leave you feeling weary. You immediately go for another helping of refined carbohydrates when you need instant energy, which can lead to a vicious cycle.
Several studies have found that limiting sugar and processed carbs at meals and snacks usually result in more energy.
In one research, children who ate refined carbohydrate snacks before a soccer game felt more fatigued than children who ate a peanut butter-based snack.
Fortunately, research indicates that some nutrients may help prevent weariness.
Both okra and dried bonito broth, for example, have chemicals that may reduce weariness and promote alertness.
Replace sugar and processed carbohydrates with nutritious meals high in fibre, such as vegetables and legumes, to keep your energy levels steady.
Consuming refined carbohydrates might result in unstable blood sugar levels, which can cause fatigue. Instead, choose for entire meals that have a low influence on your blood sugar.
2. Continuing a Sedentary Lifestyle
Your lack of energy might be due to a lack of activities.
However, many people claim that they are too weary of exercising.
In fact, according to one recent survey, this was the most prevalent reason given for not exercising among middle-aged and older persons.
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), which is characterised by excessive, unexplained weariness on a daily basis, might be one cause.
According to research, patients with CFS have reduced strength and endurance levels, which limit their capacity to exercise. However, a review of research involving over 1,500 participants discovered that exercise might alleviate fatigue in persons suffering from CFS.
Exercising has also been demonstrated in studies to lessen fatigue in both healthy persons and those suffering from various illnesses such as cancer. Furthermore, even little increases in physical activity appear to be helpful.
Replace sedentary activities with active ones to increase your energy levels. For example, whenever feasible, stand rather than sit, use the stairs rather than the elevator, and walk rather than driving small distances.
Sedentism can cause weariness in healthy persons as well as those suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome or other health issues. Being more active might help you feel more energised.
3. Lack Of High-Quality Sleep
One of the more obvious reasons for tiredness is a lack of sleep.
While you sleep, your body conducts a variety of activities, including memory storage and the release of hormones that govern your metabolism and energy levels.
You usually wake up feeling refreshed, alert and invigorated after a good night’s sleep.
Adults require an average of seven hours of sleep every night for optimal health, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.
Sleep should be peaceful and undisturbed in order for your brain to progress through all five phases of each sleep cycle.
A consistent sleep routine, in addition to receiving enough sleep, appears to help reduce fatigue.
Adolescents who went to bed at the same time on weekdays and weekends reported less exhaustion and difficulties falling asleep than those who remained up later and slept fewer hours on weekends, according to one research.
Physical activity throughout the day may aid in getting more restful sleep at night. In one research of elderly persons, exercise was found to aid enhance sleep quality and lower tiredness levels.
In addition, sleeping may assist increase energy levels. Napping has been demonstrated to reduce sleepiness in pilots, who frequently experience exhaustion owing to extended work hours and jet lag.
Go to bed at around the same time every night, relax before sleeping, and get enough of movement during the day to increase the amount and quality of your sleep.
If you have trouble falling or staying asleep and feel you may have a sleeping condition, talk to your doctor about getting your sleep-tested by a professional.
Inadequate or poor-quality sleep is a common source of exhaustion. Getting a few hours of unbroken sleep enables your body and brain to rejuvenate, allowing you to feel refreshed throughout the day.
4. Food Intolerances
Symptoms of food sensitivities or intolerances include rashes, stomach issues, a runny nose, and headaches.
However, fatigue is another sign that is sometimes disregarded.
Furthermore, evidence shows that tiredness may have a greater impact on the quality of life in those who have food sensitivities.
Gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, and maise are all common dietary intolerances.
If you feel that specific foods are causing your fatigue, consult an allergist or a nutritionist who can test you for food sensitivities or prescribe an elimination diet to discover which foods are causing your fatigue.
Food intolerances can result in exhaustion or a lack of energy. A food elimination diet may assist you in determining which foods you are sensitive to.
5. Consuming Less Calories
Exhaustion can result from eating too few calories.
Calories are energy units found in food. They are used by your body to move and fuel actions such as breathing and keeping a consistent body temperature.
When you eat too few calories, your metabolism slows down to preserve energy, which can lead to tiredness.
Your body can operate within a certain calorie range based on your weight, height, age, and other factors.
Most people, however, require a minimum of 1,200 calories per day to avoid a metabolic slowdown.
Experts on ageing say that, while metabolism slows with age, older adults may need to consume at the upper end of their calorie range to accomplish regular duties without feeling tired.
Furthermore, when your calorie intake is too low, it is difficult to satisfy your vitamin and mineral demands. Fatigue can also be caused by a lack of vitamin D, iron, and other essential minerals.
Even if your objective is to lose weight, avoid extreme calorie reduction to maintain your energy levels.
To execute daily tasks, your body requires a certain quantity of calories. Consuming insufficient calories can cause tiredness and make it harder to satisfy dietary requirements.
6. Wrong Sleep Time
In addition to getting little sleep, sleeping at the incorrect time might deplete your vitality.
Sleeping during the day rather than at night interferes with your body’s circadian rhythm, which is the biological changes that occur in reaction to light and darkness during a 24-hour period.
Chronic fatigue can occur when your sleep pattern is out of sync with your circadian cycle, according to research.
This is a prevalent issue for those who work shifts or at night.
According to sleep specialists, 2–5 per cent of all shift workers suffer from a sleep disorder defined by excessive drowsiness or interrupted sleep for a month or longer.
Furthermore, even staying awake at night for a day or two might lead to fatigue.
In one study, healthy young men were given either seven or slightly under five hours of sleep before being kept awake for 21–23 hours. Their fatigue levels increased both before and after sleep, regardless of how many hours they slept.
When feasible, try to sleep during the night.
7. Insufficient Protein
Your fatigue might be exacerbated by a lack of protein.
Protein has been demonstrated to increase metabolic rate more than carbohydrates or fat.
This may assist reduce fatigue as well as aid in weight reduction.
In one study, Korean college students who reported eating high-protein meals such as fish, pork, eggs, and beans at least twice a day had considerably lower self-reported weariness levels.
Other studies have discovered that high-protein diets cause reduced tiredness in weight lifters and resistance trainers.
Furthermore, research shows that branched-chain amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein, may alleviate tiredness.
Aim to take a high-quality protein source at each meal to maintain your metabolism healthy and minimise fatigue.
Consuming enough protein is essential for maintaining your metabolism and avoiding fatigue. At each meal, include a high-quality protein source.
8. Improper Hydration
It is critical to stay hydrated in order to maintain a high level of energy.
The numerous metabolic interactions that occur in your body on a daily basis result in a loss of water that must be restored.
Dehydration happens when you don’t consume enough fluids to replenish the water lost via your pee, faeces, perspiration, and breath.
Several studies have found that even modest dehydration can result in lower energy levels and a reduced capacity to focus.
In one research, men who worked out on a treadmill and lost 1% of their body weight in fluid experienced more exhaustion than when they did the same activity while being well hydrated.
Although you may have heard that you should drink eight 8-ounce (237-ml) glasses of water each day, depending on your weight, age, gender, and level of exercise, you may require more or less.
The trick is to drink enough water to stay hydrated. Thirst, fatigue, dizziness, and headaches are common signs of dehydration.
Mild dehydration might diminish energy and alertness. Make sure to consume enough fluids to compensate for fluid loss over the day.
The Bottom Line
There are several probable reasons for chronic fatigue. Since exhaustion frequently accompanies the disease, it’s critical to screen out medical issues first.
Feeling extremely fatigued, on the other hand, maybe tied to what you eat and drink, how much movement you receive, or how you deal with stress.
The good news is that by adopting a few lifestyle modifications, you may find that your energy levels and overall quality of life improve.