I found myself recently googling "Why am I tired all the time?" and knew that something was definitely wrong. I'm not even twenty and every time I get up, I'm looking forward to when I'll be able to lay down again. Let me start off by saying that for at least the last month I have been constantly exhausted. This has gotten to the point where even if I sleep a good 8 or 10 hours, I will still wake up feeling like I can sleep for the next two days straight. If this sounds at all like you, then please listen to me -- this is not normal!
I've been making excuses for it recently saying it's just been a busy week or that I've been staying up late but I shouldn't be feeling this way and neither should you. So, I've decided to make a life change and create healthier habits to be able to not be the girl dragging myself around campus like a zombie with a coffee in my hand.
Let's get down to the root of the problem, why am I tired all the time?
According to Your.Md, tiredness can be caused by physical, physiological, or lifestyle related issues.
1) Physical: It's important to make sure that your fatigue isn't due to any health issues that have been left undresses. One of the most common causes of fatigue is anemia. Anemia is when you don't have enough red blood cells which in turn cause you to be tired all the time. Most people with anemia take iron supplements and are advised to eat foods high in iron such as broccoli and spinach. Another common physical cause is thyroid problems. But lesser known causes include sleep apnea in which your breathing pattern throughout the night tends to start and stop. It doesn't allow you to get the quality sleep you need.
I know that as college students we tend to prioritize everything above our health. But we need to take a step back and realize that our health has to come first. So, if you're experiencing constant tiredness go to your general doctor and make sure it's not because of an underlying medical issue.
2) Psychological: Did you know that psychological tiredness is more common than physical tiredness? I feel like before getting to really research this I hadn't even considered that my mental health could be affecting me physically. Anxiety and depression are examples of how your mental health can be having a toll on how you feel. Anxiety can lead to people staying up later unable to shut off their brain and cause something you've probably heard of, insomnia. One of the symptoms of depression is excessive sleeping or tiredness.
Prioritizing your mental health and allowing yourself the time to rest is essential in helping your sleep patterns.
3) Lifestyle: Overworking yourself, drinking too much caffeine, not exercising, and having a bad diet can all lead to sleeping disturbances which in turn make you tired. They are things we are mostly aware of but tend to overlook with our busy day to day lives. I know what you're thinking, "You're asking me to exercise when I can barely keep my eyes open?" Well, yes. I know it sounds contradictory but exercising can also reduce stress and symptoms of anxiety and depression which as a result, help you sleep better and be less tired.
After looking at all of this, I was able to pinpoint somethings that could help me get out of this funk of constant tiredness. A better diet, regular exercise, and reducing stress and anxiety by not overworking myself would be things I have to implement into my daily life. I hope that you've learned a little more about how to improve your sleep and that you realize that feeling tired constantly is not okay and it's something we need to start taking more seriously.
