Why am I so tired? Is it my diet that needs a minor tweak? Or is it the work stress that needs to be managed well?
Bouts of unexplained tiredness could mean a lot of things. It can be associated with nutrient deficiencies, emotional exhaustion and even an underlying health condition that can leave you feeling wiped out even without breaking a sweat.
In fact, being tired is nowadays so common that there’s an actual acronym for it; TATT which stands for “tired all the time.”
Check out the 8 probable reasons for tiredness you didn’t suspect.
1) Lack of iron in your body
One of the first things a GP would suspect when you complain about ongoing tiredness is the lack of iron in your body. In fact, an estimated 1.1 million Australians are deficient in iron.
The decrease in iron in your body could also mean reduced energy levels, work performance, and productivity.
So, next time you’re tired and not sure why check with your doctors if lack of iron could be the reason.
2) An underactive thyroid, also called hypothyroidism
Tiredness is perhaps the universal symptom of an underactive thyroid. Since hypothyroidism causes a drop in hormone production in your body, it leads to lower energy levels causing tiredness and fatigue.
3) Unmanaged your blood glucose levels
There are two possible reasons for tiredness associated with an unmanaged blood glucose level. In either cases of too high or too low blood glucose levels, there isn’t enough insulin in your blood that can be used by the cells for energy, leading to tiredness.
4) Unsound mental health such as bouts of depression and anxiety
People suffering from mental health issues often find themselves struggling with sleep. It is either sleeping for hours and hours or no sleep at all.
Several neurotransmitters in our brain play a vital role in regulating energy levels, sleep, and our appetite for food. When you’re depressed or anxious, it will likely disrupt this brain chemistry causing tiredness and fatigue.
5) Dehydration
Did you know that even mild and moderate dehydration can cause tiredness? This is because water regulates your blood pressure and when your body lacks water, it will make you tired and sleepy.
6) Glandular fever
Affecting mostly teenagers, glandular fever is a sort of infection from a highly contagious virus.
It is characterised by flu-like symptoms that tend to remain for few weeks; however, tiredness due to this disease lasts longer.
More than 1 in 10 people with glandular experience prolonged tiredness lasting more than six months after the initial infection.
7) Sensitive to gluten, aka Coeliac Disease
Many food intolerances can cause fatigue, but a decreased energy level is highly prevalent in people with Coeliac Disease.
This is because being sensitive to gluten can cause sleeping disorders, digestive issues, headaches and so on, all of which will make you feel more tired.
8) Don’t ditch the carbs
Carbohydrates provide energy to fuel your body, including the brain and the heart. So, there’s no surprise that when you ditch carbs from your diet, you’ll suffer from tiredness too.
However, when you consume too much carbs, especially the unhealthy ones can cause tiredness too. So, we suggest keeping your carbs intakes optimum, not too much and not too less.
