Constantly Tired? Here’s Why
Do you feel tired all the time, no matter what you do? Being absolutely exhausted yet trying to live normally is incredibly difficult. I’ve been there. If you’re not feeling well, you can’t be as productive in school or work, or as involved in your loved ones’ lives as you’d like.
If you’re struggling with fatigue, always feeling drained and heavy, I want you to know this is not normal. You shouldn’t have to live like that.
Fatigue can have many different causes: here are 4 possible reasons why you might be feeling fatigued.
1. Poor Sleep Quality or Insufficient Sleep
I had to get the most obvious one out of the way! And I know what you’re saying: “yeah, but my fatigue goes beyond sleep (or lack thereof)” No worries, I hear you and you’re probably right about that! For most people experiencing constant fatigue, getting more sleep is probably not going to be a complete resolution. That being said! Sufficient sleep (I’m talking at least 7-8 hours) and good QUALITY sleep should not be dismissed. Inadequate sleep has been proven to affect both our physical and mental health¹. Turn off your laptop or TV at least 30 minutes before bed, unwind, and get those 8 hours of sleep.
If your sleep issues are because you can’t STAY asleep, you need to figure out what’s going on.
Is it mental (your brain doesn’t shut off), or too much adrenaline (you feel wired), or do you have body imbalances that are making it difficult to sleep? For example, your body may not produce enough melatonin, which you can check on a DUTCH test. Thankfully, my levels were in-range, but if you did this same test, yours might be low:
Whatever is disrupting your sleep, You have to get to the bottom of it. Your body needs that time to recover.
2. Poor Diet or Nutritional Deficiencies
Nutrients are the very fuel for our body to run. If you’re not eating enough nutrients, or you’re not properly getting nutrients from the food you ARE eating (due to poor digestion), you will feel tired². Macronutrients (proteins, fats, and carbohydrates) in particular are like the gas in your tank. If you consume or absorb too few macronutrients, it’s going to feel like you’re running on empty.
First of all, think about the quality of the “fuel” you’re putting in your body. Is it nutrient-dense? Ideally, you want to eat a lot of whole foods, which are foods like meat, vegetables, fruit, and grains you see in nature (not packaged or processed). You may also want to avoid alcohol and caffeine, as they can create energy spikes and crashes, worsening your fatigue.
You can also have nutritional deficiencies if your body is not correctly processing the food you are eating.
Secondly, if you notice you feel especially tired after eating, you may have digestive issues. You could have low stomach acid, low bile acid or digestive enzyme production, or even food sensitivities (which you can read more about here). All of these things can make you feel tired, because you aren’t able to get the nutrients you need from the foods you eat.
Here is some more of my lab work. When I had GI issues, I was eating really healthy whole foods to try to help my digestion. But even though I was eating good food, my GI system was so damaged I wasn’t absorbing the nutrients from my food - resulting in malnutrition.
I was deficient in most major antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Results in the red mean a greater need for those nutrients.
3. Hormonal Imbalances
Hormones are a key player in our day-to-day energy levels. Among other things, hormones help regulate blood sugar levels, reproduction, libido, mood, and very importantly - metabolism. Metabolism is the conversion of food into energy.
If your metabolism is struggling, your energy levels will follow suit. In particular, your adrenal glands and thyroid make vital hormones for metabolism.
Hypothyroidism is a condition in which your thyroid isn’t producing enough of the hormones T3 and T4. T3 helps your body convert glucose and fat into energy, and increases efficient use of oxygen within cells so they can produce ATP (aka more energy)³. Unsurprisingly, one of the main symptoms of hypothyroidism is fatigue⁴. I run into individuals with under-active thyroids or hypothyroidism much more frequently than you may think!
Your adrenal glands make hormones such as cortisol, aldosterone, and DHEA. Cortisol is another hormone which plays a crucial role in metabolism, as well as in regulating blood sugar levels, your stress response, and your sleep-wake cycle. Low levels of cortisol can cause fatigue⁵. On the flip side, too much of it can make us feel “wired but tired.” These are actually my cortisol levels when I was very sick. I was “wired but tired” all the time. And no wonder! My cortisol was really high (my levels are in red). Notice that it actually goes UP at night a bit, when it really should be dropping to help me sleep.
Years of stress, chronic illness, autoimmune diseases, poor sleep and diet can contribute to a dysfunctional adrenal gland and result in improper cortisol production.
4. Chronic Illnesses and Inflammation
There are many illnesses and infections that can result in fatigue. In fact, a common cause of fatigue is gut infections and dysbiosis⁶. We already discussed how gut issues can prevent proper absorption of nutrients. In addition, gut infections such as E. coli, C. difficile, H.pylori, or parasitic and yeast infections can contribute to chronic fatigue. Gut dysbiosis can also sap your energy. Dysbiosis occurs when you have either too MUCH bacteria or too LITTLE bacteria.
When I was having health issues, I also experienced pretty extreme fatigue. All of my limbs felt like they weighed 100 lbs and it was as if I was trudging through deep snow. Much of it was tied to my gut issues.
Here are some of my GI Map results from that time. First of all, I had overgrowth of opportunistic bacteria:
…As well as a chronic C. difficile infection:
Chronic infection and imbalances can make us feel tired as they increase systemic inflammation.
Chronic inflammation from various health issues (metabolic, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, autoimmune, etc) can decrease energy production and negatively affects the circadian rhythm⁷. In short: a body that is constantly inflamed and fighting infection is understandably going to feel tired
If you’re constantly tired, there are many factors that can be contributing to your fatigue. Sure, it may be because you’re just not getting enough sleep. But it could also be due to nutritional deficiencies, hormone imbalances, or chronic inflammation. If you’ve been told “you’re fine,” or “everything looks OK” but you know something’s wrong, there probably IS something wrong!
Find what is going wrong within your body. Remember, you want to actually address the issue - not just try to cope with your symptoms. You shouldn’t have to live feeling like you’re dragging yourself through the day. You deserve to get your energy back - so you can live your life to the fullest.
References
The Extraordinary Importance of Sleep
Vitamins and Minerals for Energy, Fatigue and Cognition: A Narrative Review of the Biochemical and Clinical Evidence
Thyroid Hormone Regulation of Metabolism
Physiology, Thyroid Hormone
Adrenal Insufficiency
Gut dysbiosis in severe mental illness and chronic fatigue: a novel trans-diagnostic construct? A systematic review and meta-analysis
The High Costs of Low-Grade Inflammation: Persistent Fatigue as a Consequence of Reduced Cellular-Energy Availability and Non-adaptive Energy Expenditure
Disclaimer: all information provided is educational in nature, and should not be considered medical advice. Nothing shared in this blog is intended to substitute for the advice, treatment or diagnosis of a qualified licensed physician.
