Young people, these days, have very busy lives. It is not uncommon to feel tired all the time. You can feel tired for many different reasons but most of the time it doesn’t mean that you are sick.
Here are some of the reasons for feeling tired and what you can do about it.
Are you getting enough sleep?
One of the most common reasons for feeling tired, is not getting enough sleep. It has been shown that you need at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep in order to be able to think and act well. Your body may also be undergoing changes that make it difficult to fall asleep. Or you may be up late doing homework or stressed about things going on in your life that make it difficult to fall asleep. But you still have to get up early to go to school or work the next day. All of these things can interfere with getting 8 hours of sleep. What helps is having a regular routine before you go to sleep (like reading or listening to music) and going to bed at the same time every night.
Are you trying to do too much and are stressed out?
Are you always on the go between school, work, volunteer commitments, practice and whatever else you have going on? If you have a million commitments, this doesn’t leave you much time to relax and rest. Chances are, you also feel stressed (at least a little). If this is the case, you may need to cut down on some of your activities and allow yourself time to relax a little. (If you said yes to feeling stressed, check out the fact sheet on reducing stress).
Are you depressed?
Another reason for feeling tired is if you are feeling down or depressed. This makes you feel tired; it may be a cause for sleeping too much or for not being able to fall asleep at night. If you are feeling down or depressed, you don’t enjoy the things you usually like to do, you feel sad, or your appetite may change (you either don’t feel hungry or start to eat more than usual). You may also not be able to concentrate as well, and your grades may drop. If you have any of these signs or think that you may be depressed, talk to your school counselor, school nurse, doctor, your parents or another adult you trust. They will be able to get you help.
Are you eating properly?
Another common reason for feeling tired, is not eating properly. Eating fast food for lunch and dinner every day is not a healthy diet. You may not get the nutrition you need from a lot of fast food, and as a result, you feel tired and run down. If you are dieting, some diets are unhealthy, and don’t provide enough nutritious foods to eat. The end result is that you may start to feel tired. If you are dieting or losing weight, it might be helpful to talk to your school nurse or your health care provider about healthy eating (and check out the fact sheet on dieting).
Do you have a healthy lifestyle?
Another reason for feeling tired is not being active enough and having an unhealthy lifestyle. If you spend most of your free time watching TV, playing video games, or surfing the internet, then you may actually feel tired. Your eating habits may also not be healthy, eg. you may be skipping meals, or eating too little or not enough fruits and vegetables. It is important to have a healthy lifestyle that includes physical activity, and good nutrition and eating habits.
Is there a medical reason for being tired?
There are many medical reasons for being tired, but most of the time, they are not the main reason for feeling tired. Some of the more common causes are:
- Anemia (low amounts of red blood cells)
- Low thyroid hormone
- Mono (“kissing disease”) or other viral infections
If lack of sleep, poor nutrition, being stressed out, depression or unhealthy lifestyle don’t seem to be the reason for feeling tired, or if you have other symptoms in addition to feeling tired, it is important that you see your health care provider who can evaluate you, find out if there is a medical problem, and see if you need treatment.