Fix What’s Making You Tired

Everyone gets tired to the point of exhaustion on occasion. Putting in overtime at work, long hours spent studying for mid-terms or finals or a sick child can leave you worn out and fatigued for a few days.

However, for some people, fatigue is a constant. When you’re constantly tired, it can affect every aspect of your life. Your work or school work will suffer, you might have difficulty concentrating and you may be more prone to irritability, which can affect your personal relationships as well.

If you think you are tired more than most people, the here are some things you can do to remedy what may be making you tired:

Establish a sleep routine

Going to bed at 3 AM routinely and getting up at noon, taking naps in the afternoon, and having a random sleep schedule can throw your body’s internal clock off, making you feel tired and sluggish. A routine sleep schedule helps you get the rest you need and you’ll feel less tired.

Some tips include:
• Go to bed and getting up at the same time each day. Aim for at least 8 hours of sleep every night.
• Make your room a good environment for sleep. This means making sure it is quiet, dark and a good temperature. This will allow you to fall asleep and sleep more soundly through the night.
• Don’t take naps during the day. This habit can make it so you can’t sleep at night, which makes it so you are tired during the day.
• Wind down before bed. You can put yourself in “sleep mode” by winding down before bed. Avoid loud music or high energy activities. Take a hot bath, read a book or listen to relaxing music.

Watch your diet

Your diet impacts your energy level throughout the day:

• Avoid energy drinks and too much caffeine. If you are relying on coffee and energy drinks to keep you awake during the day, you need to evaluate other lifestyle habits that may be keeping you up at night. Don’t drink coffee or other caffeinated beverages before bed.
• Avoid too much sugar. Sugar can give you a quick burst of energy and then produce a “crash”, which will leave you feeling tired and sluggish for the rest of the day.
• Eat a balanced meal. The foods you eat will give you the energy you need to perform throughout the day without getting tired. Avoid fats and sugar and eat balanced meals regularly.

Exercise

Exercise is important to your overall health and it wards off fatigue, as counter intuitive as that sounds..

• Being overweight will cause you to feel sluggish and easily tired, so if you have a few pounds to lose, increase your exercise.
• Exercise regularly. Try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. This will help you to stay energized and you’re less likely to become tired.
• Don’t exercise before bed. For some people, exercising before bed can keep them up at night, which in turn makes it harder to stay awake during the day time. Exercise in the morning or early evening, if possible.

If you find yourself tired throughout the day, chances are you can fix what’s making you tired with a few simple lifestyle changes.