Reasons for Being So Tired

While it is normal for everyone to experience sleepiness on occasion, some patients suffer from chronic fatigue, a condition brought on by a variety of factors, including emotional, psychological and medical conditions. Patients might also feel depressed and lethargic throughout the day, and are generally overwhelmed by a sensation of sleepiness. Diagnosing the cause of your sleepiness is essential in treating chronic fatigue.

Features

• While feeling tired is a normal biological function---it is the body's way of encouraging more sleep---chronic or persistent feelings of sleepiness are not normal and can be detrimental to one's emotional and psychological state. Generally, the body feels tired when it has not gotten enough sleep---generally six to eight hours for an adult, 10 to 12 hours for adolescents and 14 to 16 hours for toddlers---or after strenuous exercise. If you are getting the recommended amount of sleep and are experiencing feelings of sleepiness without strenuous exercise, however, your body might be suffering from an underlying condition. Because a variety of factors can cause constant tiredness, it is essential to speak with a doctor and determine your particular ailment.

Lifestyle and Physical Causes

• Feelings of sleepiness are generally brought on by lifestyle choices. While getting less than six hours of sleep a night might cause sleepiness, these feelings might also be brought on by a lack of exercise, poor diet or excessive weight. Because the body is designed to move, and this movement is essential for blood to circulate around the body, a lack of physical exercise can result in tissue fatigue. In addition, a poor diet can result in vitamin and mineral deficiency, which affects the body's ability to handle energy efficiently. Finally, being over- or under-weight may result in a lack of energy, resulting in feelings of sleepiness. To minimize tiredness, it is essential to exercise, eat healthful food and maintain a safe weight.

Medical Causes

• In addition to lifestyle causes, feelings of sleepiness can also be caused by medical conditions. When a patient is suffering from an infection, the body produces more white blood cells and antibodies to fight off the infection. This process requires energy, generally diverted it from other areas of the body. Autoimmune diseases also result in inflammation targeted against the body. When this occurs, the body's cells respond to the inflammation, resulting in feelings of tiredness. In addition, iron deficiency and anemia, a condition in which the blood has poor oxygen content due to a defect in the hemoglobin or red blood cells, might also result in tiredness. When a patient is pregnant, she is also undergoing hormonal changes while diverting energy to her child.

Psychological Causes

• In addition to medical conditions and lifestyle choices, feelings of tiredness may also result when a patient is suffering from a psychological condition or is using drugs. Depression and anxiety disorders often result in feelings of fatigue. In some cases of depression, severe fatigue is the only symptom. Depression and anxiety disorders are also generally accompanied by feelings of lethargy, hopelessness and listlessness, so if you suffer from these additional symptoms, it's essential to speak with a doctor.

Prevention/Solution

• To combat feelings of tiredness, it is important for patients to take vitamins, eat healthful and exercise regularly. If the body is receiving the correct amount of vitamins and minerals daily, less fatigue will be experienced. In addition, exercise helps to circulate blood, strengthen bones and muscles, and boost the immune system, so regular exercise is essential. Finally, practices such as Pilates or yoga may help patients relax while calming the mind.