"49 Reasons You're Always Tired" Review
Introduction
If you typically feel sluggish or tired during the day, you may want to skim this list. It's the most comprehensive list of reasons yet (from the 49 Reasons You're Always Tired)!
List of Reasons You’re Always Tired
1. YOU SKIP BREAKFAST.
It's not called the most important meal of the day for nothing. Skipping breakfast can often leave you feeling lifeless the rest of the day. We rely on breakfast to kickstart our metabolism after a goodnight's sleep. The body continues to burn through food and nutrients even as we sleep, leaving our stores depleted by morning. A meal shortly after waking up is important to replenish these depleted energy stores and re-energize the body.
Personal Trainer Wisdom: This isn't permission to grab whatever is available (especially if you're trying to lose weight). I grew up on sugary cereals and donuts...not ideal for healthy living. The truth about breakfast: It's really not any different compared to other meals of the day. The only difference: You may want to take it easy on the seasoning (Your fresh taste buds may be a little sensitive first thing in the morning).2. YOU READ YOUR KINDLE BEFORE BED.
People who read before bed using an iPad or similar device find it harder to wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed than those who curl up with a printed book, according to a recent Harvard study. The reason? The blue light emitted from the Kindle suppresses the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin, which controls your sleep and wake cycles, says Robert Rosenberg, DO, FCCP, an Arizona sleep medicine specialist and author of Sleep Soundly Every Night, Feel Fantastic Every Day. Translation: When your melatonin levels are out of whack, you probably aren't sleeping as soundly as you think you are. He recommends shutting down all electronic devices (computers, cell phones, tablets, eReaders) 90 minutes before bed. Also, move your cell phone out of the room; even if it's on airplane mode, a phone emits enough light to interfere with sleep, says Sylvia Morris, MD, MPH, an internist in Atlanta.
3. YOU HAVE A NIGHTCAP.
It's true that booze can send you off to dreamland quickly, since alcohol does have a sedative effect. But it also disrupts your normal sleep cycle, says Aaron Clark, MD, a family medicine physician at Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center. In a 2015 Australian study, people who downed orange juice mixed with vodka as a bedtime drink showed more alpha brain activity while they snoozed, which meant they weren't getting deep, restorative sleep. Women are particularly susceptible to sleep disruptions from alcohol because we metabolize it faster, according to the National Sleep Foundation, so we're bound to wake up sooner. An occasional glass of spirits won't hurt, but to make sure you're getting quality z's, limit yourself to one drink a night and have it a couple of hours before bedtime.
4. YOU HAVE UNDIAGNOSED SLEEP APNEA.
Half of all adult women have some type of sleep apnea, according to a 2012 study. (Women between the ages of 20 and 44 have a 25% chance of having sleep apnea, which also affects 56% of women ages 45 to 54 and 75% of women ages 55 to 70.) With this condition, "patients briefly stop breathing multiple times through the night, which leads to poor sleep quality," explains Clark. Sleep apnea is especially common in women as they go through perimenopause, when they mistakenly assume that their frequent night awakenings are a result of hot flashes. As a result, you'll often wake up exhausted, even if you've theoretically gotten plenty of sleep. Ask your doctor for a referral to a sleep specialist. The best way to diagnose sleep apnea is via a sleep study—at-home devices can pick up only severe cases. Mild cases can often be treated with weight loss and alcohol avoidance before bedtime, but if you've got a moderate to severe case, you'll need to use a device like a CPAP, an oxygen tube under the nose that emits mild air pressure to keep the airways open.
5. YOU HIT THE SNOOZE BUTTON.
]Remember how you spent all night waking up, drifting off, then waking up again? Doing that to yourself come morning via the snooze button just ain't smart. Research shows snooze-button sleep is fragmented sleep (no kidding), and fragmented sleep is not restorative sleep. It's a good rule of thumb for any morning: Set your alarm for the actual time you need to wake up, says Alice Doe, MD, a sleep medicine specialist at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo, MI, and then actually get up. Snoozing might also make the process of waking up physically take longer: Getting the gears turning—like increasing blood flow to the brain—takes some time, but snoozing tells your body it's not actually "go time" yet and can delay those processes.
Personal Trainer Wisdom: Set up your alarm across the room (it will force you out of bed) and run out of the room as fast as possible.6. YOU DWELL ON HOW TIRED YOU ARE.
Never underestimate the power of positive thinking. Yes, you didn't get enough sleep. No, that doesn't guarantee today will be a wash. Put on your favorite top, that special-occasions-only piece of jewelry, a fun lip color—something for you to feel good about, Doe says, then use it to keep up the sunny attitude throughout the day. "Try not to think too much about the sleepless night or blame it for everything that happens during the day," she says. "In time, that can create a negative association that will result in other sleepless nights." It's going to be a challenge, she says, but try to make this a "glass half full" kind of day. It might not make you feel more awake, but studies say positive thinking can help you cope with stressful situations—aka this horror of a sleep-deprived day. Dig deep.
7. YOU DON'T SPEND TIME NEAR THE WINDOW.
In your beige office under fluorescent lights, your body can lose its sense of what time it is and when you're supposed to feel tired. Sleep experts say natural sunlight first thing in the morning helps communicate to our brains that it is "bright eyed and bushy tailed" time. In one 2012 study, artificial light was linked with more sleepiness and worse performance on certain cognitive tasks. "The more you're outside, the better," Doe says of the days after terrible nights of sleep. At minimum, get in an early morning walk and another stroll in the afternoon, when you feel that inevitable slump coming on, she says.
8. YOU DON'T EXERCISE.
While it feels like the last thing you can drag yourself to do at the moment, exercising is basically guaranteed to help, even if you can only stand it for a few minutes. Luckily, it can be an easy workout. A group of low-key exercisers experienced a bigger reduction in their fatigue than more hard-core sweaters in one study. In fact, strenuous exercise should actually be off the table, since you're at a slightly higher risk of accidents of all types when you're sleep deprived, Doe points out. Exercise improves blood circulation, which in turn improves attention, so sneak in a brisk walk before an important meeting when you're really feeling zonked.
Personal Trainer Wisdom: Having trouble committing to the gym? Hire a personal trainer in Denver-it will give you the accountability that you need (This isn't a shameless plug....It doesn't have to be me :)).9. YOU DON'T DRINK ENOUGH WATER.
"Half of the people who come to me complaining of fatigue are actually dehydrated," says Woodson Merrell, MD, executive director of the Continuum Center for Health and Healing at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. Staying hydrated is one of the simplest ways to keep energized and focused. Aim to refill your glass every hour or two.
10. YOU LIKE OATMEAL WITH ALL THE SUGARY TOPPINGS.
Plain oatmeal is a fantastic energy food, but adding maple syrup or opting for instant flavored packages means loads of added sugar—and, consequently, a quick blood sugar spike and energy-sucking crash later, says Michelle Babb, RD, author of Anti-Inflammatory Eating Made Easy. In fact, just ¼ cup of maple syrup—easy to drizzle even if you think you have a light hand—packs a whopping 50 g of sugar.
Stick with oatmeal, but top your bowl with energy-sustaining fixings like nut butter, chopped nuts, or chia seeds. "These contain protein and healthy fats to minimize your body's blood sugar response," says Babb.
Personal Trainer Wisdom: While you're at it, add a veggie on the side too (for a nutritionally balanced meal).11. YOU'RE NUTS FOR NUTS.
The problem with 'em: They're easy to overeat, which, in turn, can leave you dragging, says Babb. That's because nuts are high in fat, some of which is good for you, but too much will end up taxing your digestion and may even boost hormones that contribute to sleepiness.
Divvy up ¼-cup servings of nuts into snack-size bags so you don't overeat. Better yet, pair nuts with an apple for a dose of fiber to help fill you up without all the extra fat and calories.12. YOU DON'T EAT THE RIGHT VEGGIES.
Veggie chips—a.k.a salty, crunchy, ultra-processed snacks—are often made primarily from potato starch, a refined carb that will leave you feeling lethargic if you overdo it, says Babb.
Make your own veggie chips or fries using fresh kale, sweet potatoes, or beets. Too much work? You can also go old school and pack raw carrots with hummus for a traditional snack that packs energy-sustaining protein and fiber.
Personal Trainer Wisdom: Only snack when absolutely necessary. Otherwise, make each grab for food a nutrionally dense meal every 3-5 meals.13. YOU'RE A JAVA JUNKIE.
If you have sleep problems, you may want to consider tweaking your coffee habit and have your first cup later in the morning after levels of the stress hormone cortisol, typically higher when you wake up, begin to stabilize. And don't even think about having a cuppa after 3 PM: Research shows that consuming caffeine less than 6 hours before bed can cause you to lose an hour or more of quality sleep.
Drink your morning brew between 10 AM and 12 PM for an optimal energy boost—that's when cortisol levels naturally start to taper, so you'll truly benefit from the caffeine boost. And cut yourself off around 3 PM, or approximately 6 hours before you hit the sack.14. YOU'D RATHER BUY A SMOOTHIE THAN MAKE IT.
Don't be fooled by store-bought fruit smoothies: Jamba Juice's Mega Mango is a sugar bomb in disguise with 52 g of the sweet stuff and not enough fat, protein, or fiber to keep your engine revved. You can do as much damage at home, too, if you're forgetting to add a source of protein or fat to your homemade blend.
Make your own smoothies from fruit and/or veggies, but always include a source of protein and/or a healthy fat like nut butter or avocado.
Personal Trainer Wisdom: Read Dr. Fuhrman’s book Eat to Live for more smoothie ideas.15. YOU FUEL UP ON ENERGY BARS.
Sure, they may be packed with vitamins and minerals, but energy bars are often loaded with sweeteners that can cause drastic fluctuations in energy levels, especially if you're eating them as a snack and not to power through a workout. In fact, the first ingredient in one very well known energy bar is brown rice syrup. "These are pretty much going to behave like candy bars in your body," says Babb.
Opt for energy bars made from real food. The shorter and more recognizable the ingredient list is on a bar, the better. Also, make sure sugar or another sweetener isn't the first thing listed, and opt for bars with a decent amount of fiber and protein.
Personal Trainer Wisdom: Nothing compares to the whole choice-skip the bars all together.16. YOUR THYROID IS OUT OF WHACK.
Hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism are totally different in the way the body expends energy, but both can result in a seriously pooped human body. With an underactive thyroid, you lack the energy to do pretty much anything—making Netflix and chill look like heaven, 24/7. That overactive thyroid, however, turns your metabolic rate up to 100, all day, every day, resulting in some serious energy crashes.
"Hyperthyroidism drastically increases heart rate, so people are so jacked up that it tires them out quicker," says R. Mack Harrell, MD, past president of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. And these low energy levels translate into bedroom issues—sleep schedules and sex drives suffer from hypo- and hyperthyroidism (i.e., you never want to have sex because all you want to do is sleep).17. YOU LIKE JUICE CLEANSES.
A Consumer Reports investigation discovered that some juice cleanses provide only 735 calories per day. A moderately active woman, by comparison, needs about 2,000 calories per day (around 1,600 if she's trying to lose weight). The problem: Living under this kind of a calorie deficit, even for a few days, can leave you feeling weak and sluggish. Cleanses are also notorious for causing big swings in energy, thanks to the high sugar content found in most juices: 70% to 91% of the carbohydrates in popular juice cleanse brands come from sugar, with little fiber to slow the release of that sweet stuff into the bloodstream, according to Consumer Reports. That means each bottle will give you a sugar surge and a boost in energy, only to be followed by a sugar crash shortly thereafter.
Personal Trainer Wisdom: Cleanses are intended to detox the body...something your liver and kidneys are already in charge of. Eat a nutritionally balanced diet and let your body naturally do its job.18. YOU REACH FOR YOUR PHONE WHILE YOU'RE STILL IN BED.
"The bed is meant for one main thing: sleeping," says Raj Dasgupta, MD, a fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. "If you stay in bed, then it gives your mind the feeling that it's time to sleep and not start your day." Even worse, he says, is if you fall back asleep. If your "just 10 more minutes" turns into "oops, it's been an hour," then you're waking up from REM sleep instead of the lighter stages of sleep that you would've woken up from had you gotten out of bed the first time. Waking up from that deeper sleep can actually make you even more tired throughout the day than someone who got less shut-eye but woke up from a lighter stage of sleep. Bottom line: When you wake up, get up.
19. YOU'RE GLUED TO YOUR FITBIT.
Don't get us wrong—fitness trackers are great at motivating you to get in a few (or a few thousand) more daily steps. But if you're also using it to track your sleep, you might actually feel more tired, says Dasgupta. It's not that the Fitbit can't help you sleep better, he says, it's that most people wake up, take a look at their crappy sleep score, and immediately start stressing out. "They think I'm going to have a bad day and anything that doesn't go right today has to be because of my sleep, " he says. That not only makes you stress, sucking the energy out of you before you even brush your teeth, it also puts you in the mindset that you should be tired—even if you actually aren't.
20. YOU DON'T REHYDRATE FIRST THING.
As you sleep, your body continues to soak up the water you drank during the day. That means you're going (ideally) about 8 hours without replenishing your water supply. If you don't rehydrate, then your energy levels will wane. Research from the University of Connecticut's Human Performance Laboratory shows that even mild dehydration makes you tired and irritable. Get drinking before you even head out the door; Kate Zeratsky, RDN at the Mayo Clinic, suggests 8 oz of liquid, whether it's coffee, water, or tea.
21. YOU'RE A HOMEBODY.
The best way to get vitamin D, which is crucial for keeping up your energy levels, is from the sun. Research shows that people who have a vitamin D deficiency are more likely to have chronic fatigue syndrome, and correcting the deficiency boosts their energy levels back to normal. While Zeratsky says going out in the sun is better for a quick energy boost, taking a vitamin D supplement will also help you feel more awake if you're low on the nutrient. It won't give you an instant boost, but it will help regulate your energy levels over time.
22. YOU SHOWER AT NIGHT.
As we fall deeper into sleep, our core body temperature drops to somewhere around 60°F. So "taking a hot shower at night is kind of like exercising at night," Dasgupta says. "It's not a good idea because it increases your core body temperature, so it takes longer to cool down and get to sleep." On the other hand, he says, taking a warm shower in the morning can boost your body temperature from frigid sleeping conditions to warm, energized, and fully awake.
That said, preliminary studies suggest that cold showers can improve mood in people with depression and winter swimming (for the very brave) can reduce fatigue. So while the jury's still out on the ideal temperature for feeling energized, one thing's for sure: You should take a morning shower. Adjust the hot and cold knobs to see what temp perks you up the most.23. YOU'RE ANEMIC.
The fatigue caused by anemia is the result of a lack of red blood cells, which bring oxygen from your lungs to your tissues and cells. You may feel weak and short of breath. Anemia may be caused by an iron or vitamin deficiency, blood loss, internal bleeding, or a chronic disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, or kidney failure. Women of childbearing age are especially susceptible to iron-deficiency anemia because of blood loss during menstruation and the body's need for extra iron during pregnancy and breastfeeding, explains Laurence Corash, MD, adjunct professor of laboratory medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.
The symptoms: Feeling tired all the time is a major one. Others include extreme weakness, difficulty sleeping, lack of concentration, rapid heartbeat, chest pains, and headache. Simple exercise, such as climbing the stairs or walking short distances, can cause fatigue.
The tests: A thorough evaluation for anemia includes a physical exam and blood tests, including a complete blood count (CBC), to check the levels of your red blood cells. It's also standard to check the stool for blood loss.24. YOU'VE GOT DIABETES.
More than a million people are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes every year, but many more may not even know they have it. Sugar, also called glucose, is the fuel that keeps your body going. And that means trouble for people with type 2 diabetes who can't use glucose properly, causing it to build up in the blood. Without enough energy to keep the body running smoothly, people with diabetes often notice fatigue as one of the first warning signs, says Christopher D. Saudek, MD, professor of medicine and program director for the General Clinical Research Center at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
The symptoms: Aside from feeling tired all the time, other signs include excessive thirst, frequent urination, hunger, weight loss, irritability, yeast infections, and blurred vision.
The tests: There are two major tests for diabetes. The fasting plasma glucose test, which is more common, measures your blood glucose level after fasting for 8 hours. With the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), blood is drawn twice: just before drinking a glucose syrup, then 2 hours later.25. YOU'RE DEPRESSED.
More than "the blues," depression is a major illness that affects the way we sleep, eat, and feel about ourselves and others. Without treatment, the symptoms of depression may last for weeks, months, or even years.
The symptoms: We don't all experience depression in the same way. But commonly, depression can cause decreased energy, changes in sleeping and eating patterns, problems with memory and concentration, and feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, and negativity.
The tests: There's no blood test for depression, but your doctor may be able to identify it by asking you a series of questions. If you experience five or more of these symptoms below for more than 2 weeks, or if they interfere with your life, see your doctor or mental health professional: fatigue or loss of energy; sleeping too little or too much; a persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood; reduced appetite and weight loss; increased appetite and weight gain; loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed; restlessness or irritability; persistent physical symptoms that don't respond to treatment, such as headaches, chronic pain, or constipation and other digestive disorders; difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions; feeling guilty, hopeless, or worthless; thoughts of death or suicide.26. YOU'VE GOT RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS.
This autoimmune disease is not always easy to diagnose early, but there are some subtle clues to look for.Rheumatoid arthritis happens when your immune system turns against itself and attacks healthy joint tissue, sometimes resulting in irreversible damage to bone and cartilage.
The symptoms: Many symptoms (such as fatigue, low energy, loss of appetite, and joint pain) are shared by other health conditions, including other forms of arthritis such as fibromyalgia and lupus. Anemia and thyroid disorders, which also cause fatigue, are even more common in people with RA, according to John Klippel, MD, president and CEO of the Atlanta-based Arthritis Foundation. Rheumatologists look for at least four of the following criteria in diagnosing RA: morning stiffness in and around the joints lasting at least 1 hour before maximum improvement; at least three joint areas with simultaneous soft tissue swelling or fluid; at least one joint area swollen in a wrist, knuckle, or the middle joint of a finger; simultaneous involvement of the same joint areas on both sides of the body; lumps of tissue under the skin; and bone erosion in the wrist or hand joints, detected by x-ray.
The tests: A thorough physical exam by a rheumatologist can provide some of the most valuable evidence of the disease, but there is also a test for the presence of rheumatoid factor, an antibody found in the blood. About 80% of people with RA test positive for this antibody, but the test is not conclusive.27. YOU'VE GOT ECZEMA.
"People with eczema are itchy, and that itch can wake them up throughout the night," says Jeanette Graf, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical School in New York. If you find yourself scratching from dusk til dawn, Graf recommends a menthol-based cream, like Sarna, to immediately calm the itch, followed up with a richer, super moisturizing cream to protect skin's outer layer (which, when functioning well, keeps hydration in and irritants out), like the National Eczema Association-backed Trixera + Selectiose Emollient Cream. If you'd rather go a more natural route, Jessica Hayman, a naturopathic doctor based in Sedona, Arizona, recommends either unrefined, organic coconut oil or manuka honey, two natural options known for their healing and soothing properties.
28. YOUR BEDROOM IS A PIGPEN.
Ditch that trash can on the side of your bed—it could be setting you up to toss and turn all night, says Wei-Shin Lai, MD, a physician at Penn State University and CEO of SleepPhones. "Your mind picks up on the environment you're surrounded by, so if the last thing you see before entering dreamland is clutter and waste, your thoughts will be more crowded and negative," says Dr. Wei-Shin. What's so bad about a trash can? "When you throw things away, you are done with them. Having things that you're done with next to you makes you re-hash those things in your mind rather than letting them go." And that can lead to a lot of tossing and turning.
29. YOU DON'T SNACK BEFORE BED.
A small 150-calorie snack before bedtime puts the right amount of energy in your body to promote restful, sound sleep, says Robert Oexman, DC, director of the Sleep to Live Institute in Joplin, Missouri, who conducts research on sleep and the impact of your sleep environment. "In particular, carbohydrates are helpful because the increase of insulin they trigger leads to an increase in the sleep-promoting brain chemical, serotonin."
30. YOU NAP TOO MUCH.
Your own bedroom provides cues for sleep, says Rosenberg. Catching a cat nap on the train on your way to work, or falling asleep on the sofa after dinner, meanwhile, sends mixed messages to your brain about when—and where—your body should go into rest mode. Basically, if you're sleepy and it isn't bedtime, stand up and stretch instead of resting your eyes.
31. YOU TRY TO PLAY CATCH-UP.
"There's no such thing as catching up on sleep. You can't 'undo' sleep deprivation," says Rosenberg. In fact, trying to do so could actually make you more tired. "If you're getting by on four to five hours of sleep a night and then sleep eight, nine, ten or more hours on weekends, you're messing with your body's sleep clock," says Rosenberg. You're also keeping your body from falling into a normal sleep-wake cycle. Stick to your sleep schedule every night—no excuses.
32. YOU'RE ON YOUR PERIOD.
Having your period can interfere with the quality of your sleep. Your REM sleep is reduced during menstruation, says Mathew Mingrone, MD, lead physician of Eos Sleep California Centers in Southern California. "That's because the sudden drop in progesterone associated with your period, perimenopause, or menopause affects the body's temperature control, making you warmer, which can affect sleep quality." Meanwhile, a drop in estrogen can leave you more vulnerable to stress, another sleep disturbance.
33. YOU'RE ADDICTED TO THE 24/7 NEWS CYCLE.
Stress: you know it's an energy killer, but your boss, your to-do list, and your mother-in-law might not be the culprits (well, not entirely). If you're a Twitter-scroller, a cable news addict, or a rabid headline-watcher, you could be prone to feeling drained, according to research from the University of Montreal. Researchers found women in particular were more susceptible than men to feeling stressed by negative news stories, as well as more likely to remember them. Try limiting your news consumption to once a day, and balance it with a dose of good news (upworthy.com is a good place to start) and see if it makes a difference.
34. YOU'VE PERFECTED THE SAD DESK LUNCH.
If taking a proper lunch break is as foreign to you as Vegemite, it's no wonder you're feeling less than your best, say researchers at the University of Rochester. They found that spending only 20 minutes outside in nature gave a better energy boost than a workout or spending time socializing. Chained to your desk? Try surrounding your workstation with images of the great outdoors: A University of Michigan study found they pump up feelings of vitality, even more so than walking down a busy urban street.
35. YOUR DESK IS A CLUTTER-ZONE.
If the piles on your desk are overtaking your office, you could be living in an energy-zapping zone. When clutter starts to creep in, it can make your brain overwhelmed, distracted and unable to focus, say researchers at Princeton's University Neuroscience Institute. Hello, three o'clock slump. How to keep clutter under control? Try pairing your to-do list with five minutes of clearing, whether it's your workspace or your pantry.
36. YOU EAT TOO MANY—OR TOO FEW—BANANAS.
Or pumpkin seeds, halibut, Brazil nuts, tuna, and green beans. That's thanks to those foods' high magnesium content, a mineral that's crucial to energy levels. Too little and you'll struggle with both physical and mental fatigue (magnesium can be depleted by alcohol, birth control pills, and exercise); too much and it can have a muscle-relaxing effect. See your doctor to get your levels checked.
37. YOU'RE CUTTING CARBS.
Low-carb diets might be popular, but they won't do any favors for your energy levels. Your body and brain need carbs—the right kind—for fuel, according to a study in the journal of the American Dietetic Association. It found low-carb dieters experienced greater fatigue and less motivation to work out than healthy eaters who included carbs in their diet. But think naturally occurring carbs, like sweet potatoes, whole grains, and fruit, rather than processed foods like cereal and bread.
38. YOU'RE SURROUNDED BY COOL COLORS.
Warm colors, such as red, yellow, and orange, are more energizing than their cool counterparts and can help you bust through fatigue. That's because, according to research at the Eiseman Center for Color Information & Training, they're attention grabbing—which activates our brain circuitry. Your best bet for a dreary day's attire, then? "Orange," says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. "It's a blend of red, which is adrenaline producing in the viewer, and yellow, which reminds us of the sun and feelings of exuberance."
39. YOU'RE FULL OF REGRETS.
Still torturing yourself over that fight with your sister or your benign blunder at the office last week? It's understandable, but when you beat yourself up over the past, you're sucking your energy dry too. "Regret is experienced as a major loss, causing us to shut down psychologically and physically," says Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, PhD, chair of the department of psychology at Yale University. "That leads to fatigue and a loss of motivation—in other words, feeling drained." Feelings of remorse can also cause your blood pressure to go up, and that translates into a bona fide loss of steam.
40. YOU DON'T TALK YOURSELF UP.
Who hasn't had a day when it feels like you can't do anything right? Luckily, remembering what you did well is the perfect antidote to negativity and fatigue. This past fall, researchers at the University of California, Riverside, asked Japanese office workers to write down three good things that happened to them at work each week. They also asked others simply to write down tasks they'd performed. "We found that the people who had recorded feel-good achievements moved more," says professor Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD, author of The How of Happiness. "There's a logic to this: We know that thinking about things you're proud of can induce a positive mood and that a positive mood is associated with more energy."
41. YOU SLEEP IN A BAD POSITION.
Sore back ruining your entire day? It may be from sleeping on your side all night, which can create significant flexion at the hip, says Benjamin Domb, MD, founder of the American Hip Institute. If you're one of the 57% of Americans who slumber in this position, it's a good idea to sleep with a pillow between your legs to maintain proper hip alignment. "Hip injuries are some of the most common, yet trickiest, sleep injuries because the pain from the injury often shows itself in a different part of the body—like in the lower back," says Domb.
Personal Trainer Wisdom: You need to maintain a natural, neutral position while you sleep...which can be tough while sleeping on your side. Train your body to sleep on your back (your lower back will thank you).42. YOUR PILLOW SUCKS.
That huge fluffy pillow may seem like luxury, but it can cause massive pain. "Sleeping with your head propped up pulls your spine out of alignment—it's like walking around for 8 hours during the day with your neck tilted down," explains Shawn Stevenson, BS, FDN, founder of the Advance Integrative Health Alliance and author of the 2016 book Sleep Smarter: 21 Essential Strategies to Sleep Your Way to a Better Body, Better Health, and Bigger Success. Use a pillow that's soft but has a supportive foam core, like the Intelli-Gel pillow.
43. YOU GRIND YOUR TEETH AT NIGHT.
If you wake up with a headache, it's most likely because you've been clenching your jaw or grinding your teeth overnight, says Kathy Gruver, PhD, a massage therapist in Santa Monica, CA. Research shows that massage can help with symptoms, so apply some gentle pressure and/or a warm, damp cloth to the jaw area right before you go to sleep and as soon as you wake up in the AM to help break the cycle. Also consider seeing your dentist for a mouth guard, which keeps your teeth from grinding down.
What other reasons do you think are causing your sleepiness?
Picture Credit: tenetnews.com-Is coffee making you more sleepy?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: MICHAEL MOODY, PERSONAL TRAINER
As an author, a personal trainer in Denver, and podcast host, Michael Moody has helped personal training clients achieve new fitness heights and incredible weight loss transformations since 2005. He also produces the wellness podcast "The Elements of Being" and has been featured on NBC, WGN Radio, and PBS.
Michael offers personal training to Denver residents who want to meet at the 2460 W 26th Ave studio….or in their homes throughout LoHi (80206), LoDo (80202), RiNo (80216), Washington Park (80209), Cherry Creek (80206, 80209, 80243, 80246, 80231), and Highlands (80202, 80211, 80212). Michael also offers experiences with a personal trainer in Jefferson Park (80211) and Sloan's Lake (80204, 80212).
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