A good night’s sleep is important because it plays a vital role in giving you the energy you need. However, that’s not the only thing that keeps you energized for an entire day. You might find yourself feeling incredibly tired even when you have slept long enough. So, there’s a chance your fatigue is being caused by other factors you might not have paid attention to or didn’t know were making you tired.
Here are 8 causes that may be leading to exhaustion despite a good night’s sleep.
8 Reasons You’re So Tired Despite Getting Enough Sleep
1. Dehydration
If you don’t drink enough water, there’s a good chance you’re going to be tired all day long despite sleeping for long. Research suggests that even if you’re dehydrated by about 2 percent, you are likely to have trouble performing tasks that require attention, making it difficult for you to concentrate.1 Not drinking enough water thickens your blood, making it harder to reach your muscles.
Check the color of your urine when you visit the restroom; it should be pale yellow. If it’s any darker than that, drink some water and hydrate yourself.
2. Iron-Deficiency Anemia
Being anemic because of iron deficiency can also make you extremely tired and weak.2 When you have an iron deficiency, the ability of your red blood cells to carry oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body reduces. This is because your body becomes deficient in the iron-rich protein hemoglobin. Iron-deficiency anemia is more common in women than in men.
If you are diagnosed with this condition, include iron-rich foods like spinach, meat, beans, and fish in your diet to reduce fatigue.
3. Lack Of Sufficient Exercise
In today’s world, a sedentary lifestyle is not uncommon. Hectic work schedules make it quite difficult to find the time to exercise. Even if you do exercise, long days may make you want to put it off often; this is likely to make you feel more tired in the long run. Irrespective of whether or not you’ve had a long day, ensure that you spend at least a small amount of time exercising every day.
People who make regular exercise a part of their lives are said to have more energy for their day-to-day activities. Exercising boosts your stamina, preventing you from feeling exhausted easily.3 It can also help you feel energized without having to sleep for long hours.
4. Poor Diet
Your love for junk food, which is full of sugar and carbs, might be costing you good sleep. If your diet doesn’t have a balance of essential nutrients, you’re bound to feel tired because you’re not getting the nutrients that give you the energy you require to function normally. So, ensure that you maintain a healthy, nutritious diet to stay energized throughout the day.
5. Anxiety
If you’re stressed because of something that happened during your day at work or college, chances are you are likely to get mentally exhausted and drained of energy. This is especially the case when stress peaks so much that it reaches the levels of an anxiety disorder. Anxiety is often accompanied by a form of depression and vice versa. The two combined can result in decreased energy levels, making you feel tired all the time.
6. Depression
While depression is characterized by many other noticeable symptoms, constantly feeling tired is something a lot of people don’t even know could be a possible symptom.4 A lack of interest and considerable emotional disturbance experienced as a consequence of constant fatigue could be a sign of depression.
If you have been experiencing these symptoms, it might be a good idea to consult with your doctor to rule out the possibility of depression.
7. Too Much Coffee
When you want that burst of energy at work, you’re bound to reach for a cup o’ joe. However, relying on coffee too much is likely to make you more tired. The caffeine in coffee blocks a substance called adenosine – responsible for decreasing brain activity so you go to sleep. So, a lot of coffee is likely to keep you active for the most part of the day and make you incredibly tired by night.5
Avoid caffeinated drinks like soda, tea, coffee, and energy drinks at least 6 hours before you go to sleep.
8. Excess Alcohol
Drinking too much alcohol disturbs your sleep cycles, decreasing the amount of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep you’re getting.6 REM sleep is important because it helps your body restore itself so that you feel rejuvenated the next day. So, if you don’t get enough REM sleep, you’re bound to feel tired the next day irrespective of how long you sleep.
If you’ve looked into these causes and realized none of them are playing a role in how exhausted you feel every day, visit your doctor to rule out possibilities of more serious issues.
References
