Do you get enough sleep, do you feel healthy in principle, but are you still tired all the time? We spoke to an expert about what could be causing it, what you can do about it, and when you should see a doctor.
Anyone who feels tired and listless during the day usually suspects that they haven’t gotten enough sleep lately. Eating the wrong diet – such as fatty, nutrient-poor food or too little iron and B vitamins – can make you unable to perform and eventually become ill in the long run.
But what if I get the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep a day and even the medical check (including blood count) indicates that everything is physically fine? Then of course the question remains: Why am I always so tired?
It’s the quality of sleep, not the duration
«In fact, the most common cause of excessive tiredness during the day is that the sleep itself has not provided the necessary regeneration at all, even if it was long enough,» explains the Cologne sleep medicine specialist Dr. Michael Feld. “Snoring and shallow breathing have a significant impact on the quality of sleep. This is partly due to the muscles in the throat area, which become increasingly slack with age.”
So we don’t even notice that we slept anything but well – only the bill the next day in the form of a mysterious tiredness. But how is it that the sleep we get doesn’t regenerate us sufficiently?
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Pay attention to proper “sleep hygiene”.
The answers are actually quite obvious and varied: too much caffeine during the day and/or alcohol in the evening; stirring movies right before bed; paralyzing mind merry-go-rounds; quarrel with partner; the (professional) pressure of having to work the next morning and much more.
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«It’s just as important to pay attention to your own sleep hygiene as just going to bed on time,» the expert continues. He explains exactly what that means: «A dark, cool, and quiet room, passionflower and valerian herbal supplements, and a habit of writing down all your leftover thoughts from the day just before bed can make a big difference.»
But not only the head should be «cleaned out», but also your own bed every now and then, in other words: Get out with your loved one! Why? «We simply sleep better and more peacefully when we’re alone,» says Michael Feld.
We are not machines – it is perfectly normal to feel tired from time to time
We all have an internal clock that is based on the seasons, with the influence of light on the human organism playing a particularly important role.
Michael Feld says: “In our latitudes, people are naturally not as productive in winter as they are in summer. We should be much more aware of this fact.” If this is ignored, we quickly get caught in a vicious cycle of bad sleep, lack of exercise, frustration and constant tiredness, which – the longer it lasts – becomes more and more difficult to break.
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Identify mental causes with the 3-3-3 rule
But behind a permanent tiredness could be another cause. Mental illnesses such as depression or burnout are often announced with a state of exhaustion. «This is an important warning signal,» confirms Michael Feld. “If it is possible to fall asleep at any time during the day, then the body usually just needs rest. On the other hand, if you stay awake and restless despite being tired, then that could be an indication that the problem is deeper.”
In general, the 3-3-3 rule applies: If the symptoms of exhaustion last longer than three months, three days a week and each time longer than three hours, you should definitely see a doctor.