If you struggle to pull yourself out of bed each morning because you’re so tired and use caffeine, sugar, or energy drinks just to get through the day, it may be time to take a long hard look at why you are always so tired. Many of us are so busy being busy that we never stop to see what all this busyness is doing to our lives. It can be easy to fall into the pattern of waking up tired, dragging yourself out of bed, only to drag yourself through the day in our high-energy, fast-paced world. Too often when our days have more things that need to be done than we have time to do them, sleep is what we sacrifice. After awhile, exhaustion becomes our norm and we forget how it feels to be well-rested. It’s time to put an end to this unhealthy cycle and stop sacrificing our health when we skimp on sleep. It’s time we start asking, why am I always so tired?
Look at What’s Underneath
It is easy to blame our being tired and having little energy on lack of sleep, but most of us never look underneath that excuse to determine why we are lacking sleep in the first place. For some people, the source of their sleep problems is an underlying sleep disorder or medical condition, both of which need to be diagnosed and treated. If you are struggling to get the sleep you need because you suffer from sleep apnea or are dealing with chronic insomnia, simply allocating more time to sleep isn’t likely to fix the problem. In order to address the real issue, you need to understand what it is. The best place to start is with a visit to your regular doctor. By discussing your sleep problems with your doctor, you are opening the door to diagnosis, treatment, and relief of your symptoms.
Look at What’s Around You
Another source of sleep struggles is the world we surround ourselves with. Environment, schedule, sleep partners, stress levels, and life choices can all have profound impacts on what kind of sleep we get. In order to be our healthiest, we need both quantity and quality when it comes to sleep. Sleeping a lot won’t help if the quality of your sleep is low or if you are waking up thirty times a night because of restless leg syndrome or sleep apnea. Spend some time examining your environment. Think about how everything from the pillow under your head to the way your boss treats you impacts your sleep. Make changes wherever possible to promote healthy sleep habits. Small changes like using blackout curtains to block unwanted light or a white noise machine to diffuse distracting sounds can reap real rewards.
The first step in figuring out why you are so tired all the time is to acknowledge that it is true. With this acknowledgement you can work with the right medical professionals and make the right decisions to get the sleep you need and say goodbye to all those sleepless nights and sleepy days.
Related Articles:
- 5 Tips for Fighting Fatigue (valleysleepcenter.com)
- 5 Myths That May Be Making You Sleepy (valleysleepcenter.com)
- How to Find a Sleep Doctor (valleysleepcenter.com)
