We all sleep in order to wake up feeling refreshed and ready for a new day. Sleep is something that we all need so that we can function properly and live healthier lives on a daily basis. Although we all go to sleep at night, some people wake up in the morning feeling well-rested and ready for a new day, and others feel like they never went to sleep at all.
Have you found that you get the recommended amount of sleep each night only to wake up feeling tired? Does this tired feeling last throughout the day? Do you find that it negatively impacts your work and daily routine? Are you constantly asking yourself “why am I so tired?” If so, you might have a medical condition that’s affecting your energy. It’s also possible that your lifestyle habits are affecting your energy. Explore some of the reasons why you might feel tired all the time.
1. You Eat Too Many Refined Carbs
Carbs can provide your body with a quick and easy source of energy. As you eat carbs, your body digests them by breaking them down into sugar which is then used for fuel. When you consume sugar and carbs, it causes a spike in your blood sugar. The elevated blood sugar levels signal your pancreas to produce more insulin to move the sugar from your blood and into your cells which will then cause your blood levels to fall.
The spike and fall of blood sugar levels can leave you feeling exhausted after a quick burst of energy. To help increase your energy levels, try to stay away from refined carbs and instead opt for whole foods rich in fiber like legumes or vegetables. Try this out for a few days to see if your energy levels increase.
2. Living a Sedentary Life
No longer do humans need to spend their entire day working in the field of hunting and gathering to survive. A majority of people actually sit at a desk all day to work. Unfortunately, this lack of activity can make your energy feel even lower, so low that you don’t have the energy to exercise. Introducing regular exercise into your life can increase your energy levels. Take small steps by parking further from the door, taking walks on your work breaks, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and walking anywhere that’s close instead of driving. You can also include a short 30-minute exercise into a daily routine too.
3. Food Intolerances
Not only do food intolerances affect your digestion, but they can also lead to headaches, rashes, runny noses, and also low energy levels. Common food intolerances that can have this effect include dairy, gluten, eggs, corn, and soy. To find out if food intolerance is causing your low energy, try talking to your doctor about it. Pay attention to symptoms after eating certain foods. You can also try an elimination diet to see if that helps your symptoms improve.
4. Anemia
When you’re anemic, your body either doesn’t have enough hemoglobin or enough red blood cells. Hemoglobin is responsible for giving red blood cells their red color. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body. When you’re anemic, your body isn’t getting enough oxygen which can leave you feeling dizzy, weak, tired, shortness of breath, and even pale skin and headaches. Taking a simple blood test will tell you if you’re anemic.
5. Hypothyroidism
When your thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormone, the condition is known as hypothyroidism. The condition causes symptoms such as tiredness, feeling cold, and weight gain. To find out if you have hypothyroidism, you just need to take a blood test. Your doctor will then prescribe you medicine to manage your condition.
6. Depression
Depression robs your brain of the chemicals it needs to function properly. One of those chemicals is serotonin which also helps regulate your body’s internal clock. When you’re depressed, it can make you feel tired during the day and also hard to fall asleep or stay asleep. If you think you’re depressed, talking to your doctor, going to therapy, and taking medications can help improve your symptoms.
7. Not Eating Enough
Your body depends on calories for energy. If you’re not eating enough calories during the day, you’re not going to have very much energy. Although everyone’s calorie intake differs, as a rule of thumb you should never eat less than 1200 calories per day. In addition to eating enough calories, you also need to eat enough protein and carbs. We already talked about what happens if you eat too many carbs. Research has shown that those who eat a high protein diet have more energy than those who don’t. We recommend eating a high protein source with every meal.
8. Sleep Apnea
The last reason you might feel tired throughout the day is if you suffer from sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder in today’s world; in fact, an estimated 22 million Americans alone suffer from the condition, 80% of them unknowingly so. Sleep apnea can affect people of all sorts, both young and old, healthy, and unhealthy.
Those with undiagnosed and untreated sleep apnea do not sleep normally, therefore a normal pattern of sleep isn’t experienced. When this sleeping pattern is continuously interrupted, the body and the brain are not able to experience true REM sleep. The disruptions in the sleeping pattern occur because a sleep apneic stops breathing hundreds of times a night. These pauses in breathing not only disrupt the body internally but they can also cause the sleep apneic to wake up several times throughout the night.
Due to the lack of normal, restorative sleep, when a patient has sleep apnea, the feeling of being well-rested is rare, and in most cases is something that the patient never experiences.
If you find that your drowsiness is a daily occurrence and that the condition never seems to go away, now is an ideal time to get the diagnosis and treatment you need. Only sleep physicians are certified to properly diagnose sleep apnea.
If you are diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, we can help find the right sleep apnea treatment method that will alleviate your sleep apnea symptoms. No longer will your days be ruined with constant fatigue. Instead, you’ll have energy after a restful night’s sleep. Call our sleep dentist in Omaha today to schedule an appointment at (402) 493-4175, or contact us online.
