This is why you feel tired all the time

It’s that time of year again. You know, when you can’t remember the day of the week. Or the last time you ate something that wasn’t spiced with cinnamon or soaked in alcohol. You also can’t remember when you last woke up feeling fresh. In fact, you’ve been feeling tired for a while now. Did you sleep poorly? Drink too much? Or are you slowly getting used to a life where you’re constantly groggy?

Few things seem as debilitating or frustrating as fatigue. You can’t work, play, or even rest as effectively as you’d like when you feel exhausted. And yet it’s a problem we will all face to varying degrees at some point, although it almost always comes after Christmas – blame the silly season.

There are countless reasons why someone might feel tired, beyond the obvious, like illness, burnout, and sleep disorders. But why do some of us always feel this way, regardless of our health? And what can we do to combat it without spending a fortune on supplements and superfoods that might actually be nothing more than a marketing ploy?

“Fatigue is an extremely common symptom seen in general practice,” says Dr Angela Rai, GP at Harley Street GP, The London General Practice. “There are many causes of fatigue, including lack of sleep, dehydration and stress, particularly in the run-up to Christmas, as well as medical causes.” Feeling tired all the time is called “TATT” by medical professionals. Of the countless reasons why TATT considers Dr Rai as a GP, one of the most common is anemia, which is an iron deficiency that can be detected by a blood test and treated with iron tablets . Other common causes include diabetes, glandular fever, vitamin B12 and folate deficiency, and hypothyroidism, which is when the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormones, causing slows down metabolism.

Other physiological conditions that can cause frequent fatigue include long Covid, hormonal changes, and obstructive sleep apnea, which is a breathing problem that occurs when you sleep and causes intermittent relaxation of the throat muscles, interrupting the normal breathing. For women, feeling tired can also be linked to your menstrual cycle, with some feeling particularly exhausted during the luteal phase, which is the time before your period when you have premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

General lifestyle and health also play a major role in how tired we feel. “If you exercise regularly, you tend to be more resilient to both physical exertion and psychological demands,” says Dr Sophie Bostock, sleep expert at Bensons for Beds. “A healthy diet also helps protect against lack of energy due to poor diet. » Eating whole foods is a common recommendation to combat daily fatigue, with leafy greens, nuts, seeds and lean proteins all contributing to a balanced diet that should make a noticeable difference in fatigue levels.

Something as simple as not drinking enough water could also be a major factor in TATT. “Dehydration is a common cause of fatigue and it is well known that most individuals do not consume enough water,” says Dr Rai. “Dehydration will decrease blood volume, making it harder for the heart to pump oxygen and nutrients to the muscles and organs, leading to feeling tired. Water is also essential for cellular and brain function and helps us maintain our electrolyte balance, crucial for muscle function and energy. Optimal water intake will depend on age and activity level, but in general the NHS recommends drinking six to eight glasses a day.

Of course, some people simply need more sleep than others, which is why you might feel envious of friends who manage to get by on just a few hours while you struggle if you don’t clock your eight hours. “The general recommendation for sleep is seven to nine hours per night, but it’s essential to listen to your body,” says Dr. Rai. However, this could be affected by underlying conditions or chronic illnesses. “There are also genetic factors like short sleep syndrome, which is a condition in which you need less sleep than most people,” she adds. “You can sleep six hours or less most nights, but still wake up energized and completely rested.”

Besides all the physiological possibilities that can cause fatigue, there are also many psychological reasons. One of the main culprits is stress, which increases our hormone cortisol, which in turn can disrupt sleep. “The vast majority of people I work with suffer from fatigue due to an overactive nervous system,” says Chris Meaden, a trauma and anxiety therapist at the Meaden Clinic. “Chronic stress, anxiety, and unresolved trauma can overstimulate the nervous system, leaving the body in a perpetual state of fight or flight. Depression can also sap energy and motivation, creating an ongoing cycle of exhaustion because people find themselves stuck in a state of hypervigilance, constantly on edge.

It’s important to point out that there is a difference between feeling tired as a symptom of the reasons mentioned above and experiencing chronic fatigue, which is usually a sign of something more serious physiologically. “This condition is still poorly understood and often goes unrecognized by the medical profession, with no clear management pathway, particularly for severe cases,” says Dr Deborah Lee of Dr Fox Online Pharmacy.

“Fatigue that lasts six months or more is generally called chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalitis (ME). It is a complex, poorly understood debilitating disease that is often accompanied by muscle pain, muscle weakness and headaches. Cognitive problems are also common and can include brain fog, insomnia and hypersensitivity, for example to light or sound.

Chris Meaden, trauma and anxiety therapist at the Meaden Clinic

It can be incredibly difficult to diagnose ME since symptoms can be linked to many other conditions. However, if you experience fatigue that seems abnormal to you, the best thing to do is to speak to your GP. They can help you determine whether your fatigue is primarily caused by physiological or psychological reasons and go from there.

Whatever the cause, which can be difficult to identify, there are some simple steps we can all take to feel less tired every day. This includes cutting out alcohol and sugar, both of which cause blood sugar spikes leading to fatigue. “Exposure to sunlight, even for a short walk, can also reset your body clock and improve your alertness,” adds Meaden. “A 20-minute nap can also recharge you without interfering with your nighttime sleep. And learning calming techniques, like physiological sighing, a deep breathing method that helps reset the nervous system, can provide immediate relief.

Working on ways to reduce your overall stress levels will also help. For some people, that might mean spending more time with friends and family. For others, it might mean increasing their exercise levels. “Activities like yoga, tai chi and gym classes can offer you new ways to move your body and release feel-good hormones,” suggests Dr Luke Powles, associate clinical director at Bupa Health Clinics . “Talking about how you feel with someone you trust can also help you break through your thoughts. Whether it’s a friend, family member, charity or healthcare professional, there is some evidence that it can help reduce fatigue.

Ultimately, all the advice boils down to the same thing: take care of yourself, a simple instruction that many of us let slip during the holidays, whether by drinking too much and not getting enough sleep or stressing about in-laws and expenses. hours of cooking for your family. Remembering to check in with our body and mind at regular intervals is essential to reducing fatigue levels. But there is a scale. And if you still have concerns in January, it’s best to talk to your doctor to rule out more serious issues.