Key Takeaways

  • Constant tiredness may stem from poor sleep, nutrient deficiencies, chronic stress, or an underlying condition needing treatment.
  • Common triggers: poor diet, too much caffeine, dehydration, and excess weight — all of which can hurt sleep and energy.
  • Unexplained or chronic fatigue? See a doctor to rule out sleep apnea, thyroid issues, diabetes, depression, or medication side effects.

If you’re feeling overly tired or have little energy, you’re not alone.

Fatigue may be caused by simple factors like a lack of sleep or coming down with a cold or the flu. However, it can also be caused by underlying health conditions.

In most cases, fatigue can be remedied by lifestyle or dietary modifications, correcting a nutrient deficiency, or treating an underlying medical condition. Still, to improve fatigue, you need to get to the bottom of what’s causing it.

Here are 12 potential reasons why you’re always tired.

Getting enough sleep is essential for overall health. Unfortunately, many of us don’t get enough, which may lead to fatigue.

During sleep, your body performs a number of critical processes, including releasing important growth… Show more

Nutrient deficiencies may lead you to feel exhausted on a daily basis, even if you’re getting more than 7 hours of sleep.

Deficiencies in the following nutrients have been linked to fatigue:

  • iron
  • riboflavin (vitamin B2)
  • niacin (vitamin… Show more

Although some stress is normal, chronic stress can lead to fatigue. In fact, chronic stress may lead to stress-related exhaustion disorder (ED), a medical condition characterized by psychological and physical symptoms of exhaustion.… Show more

If you’re experiencing unexplained, chronic fatigue, you should visit your doctor and discuss your symptoms.

They may recommend testing to rule out certain health conditions that cause fatigue, such as:

Your diet significantly affects the way you feel.

To maintain energy and get the nutrients your body needs to perform critical processes, it’s important to consume a balanced diet high in nutrient-dense foods.

When you don’t obtain… Show more

Although caffeinated beverages like coffee and energy drinks feel like they boost energy, over-reliance on them may make you more tired the next day. That’s because too much caffeine can harm sleep, which may cause fatigue.

Research… Show more

Staying hydrated is important for maintaining energy levels. The many biochemical reactions that take place in your body every day result in a loss of water that needs to be replaced.

Dehydration occurs when you don’t drink enough liquid… Show more

Maintaining a moderate body weight is essential to overall health.

Not only is obesity significantly linked to a greater risk of many chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers, but it may also increase… Show more

Many other conditions may lead to tiredness. It’s important to understand that several factors may contribute to your exhaustion.

Here are a few other common reasons why you may feel tired:

  • Drug and alcohol dependence: People who are dependent on drugs or alcohol are more likely to experience fatigue.
  • Shift work: Shift work causes sleep disruption and may result in fatigue.
  • A less active lifestyle: Leading a less active lifestyle may lead to tiredness during the day. Getting regular physical activity may decrease overall fatigue.
  • Certain medications: Some drugs, including steroids, blood pressure medications, and antidepressants, are linked to side effects like insomnia and increased tiredness.

If you’re consistently feeling tired, here are a few steps you could consider taking:

  • Track your symptoms to identify trends or possible lifestyle factors that may be affecting your sleep or energy levels.
  • Try adjusting your sleep environment to help you wind down before bed and potentially sleep better.
  • Connect with a healthcare professional, such as a primary care doctor or sleep medicine specialist, who can help you pinpoint possible causes and recommend the appropriate management plan.

Even though everyone has days when they feel exhausted, constantly feeling run down and tired isn’t normal.

Many possible factors cause chronic fatigue, such as underlying medical conditions, nutrient deficiencies, sleep disturbances, caffeine intake, and chronic stress.

If you’re experiencing unexplained fatigue, you must talk with your doctor to find the cause.

In many cases, your fatigue should improve once you identify the underlying cause(s) and make appropriate lifestyle and dietary adjustments — or get the right treatment for medical conditions.

Just one thing

Try this today: When I started to feel extremely tired during the day, I knew that something was off. I ended up being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease after many months of visiting different doctors.

You know your body best and know when something isn’t right. If you’re feeling chronically exhausted even when you get adequate rest, there may be a medical condition contributing to your fatigue.

Work with a doctor you trust to get the right testing to rule out common health conditions that may be contributing to your fatigue.