Tiredness and sleepiness are part of everyday life. But how much tiredness is normal, and when is it time to do something about it? Roughly a third of teenagers (worldwide) say they feel tired and “drained” during the day. Tiredness that a good night’s sleep fixes is not dangerous. But when the tiredness becomes constant, is it time to think things over?
Before you start reading this detailed article, make sure you try drinking more fluids, moving in the morning and a suitable natural supplement to support energy and focus.
🎓 Did you know? Frequent tiredness and sleepiness can be a symptom of unpleasant conditions and even more serious illnesses, but they are mostly caused by typical lifestyle factors.
Don’t panic too soon. In this article I will show you that constant tiredness and sleepiness are not a silent killer but a nuisance that, in the vast majority of cases, you can deal with. Ready? Great! Let’s get started together!
Table of contents
Frequent tiredness and sleepiness: 10 causes that might never have occurred to you!
A warning to start with: if you don’t sleep enough and wonder why you are tired, stop reading right now! Go to bed instead and get some proper rest! We won’t deal with tiredness caused by deliberately cutting your sleep short here. The cure for that is simple. Just sleep.
💡 Tip: Read about the risks of not getting enough sleep!
Got it? Good. But what about the other causes of tiredness? Health websites mention 5 (sometimes 6) main triggers. You deserve a full 10! Many studies focus on stress and how poorly people respond to it. Let’s take a broader look at the causes, though. Can you spot your own causes or mistakes among them?
- Eating refined sugar,
- A desk job,
- Food intolerances,
- Poor eating habits (i.e. low calorie intake),
- Disrupted biorhythms,
- Not enough hydration,
- Drinking energy drinks,
- Stress,
- Being overweight,
- A lack of vitamins and minerals.
Let’s look at each point in its own section.
Eating carbohydrates, or “I just love sweet things!”
Carbohydrates are a quick source of energy that the body turns into simple sugar, which it uses as fuel. But if you eat too much sugar, you will feel tired and useless all day. A paradox, isn’t it? This is very individual. Every body reacts to sugar differently. Try observing yourself to see what suits you best.
🎓 Did you know? The pancreas is to blame for all of this. Eating carbohydrates raises your blood sugar level, which makes the pancreas produce insulin to move the sugar from the blood into the cells. A rapid rise in blood sugar is followed by a rapid drop, which leaves you exhausted and tired.
As soon as you feel very tired, you reach for another portion of sugar, believing it will give you energy. And that, dear readers, is how the vicious circle begins. According to long-term studies, it pays to replace sugar in your diet with fibre and protein. People who do so get plenty of long-lasting energy and feel fresh and rested. Other people do something similar with coffee. Coffee is a great stimulant, but you must not overdo it, and you need to combine it with other activities too.
💡 Tip: Swap sweet snack bars for broccoli, beetroot or pulses. Fibre provides energy that kicks in more slowly but lasts longer.
A desk job, or “Why am I so tired when all I do is sit?”
Inactivity triggers chronic tiredness. You might argue that sitting all day saves energy, but that isn’t true.
🗣️ Boston psychologists advise: Patients say they are too tired to exercise. This leads to more sitting around and to constant tiredness. Yet light exercise has been shown to reduce tiredness and sleepiness. Even a small increase in physical activity has a beneficial effect on human health.
You don’t need to run a marathon or lift heavy weights. It’s enough to:
- Take a brisk 20-minute walk,
- Run down the stairs (instead of taking the lift),
- Stand at your office desk for a few minutes,
- Walk around the room during phone calls instead of sitting,
- Get off two stops before work and walk the rest of the way.
Every little helps. Nobody expects Olympic sporting performances from you, just a little muscle “stretch” that boosts your energy levels.
Food intolerances are not life-threatening, but they can really wear you out
Food intolerance goes hand in hand with skin rashes, digestive problems, a runny nose and headaches. Chronic tiredness and sleepiness are also common symptoms, but they are not given the attention they deserve.
Excessive tiredness linked to intolerances can completely knock an otherwise healthy person out of normal life. The most common food intolerances include intolerance to:
- Gluten,
- Dairy products,
- Eggs,
- Soya,
- Maize,
- Tomatoes.
If you notice unexplained frequent tiredness with no specific reason behind it, consider an intolerance to certain foods. Getting tested for intolerance is very simple, and you can arrange it with an allergist or a dietitian. By following an elimination diet, sooner or later you will find out which food is causing your problems (i.e. low energy levels and the tiredness that comes with them).
💡 Tip: If you want a filling gluten-free diet, get inspired by specific Asian recipes!
Poor eating habits, or “Dieting doesn’t mean starving!”
Bad eating habits mean overeating, but also starving yourself. And that is what I want to talk about. Does the word “calorie” make you feel faint? Is it the worst enemy, the killer of a beautiful figure? And do you actually know what a calorie is and what it is for?
🗣️ Dietitians explain: A calorie is a unit of energy found in food. This tiny particle is extremely important because, together with other particles, it creates the “fuel” we use for movement and other processes, such as breathing and maintaining a constant body temperature.
What does this mean? Without enough calories, we cause what is known as metabolic slowdown. Our body slows its processes down to save energy and, among other things, makes us very tired. It does this to force us to slow down and save as much energy as possible. Again, every body reacts differently to various keto diets and other diets . For some people, they are simply not suitable.
🎓 Did you know? Most people need at least 1,200 calories a day to avoid metabolic slowdown.
The solution? Don’t starve yourself! By refusing food, you gradually lose your stores of vitamins and minerals too (and a lack of vitamin D, for example, causes chronic tiredness). If you don’t want to feel exhausted, eat properly!
💡 Tip: Not sure what to eat? Get inspired by our article on healthy and quick dinner ideas!
Disrupted biorhythms, what does that actually mean?
Disrupted biorhythms go hand in hand with a hectic, fast-paced lifestyle. Let me tell you a story. Our ancestors (picture a farmer on a farmstead, for example) worked from sunrise, all day long, and around seven in the evening they started to feel tired. They finished their hard work and went to bed. By the time it got dark, they were already asleep. And they woke up naturally at around five in the morning, as day was breaking.
What am I getting at? These people had their body clocks set perfectly. They got up with the first ray of sunshine and slept as soon as it got dark. What about us?
We suffer from so-called light pollution, meaning that our surroundings are never completely dark (street lights, car headlights, fluorescent lamps, mobile phone screens and so on). On top of that, our work is “spread out” across the whole day and into the night, which seriously disrupts our internal biorhythms. What puts us at risk?
- Light everywhere,
- Staying awake after dark,
- Resting during the day (it disrupts the melatonin levels needed to fall asleep),
- Being unable to fall asleep at night,
- Looking at bright phone screens,
- Constant sounds and background noise.
All of this disrupts our biorhythm so much that the onset of chronic tiredness is not all that surprising. The solution? Sadly, in today’s tech-saturated world, there probably isn’t one. Try not to nap during the day and “save” all your tiredness for the night.
Not enough hydration, or “Dried-out cells don’t work as they should!”
We lose water through sweating, urinating, bowel movements and breathing. Our cells also use water in biochemical processes. They either use it up or “turn” it into “murky fluid” that needs to be flushed out with a fresh supply.
🗣️ Scientists from Harvard say: Even mild dehydration is enough to lower energy levels in the body and cause problems with concentration. A low fluid intake over the long term leads to dizziness, muscle fatigue and mental exhaustion.
The solution? A simple piece of advice from fitness trainers: “Drink 8 glasses of water of 237 ml each every day! Plus or minus 20 ml, depending on your weight and sex!”
If you notice:
- Thirst,
- A dry mouth,
- Tiredness,
- Poor concentration,
- Dizziness,
- Headache,
You are dehydrated. Pour yourself a glass of water right now and drink!
💡 Tip: If you follow a one-day fast, be even stricter about staying hydrated!
Drinking energy drinks ruins our metabolism!
Apart from alcohol perhaps, there is no drink in the world more harmful to a healthy person’s metabolism, in so many ways, than an energy drink.
They have become a worldwide success thanks to the promise of endless, instant energy, which is hardly surprising given that they contain:
- Sugar,
- Caffeine,
- Amino acids,
- Huge (excessive) doses of vitamin B,
- Industrial colourings and flavourings.
🎓 Did you know? Caffeine content varies between brands, but one energy drink can contain up to 350 mg (some up to 500 mg) of caffeine per can. For comparison, coffee usually contains 77 to 150 mg of caffeine per cup.
The bottom line? Energy drinks give you an “unexpected” surge of energy, but once it wears off, excessive eye fatigue sets in. Severe tiredness in the morning has also been reported.
Stress spurs us into action that leaves us exhausted
Stress factors greatly intensify feelings of tiredness and sleepiness. Studies on this topic mainly mention university students, who are under constant heavy pressure and also have to work (and learn quickly) late into the night, which adds to their fatigue.
🗣️ Researchers explain the results of the experiment: University students under high levels of stress suffer from chronic fatigue. When they manage to avoid stress, their fatigue levels drop noticeably.
The solution in this case is to learn to manage stress. How? The best options are:
- Meditation,
- Yoga,
- Motivational conversation,
- Reading a relaxing book or a personal growth book,
- Listening to calming music.
If you involve both mind and body in these practices, you will learn to manage your energy well and beat fatigue.
Excess weight, or “Carrying heavy kilos is exhausting!”
Extra kilos wear you out, which is no great discovery. The more kilos, the harder it is to manage everyday tasks such as cleaning and shopping.
The solution is to lose the excess weight and swap unhealthy food for fruit and vegetables (for example in vegetarian recipes). Did you know that eating juicy fruit, vegetables and beneficial fibre can reduce tiredness by up to 37%?
💡 Tip: How to start running when overweight? Get inspired by our article!
A lack of vitamins and minerals leads to muscle fatigue
Vitamin deficiency is linked to low calorie intake, which we have already discussed. If you eat too little, you lack the resources to produce new energy, and as your vitamin levels fall, you lose what energy you have left.
A blood test at your GP will reveal a deficiency of:
- Vitamin D,
- Vitamin B12,
- Vitamin E,
- Iron,
- Magnesium,
- Potassium.
Low levels of these nutrients are linked to muscle fatigue and sleepiness. Top them up with a varied diet.
Serious causes of persistent fatigue, or “When to start worrying!”
Excessive tiredness is not only linked to the minor problems mentioned above. Some serious problems (and illnesses) also come with constant fatigue. Pay close attention, as some of them can even be life-threatening.
The most common worrying conditions include:
- Paralysing depression (accompanied by so-called mental fatigue),
- Sleep apnoea,
- Chronic fatigue syndrome,
- Sleep paralysis,
- Fibromyalgia (chronic pain and stiffness in the muscles and joints. Severe pain stops sufferers from sleeping, so constant fatigue is an ever-present symptom).
- Diabetes mellitus,
- Long-term medication (constant tiredness can follow antibiotics or antidepressants).
In all these cases it is important to seek medical help and discuss any change with specialists.
17 scientifically proven ways to deal with fatigue once and for all. Do you know them all?
Repetition is the mother of learning, so it is worth going over the key rules for getting rid of tiredness for good and exhaustion too.
These 17 methods are backed by science and tested over many years. By building them into your daily life, you will reduce constant fatigue to a minimum, get rid of nagging muscle and joint pain and jump straight into a healthy, happy life.
Sounds great, doesn’t it? Let’s go through the list together.
Recommendation no. 1, go to bed earlier and sleep longer
🎓 Did you know? Almost 40% of adults do not get the recommended 8 hours of sleep.
Are you tapping your forehead and wondering where you are supposed to find the time? If there is no other option, try to catch up on those precious hours during the day. I understand that setting aside 8 hours for sleep is a luxury you cannot afford, but never go below 6 hours!
💡 Tip: Do you suffer from insomnia? Read about how to fall asleep quickly and sleep well.
Recommendation no. 2, drink plenty of water
The brain is made up of up to 70% water. By not drinking enough, you are “drying out” your body’s most important organ. Are you surprised you cannot think straight or concentrate? I am not.
Good news! If you turn drinking water into a routine (for example, I will drink 6 glasses of water a day), you will soon get used to it and sticking to it will be easy.
Recommendation no. 3, work up a sweat
Light exercise improves blood circulation, supplies the brain with oxygen and reduces chronic fatigue. Movement releases epinephrine, the performance hormone that helps us, for example, “survive” in extremely stressful situations.
Once you do some exercise, yoga for example, you build up a store of epinephrine, which then helps you cope with stress.
Recommendation no. 4, avoid alcohol
Do you treat yourself to a glass in the evening because you feel you sleep better after alcohol? Wrong. It is true that you fall into a state close to unconsciousness, but this “sleep” is heavy, disturbed and sluggish, and it does not give you any rest.
Alcohol has a negative effect on the sleep hormone melatonin, so in the end it causes wakefulness, an inability to fall asleep and constant tiredness. Watch out for this!
Recommendation no. 5, enjoy the “right” carbohydrates
Snacking on carbohydrates is not a sin, you just have to choose the right ones! Enjoy:
- Wholegrain bread and rolls,
- Pulses,
- Sweet potatoes,
Combined with protein and healthy fats, they make a hearty meal that will send your energy sky-high. Say goodbye to tiredness once and for all!
💡 Tip: Can’t live without a treat? Try making a healthy cheesecake and enjoy it guilt-free!
Recommendation no. 6, skip your morning coffee
Can’t imagine a morning without a cup of coffee? Yes, caffeine certainly sharpens slow reactions and suppresses tiredness in the short term, but it takes several hours to leave your body!
🗣️ Dietitians point out: If you sip coffee throughout the morning and (heaven forbid) in the evening after a meal too, you will bring on insomnia, bottomless tiredness and poor concentration for the whole of the following day.
Recommendation no. 7, eat in small portions
For lunch we have duck with cabbage, yum. We eat and are instantly ready for a nap. Sound familiar?
Heavy, filling meals keep the digestive system busy, and it needs fuel in the form of energy. There is not much left over for the brain to work. A simple trick is to split your food into several smaller portions. They do not weigh us down, they are processed faster and we will not feel so drained.
💡 Tip: Can’t eat meat? Try meat substitutes in your diet and don’t miss out on protein.
Recommendation no. 8, don’t give in to stress
Need we say more?
💡 Tip: Our article on how to get rid of stress and fear will help you deal with nervousness!
Recommendation no. 9, don’t dismiss short naps
A little rest will upset the balance of your biorhythms, but we have been disrupting them forever anyway. Don’t take it too seriously, and if you feel tired, simply sleep. Even several times a day.
Napping is not a sign of laziness, quite the opposite. What’s more, it does not need to be long. Just 20 to 30 minutes will give you the energy you need for the rest of the day.
Recommendation no. 10, create the conditions for good sleep
Do you go to bed at a normal time but still wake up during the night? Perhaps an environment “unsuitable” for sleep is to blame.
The bedroom is overheated, the curtains do not close properly and noise comes in from outside. Do you really want to sleep in that? The ideal conditions for good sleep are:
- The room temperature is between 15 and 19 °C,
- The room is completely dark (close the blinds and curtains and remove anything that gives off light, such as alarm clocks with illuminated displays),
- It is quiet (if that is not possible, buy earplugs),
- If you struggle to fall asleep in complete silence, get a device that produces so-called white noise.
Recommendation no. 11, avoid staring at your phone screen at night
Electronic devices emit so-called blue light, which stimulates the brain to perform and stay alert. If you stare at the screen long enough, you will naturally lose any urge to sleep. In the morning, on the other hand, you will wake up extremely tired.
🎓 Did you know? Avoid phone screens for at least an hour before bed. This reduces the effect of blue light on your brain.
Tip no. 12, go for a brisk walk
Just 10 minutes of fast walking is enough. A short walk gives you as much energy as swallowing a 50 mg concentrated caffeine tablet.
💡 Tip: Read about how 15 minutes of walking a day can change your life.
Tip no. 13, breathe in energising scents
Lemon aroma, rosemary oil or the scent of mint: these aromas stimulate our senses and work as energy boosters that tame persistent, never-ending tiredness.
Nothing could be easier than popping a small bottle of essential oil into your bag and taking a sniff whenever you need it.
Tip no. 14, let nature work its magic
City life can be tiring. Get out into nature whenever you have the chance. A nearby park or forest is enough.
Quiet, lovely nature recharges your batteries better than gallons of energy drink.
Tip no. 15, stop smoking
Nicotine is a powerful stimulant of brain function, but as is often the case, unbearable tiredness sets in once it wears off. When you feel sleepy, you go for a cigarette, and so it goes on, round and round.
🗣️ Doctors advise: Quitting smoking is a step in the right direction.
Tip no. 16, listen to your favourite music
Music tickles the right nerve endings and sends adrenaline through your veins. Make the most of it! If you often feel tired, keep your headphones and favourite songs close at hand. It is impossible to feel sleepy while listening to Queen!
Tip no. 17, try red light therapy
It has been scientifically proven that infrared and near-infrared red light penetrates deep into the human body, where it has a positive effect on mitochondria, cells, organs and endocrine glands. As a result, the quality of our sleep improves, inflammation decreases, recovery speeds up and our overall vitality and energy increase. Where can you get this kind of light? Panels that emit infrared and near-infrared red light are available from various specialised suppliers (in the Czech Republic, for example, from the pioneering brand MITO LIGHT). If you get one for your home, you can enjoy the benefits of red light therapy every day if you like.
Tip no. 18, stop staring at that screen!
Didn’t you hear? Step away from the computer! Otherwise eye strain and chronic sleepiness will follow. Besides, you have just read to the end, so what are you still doing here?! Go outside for a walk!
💡 Tip: Need to calm down? Read our article on how to calm your nerves and get rid of a pile of stress.
