If you wake up each morning after your scheduled eight hours of sleep and still feel fatigued, it’s advisable to seek medical advice to investigate any underlying issues. This is quite common and to some extent logical that fatigue can be attributed to lack of sleep. So, should only “lack of sleep” be blamed?
While most of us would prefer this to be the sole reason, here’s something startling – fatigue could be an indication of a deeper issue that needs your attention as soon as possible. While ‘sufficient sleep’ can be the easiest solution to your fatigue, sometimes it just doesn’t work.
Issues and Solutions
- Spending too much time on the couch: It sounds funny, Isn’t it? But spending hours on end on your comfortable couch binge-watching your favorite series for many days can be a cause of fatigue. Spending too much time on the couch means not engaging in physical activity. Sometimes, even going to the kitchen to get a bottle of water feels like a task. The lack of physical activity could be the reason why you’re not getting the good sleep you need and you feel tired.
- Solution: It’s important for our body to stay active. If a person doesn’t exercise much and isn’t physically active, their weight will increase and muscle activity will decrease. The body’s metabolic profile will also change. Therefore, the body will need more rest continuously and despite sufficient sleep, you’ll feel tired.” Researchers found that just 10 minutes of low or moderate-intensity exercise provided significant increases in energy levels among study participants.
- Stress: Stress can be exhausting. When you’re stressed, your body goes into high alert, releasing adrenaline. This heightened state can give birth to tensed muscles and an overactive mind, analyzing various scenarios. This process consumes energy and often makes you feel tired. Stress, anxiety, psychiatric, or psychological problems contribute to such situations. A person whose mind is not at ease, who is stressed, working too hard and doesn’t have time for themselves, can experience mental or physical fatigue.
- Solution: Scientists have found that socializing reduces the likelihood of mental health issues like anxiety, stress and depression. Additionally, if you’re with someone, it can lower levels of stress hormones in the body. A study found that university students who participated in more social activities had lower cortisol levels the next day and also showed improvement in their sleep. So, get out there, Meet friends or make new ones. Laugh openly, gossip and spend quality time with people who matter to you and you can help yourself feel better.
- Vitamin deficiency: When your mom keeps telling you to take vitamins, she means well-being. Vitamin deficiencies, especially vitamin B12, can affect energy levels as they play a crucial role in the production of red blood cells. Meat and fish are common sources of iron and vitamin B, but those who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet may be at greater risk of deficiency. Iron or vitamin deficiency (meaning not enough red blood cells are being produced) can also make you anemic.
- Solution: Getting vitamin B12 (found in chicken, eggs and fish) for non-vegetarians is not difficult. While supplements and B12 injections are an option, vegetarians can meet their needs by consuming dairy products like milk, paneer and yogurt.
- Imbalanced diet: “Balanced diet” – this was a chapter taught to us in the early stages of our education and perhaps that’s why it seems to have slipped from our minds. What we eat not only affects or builds our bodies but also affects our energy levels. During digestion, food is converted into glucose, which circulates through the bloodstream to provide nourishment to muscles and organs, including the brain. A decrease in blood sugar levels due to a natural rise and fall in blood sugar levels can create a feeling of tiredness. Your dietary structure, meal timing and personal digestion processes can contribute to dynamic changes in blood sugar levels.
- Solution: Knowing what your body needs and eating the right food isn’t rocket science. You just have to make sure you’re eating the right kind of food and in the right amount. Include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats and reduce the consumption of processed foods, sugary drinks and unhealthy fats and sugars.
- Sleep Apnea: You go to bed at 10 pm and wake up at 7 am, yet you’re not getting enough sleep and you feel tired? Perhaps, poor sleep could be due to sleep apnea, a condition where breathing is repeatedly interrupted during sleep.
- Solution: If you have sleep apnea, it can be treated. A Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine helps keep the airway open by creating pressure in the nose or mouth throughout the night. Thyroid-related disorders can also be a cause of fatigue. Hypothyroidism is a common problem related to the thyroid gland which affects 10.9% of the population included in the study and one of its most common symptoms is fatigue.
Hypothyroidism can also be associated with symptoms such as constipation, dry skin, puffy face, dry hair, and skin. Any abnormalities should be checked. If you have any of these three symptoms, you should see a doctor and get tested before starting medication. It is necessary to maintain a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle to keep the thyroid hormone balanced. You should take sufficient amounts of minerals and vitamins and use relaxation techniques to reduce stress.
Remember, if fatigue persists, contact a doctor. Losing sleep due to fear of lack of sleep can be a cause of even more fatigue. So pay attention to the quality of your sleep.
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