Ever found yourself wondering, “Why am I always tired?” Well, know that you’re not alone. It seems everybody is extra tired these days—and it’s more than just part of being a grown-up.
It’s easy to dismiss your tiredness as just “one of those things,” but there comes a point when it’s not so simple. When you’re feeling tired all the time, it might mean that your body is trying to tell you something. And while exhaustion doesn’t necessarily point to an underlying health condition, it is worth checking in with your doctor if fatigue is getting in the way of living life the way you’d like to.
Here, experts break down a few potential causes for your tiredness as well as how to combat fatigue.
1. You’re not getting enough sleep.
A lack of sleep is probably the most obvious (and most common) reason for why we feel exhausted. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, it’s recommended that adults sleep between seven and nine hours a night. And yet most adults aren’t getting enough quality sleep.
The solution? It’s simple: Get more sleep. Of course, this is easier said than done. First, it’s important to identify the cause that’s keeping you up—be it stress, too much screen time, or poor sleep hygiene—and then you can address it. If you’ve tried everything under the sun and still have trouble sleeping, it’s time to speak to an expert.
It’s not because we’re being lazy.
2. You’re lacking in energy.
This is different than feeling tired or sleepy. “Fatigue is when you’re seriously lacking energy,” says William Christopher Winter, MD, a sleep researcher and neurologist. “Normal” fatigue gets better when you rest. Think of it this way: Your arm gets fatigued after you do a bunch of bicep curls but feels better 10 minutes later.
In most cases, fatigue is your body telling you to slow down, and you should probably listen to it. But when fatigue regularly keeps you from doing the things you want to do, then it’s a problem, says Dr. Winter. “That doesn’t mean ‘I can’t run 38 miles because I get fatigued,’” he explains. “It’s more like ‘I have trouble getting up and down stairs’ or ‘a walk from the parking lot to my office exhausts me.’”
The solution? Get some rest. Take yourself away from your screens, away from any distractions, and simply rest up. If you consistently don’t feel reenergized after a nap or some quiet time, then it’s worth checking in with a doctor to see if there’s an underlying issue.
3. You have an underlying health condition.
When Dr. Winter sees patients who say they’re tired, he often tries to distinguish whether they’re sleepy or fatigued. “Sleepiness is pretty easy—it’s a defined group of problems,” he says. “But if they’re talking about fatigue, you could make a list a mile long of what could be causing it.” That list includes a deficiency in vitamins B12 or D, multiple sclerosis, type 2 diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease, to name a few.
Other conditions that are associated with fatigue include anemia, thyroid issues, or even leukemia—all of which can make people feel incredibly rundown, says Yvonne Bohn, MD, an ob-gyn at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in California.
The solution? If feeling exhausted comes out of nowhere or doesn’t get better with rest, that’s when you should see a doctor. Whether it’s an undiagnosed condition or the result of lifestyle factors that could use some tweaking, they may be able to help.
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4. You’re seriously stressed.
Sure, many health conditions can lead to fatigue, but so can being super overwhelmed for months or going through a big life change that screws with your sleep and stress levels. “Under stress, we tend to produce more of the hormone cortisol,” says Sophie Bostock, retailer Bensons for Beds’ resident sleep expert. “Cortisol is very useful for fueling action, but before bed it increases our levels of arousal at a time when we need to relax.”
Stress can therefore lead to a state of hyperarousal—that is, when your brain and body are more alert than normal. “It takes us longer to fall asleep, and because sleep is lighter, we’re more likely to be woken by noise, movement, or changes in temperature,” says Dr. Bostock.
It’s also worth noting that stress can cause us to change behavior in ways that are unhelpful for sleep, such as doing less exercise, relying on alcohol to relax, working late, or taking long naps to recover.
The solution? “Sometimes it’s possible to tackle stress by resolving the source of stress—for example, speaking to your manager about your workload,” says Dr. Bostock. In other cases, it’s not always possible to avoid the source of stress. “What you can do, though, is learn tools to switch off the cortisol tap.” She recommends looking into practices like box breathing, sleep journaling, or yoga.
Sleep and medical experts share their tips for better beauty sleep.
5. Your sleep environment isn’t great.
According to sleep experts at Bed Kingdom, a comfortable sleep environment is crucial for quality sleep. So if you’re having trouble falling or staying asleep, it may be because your sleeping conditions are suboptimal. A tidy bedroom that’s not too bright or too noisy is key—and so is a comfortable bed.
The solution? Consider a new mattress if your bed is uncomfortable. Or if it’s light and noise that are affecting you, an eye mask or earplugs to block out the outside world might work. Another tip? Try having a colder room—whether that’s from leaving the window open, getting a fan, or turning on the AC—as this can aid the natural drop in body temperature that occurs when we fall asleep.
6. You’re depressed.
“My patients definitely talk about being tired,” Dr. Bohn says. When she hears that, she starts asking questions to try to figure out what might be behind it. If lifestyle factors don’t seem to be the culprits—such as caring for a new baby or training for a marathon—she’ll typically do a blood workup to try to figure out what’s going on. Mental health conditions, including depression, can also make people feel fatigued. But as Dr. Bohn points out, they can’t be detected with a blood test.
Symptoms of depression can be very different from person to person. But as a general rule, according to the Mayo Clinic, if you are depressed, you tend to feel hopeless and sad, and lack interest in things that used to make you feel happy. It’s worth noting that there are several physical symptoms, too, including loss of energy and disturbed sleep.
The solution? Depression can be treated with talk therapies and/or medication. If you think the reason you’re wondering “Why am I so tired?” is due to depression, speak to your doctor, who can get you the support and help that you need.
7. Your hormones are imbalanced.
Tiredness can also be driven by our hormones, particularly when we are menopausal, perimenopausal, or even premenstrual, says general practitioner and functional medicine and hormone doctor Sohere Roked. “Getting sufficient sleep is essential for regulating a range of hormones such as cortisol, estrogen, and progesterone, hunger hormones (like insulin, leptin, and ghrelin), melatonin, thyroid hormones, and growth hormones,” she says. “The hormone melatonin is an important contributor to many biological and physiological regulations in the body, including our circadian rhythm. Poor sleep can have an impact on melatonin and its function for promoting sleep in the brain.”
Progesterone—the hormone we make that helps with sleep—is low before our period, can fluctuate in perimenopause, and is often low in menopause, Dr. Roked explains. “Individuals on HRT taking bio or body-identical progesterone often find it improves their sleep,” she adds.
The solution? “Take a bio or body-identical progesterone at night for improved sleep,” says Dr. Roked. “Supplements I highly recommend to help with sleep are magnesium, magnesium citrate, or magnesium glycinate. They help me fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and reduce the number of times I wake up during the night.” Dr. Roked also points to ashwagandha, which is an adaptogen that helps the body adapt better to stress and regulate stress hormones, helping you feel calmer.
A version of this article was previously published in Glamour UK.
