What Makes Us Tired? Top Causes of Low Energy & Fatigue

What Makes Us Tired?

There are so many things that could be contributing to your constant feeling of tiredness, some things you may not have even considered. Understanding those causes and triggers can help you stay in control and kick the fatigue.

Lifestyle

Yes, life in general can make us feel tired. Sometimes, even just thinking about a certain task is enough to send us sleepy. Let’s look at some of the common lifestyle causes of tiredness.

• Poor sleep

  It’s estimated that 1 in 5 people in the UK aren’t getting enough sleep with those aged between 25 and 50 being the worst affected^[1]. Our research has found that almost half of people experience sleep issues on a regular basis.
  
  There are many things that can contribute to poor sleep patterns, including pets, children, and noisy neighbours but according to the NHS, the most common causes are stress, anxiety, or depression^[2].

• Stress

  Experiencing some stress in life is normal but if it becomes chronic or ongoing, it can severely affect your quality of life and even contribute to fatigue. Research has revealed that more than 27% of people, particularly women, younger people on low incomes, smokers, and those who are medically ill, experience increased levels of fatigue^[3].
  
  Learn more about how stress is affecting the UK population.

• Diet

  Because your body relies heavily on the food you eat to provide energy and function properly, your diet could be a significant contributor to your tiredness.
  

  • Alcohol: Alcohol can disrupt your sleep by making you need to pee during the night or raising your heart rate, causing you to wake up^[4].
  • Sugar: Food and drink that’s high in sugar causes a rapid spike in blood sugar levels which then drops, making you feel tired.
  • Caffeine: Caffeine is used as a stimulant but it can disrupt your sleep patterns and your body may become more tolerant towards its effects^[5].

• Limited exercise

  Although you might initially think exercise will make you tired, it can have the opposite effect. According to a 2014 study, being more active is associated with lower levels of fatigue^[6]. If you want to avoid feeling tired, ditching a sedentary lifestyle can help.

Nutrition

We’ve touched upon the importance of diet for fending off fatigue but a low intake of certain vitamins and micronutrients can also lead to extreme feelings of tiredness.

• Vitamin D: Deficiency in vitamin D can cause fatigue and in healthy people supplementation can improve these symptoms^[7]. Vitamin D deficiency is common, affecting 57% of the UK population, according to our research.

• Iron deficiency anaemia: Low dietary intake can result in not enough iron being stored in the body, resulting in poor energy, fatigue, headaches, and a fast heartbeat. You can measure your iron stores by checking your ferritin levels, the body’s main iron storage protein.

• Low magnesium: Magnesium is a vital micronutrient for your metabolism. It also reduces tiredness and fatigue^[8], so if you’re not getting enough in your diet this could be the culprit.

• Vitamin B12 deficiency: Vitamin B12 is critical for the formation of red blood cells which carry oxygen around the body. Vitamin B12 is mostly found in animal protein, so vegans and vegetarians are most at risk of deficiency.

You can check your nutrition status including all of the above micronutrients with our at-home Nutricheck – Vitamin deficiency blood test.

Health

Certain health conditions can be an underlying cause of tiredness or fatigue. For example, type 2 diabetes, a condition where your pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin or the insulin doesn’t work properly. This causes your blood sugar levels to rise and can cause symptoms including excessive thirst and tiredness. You can understand your risk of developing type 2 diabetes with an HbA1c test.

Several other health conditions can cause tiredness, including:

Physical health conditions	Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) Kidney disease Chronic fatigue syndrome Arthritis Eating disorders
Mental health conditions	Anxiety Depression Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

Medication

Many over-the-counter and prescription medicines can make you sleepy, including:

• antihistamines

• anti-sickness

• sleep remedies or muscle relaxants

• anti-diarrhoea

Medicines that make you tired do so because they often interact with the chemical messengers in the brain called neurotransmitters.

Hormones

Hormones are chemicals that are important for many of the body’s processes, but if they are out of balance, they can cause many symptoms, including tiredness and may disrupt your sleep pattern.

Puberty

Tiredness is a common and ‘normal’ part of teenage life and is likely to be caused by a combination of the physiological demands of growing, hormone changes, and increased social and educational demands^[9].

Menstrual Cycle

The rise and fall of oestrogen and progesterone during your monthly cycle can play havoc with your energy levels. For example, during the third week of your cycle, oestrogen levels fall, causing your energy levels to plummet. At the same time, progesterone peaks which can make you feel more tired. Although it may have a positive effect on your energy levels by promoting a better night’s sleep.

Perimenopause

Perimenopause is the transition into menopause and is a time in a woman’s life where hormonal fluctuations can cause imbalances.

As oestrogen levels fall, it’s natural to experience tiredness, particularly as this can have a knock on effect on your magnesium levels and can cause night sweats which may disrupt your sleep.

Underactive Thyroid

The thyroid gland produces the hormones that control your metabolism. If you don’t produce enough of these hormones, then your thyroid can be described as underactive (hypothyroidism). If this occurs, the body’s processes slow down, which can make you feel fatigued, interrupt your memory, and increase your weight.

Low Testosterone in Men

Testosterone is a vital male hormone involved in sperm production and regulating your sex drive. But it also has key roles in red blood cell production and metabolism which can mean that low levels cause symptoms such as tiredness and fatigue.

You can check your testosterone levels with our at-home blood tests.

Other causes of tiredness

If you’re still struggling with tiredness and can’t relate to any of the reasons mentioned above, then there may be other factors at play that you may not have considered, such as:

• The weather: If environmental temperatures are too hot or too cold it can disrupt your sleep pattern, making you feel groggy the next day.

• Lack of routine: A poor bedtime routine can send your body clock into overdrive, leaving it confused, and making it difficult for you to fall asleep, stay asleep, or even wake up promptly.

• Poor sleep hygiene: Think about things like how comfortable your mattress is, are your bedclothes clean, is the room dark enough, or is it too noisy?

• Shift work: Shift work is linked to poor sleep^[10], particularly if it is outside of more traditional hours e.g. 9 - 5. This can have a knock on effect on your physical and mental health.

Tips for Improving Energy

1. Improve sleep hygiene

   Impose regular sleep times e.g. go to bed at the same time each night and use an alarm to wake up at the same time each morning. Cut your screen use 2 hours before going to bed. Sleep in a cool, dark, and quiet room. Try some gentle exercise, reading, or meditation before going to bed to help you relax.

2. Analyse your diet

   Ensure you are eating a healthy, balanced diet that incorporates lean meat, fruit, vegetables, and wholegrains. Reduce your sugar intake to prevent sharp blood sugar spikes that can be followed by crashes, making you feel tired. Try to limit your caffeine and alcohol intake during the day as these can play havoc with your sleep. If you follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, consider taking a vitamin B12 supplement. All UK adults should consider a 10mcg daily vitamin D supplement, especially during the winter months.

3. Exercise but not too much!

   Being physically active during the day will not only help keep your weight in check and clear your mind, but also boost the production of sleep hormones like melatonin.
   
   However, balance is key. Make sure you build rest and recovery into your routine, too much exercise and not enough rest can have a detrimental impact on your health including sleep.

4. Track your hormones

   Understanding your menstrual cycle can help you get a better idea about when and why you may feel more tired at certain times of the month. You can use this information to put strategies in place to help combat low energy levels.

5. Stay hydrated

   Staying on top of your hydration is one of the easiest ways you can boost your energy and deter tiredness. One of the early signs of dehydration besides thirst is feeling tired. So, aim to drink 6 to 8 glasses of fluid a day. Water is best but it can include sugar free squash or flavoured water, tea, coffee, and milk.

Checking For Fatigue

If you’re feeling tired all the time, have low energy levels, or think you might be fatigued, you should consider our Tiredness and Fatigue blood test.

There are all sorts of reasons why you might be feeling sleepy, ranging from lifestyle factors, to nutritional deficiencies, to hormone imbalances. Our test analyses 6 key biomarkers covering your hormonal health and nutrition status to rule out any underlying causes of fatigue, so you can seek the right treatment.

If your tiredness is affecting your everyday life or you’ve been feeling tired for a few weeks and you’re not sure why, you should make an appointment to see your GP to rule out any underlying health conditions.