Other conditions that are associated with fatigue include anaemia, a thyroid issue, or even leukemia—all of which can make people feel incredibly rundown, says Dr. Yvonne Bohn, M.D., an OBGYN at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in California.
The solution? If feeling exhausted comes out of nowhere or doesn’t get better with rest, that’s when you should see a doctor. Whether it’s an undiagnosed condition or the result of lifestyle factors that could use some tweaking, they may be able to help.
4. You’re seriously stressed.
Sure, many health conditions can lead to fatigue, but so can being super overwhelmed for months or going through a big life change that screws with your sleep and stress levels. “Under stress, we tend to produce more of the hormone cortisol,” says Dr. Sophie Bostock, Bensons for Beds’ resident sleep expert. “Cortisol is very useful for fueling action, but before bed, it increases our levels of arousal, at a time when we need to relax.”
Stress can therefore lead to a state of hyperarousal—that is, when your brain and body are more alert than normal. “It takes us longer to fall asleep, and because sleep is lighter, we’re more likely to be woken by noise, movement, or changes in temperature,” says Dr. Bostock.
It’s also worth noting that stress can cause us to change behavior in ways that are unhelpful for sleep, such as doing less exercise, relying on alcohol to relax, working late, or taking long naps to recover.
The solution? “Sometimes it’s possible to tackle stress by resolving the source of stress—for example, speaking to your manager about your workload,” says Dr. Bostock. In other cases, it’s not always possible to avoid the source of stress. “What you can do, though, is to learn tools to switch off the cortisol tap.” She recommends looking into practices like box breathing, sleep journaling, or yoga.
5. Your sleep environment isn’t great
According to sleep experts at Bed Kingdom, a comfortable sleep environment is crucial for quality sleep. So, if you’re having trouble falling or staying asleep, it may be because your sleeping conditions are sub-optimal. A tidy bedroom that’s not too bright or too noisy is key—and so is a comfortable bed.
The solution? Consider a new mattress if your bed is uncomfortable. Or, if it’s light and noise that’s affecting you, an eye mask or earplugs to block out the outside world might work. Another tip? Try having a colder room—whether that’s from leaving the window open, getting a fan, or turning on the a.c.—as this can aid the natural drop in body temperature that occurs when we fall asleep.
6. You’re depressed.
“My patients definitely talk about being tired,” Dr. Bohn says. When she hears that, she starts asking questions to try to figure out what might be behind it. If there doesn’t seem to be lifestyle factors behind it, such as caring for a new baby or training for a marathon, she’ll typically do a blood workup to try to figure out what’s going on. Mental health conditions, including depression, can also make people feel fatigued. But as Dr. Bohn points out, they can’t be detected with a blood test.