Tiredness is one of the most common reasons that people visit their local doctor. It’s very common, and usually isn’t anything to worry about. But what if your tiredness won’t go away?
Everyone feels tired from time-to-time, and there are usually some very obvious causes.
You may be staying up too late at night, or spending particularly long hours at work.
But some people may be feeling tired all of the time, without any easy-to-spot explanation.
Serious tiredness is more commonly known as exhaustion, and it may be difficult to spot.
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Lack of sleep
Although you may be feeling tired, some people struggle to fall asleep.
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Getting between seven and nine hours sleep each night is generally recommended, but exhaustion may leave you waking up feeling tired still.
“Everyone deserves a good night’s sleep, but poor sleep is a common problem,” said Lenherr. “It can cause stress, which in turn can affect your energy levels and mood.
“If you find it hard to nod off, I would advise introducing some sleep hygiene practices in order to optimise your sleep, such as avoiding caffeine too late in the day, reducing electronic use at night-time and downloading blue light blocking filters, as well as incorporating stress management into your bedtime routine.”
Brain fog
A tired brain is a confused brain. You may find it harder to think or focus.
You should consider speaking to a doctor if your brain fog lasts longer than a few weeks.
Hair and skin changes
“One of the tell-tale signs of exhaustion can be changes in your hair and skin,” said Lenherr. “With exhaustion, we may find that our skin becomes more dry, sullen or prone to breakouts and that our hair may thin and begin to fall out.
“If your exhaustion is stress-related, this may fatigue the adrenal glands which produce many of our sex hormones. A change in sex hormones, specifically DHEA and testosterone, can lead to a change in hair growth.”
Source: Daily Express