Why Are You Always Tired?

Do you find yourself asking yourself, "Why am I so tired?" Well you are not alone. Too many Americans do not follow their body's natural rhythm and once it is interrupted, it is difficult to fix it. I remember discussions about "jet lag" when people who traveled through multiple time zones were tired for days after returning to their "usual" time zone and routine. Then in medical school, there was discussions of "shift worker" syndrome; where people who worked industry shifts of 3pm to 11pm and 11pm to 7am. These workers had more depression, more trouble losing weight and were more stressed. There was so much interest in this that shift workers schedules were altered to "seven day on" then three days off.

Well now it seems that Americans are "too tired" because they substitute "caffeine" and stimulates in the family of caffeine for adequate sleep. These drugs are not harmless. If you rely on caffeine to get through the day, you can develop a dependence -- so without it you can go through withdrawl. Caffeine addiction is as potent as nicotine addiction. It does not just "rev you up" during the day, It can interfer with restful sleep (REM) at night and leave you more tired because of the shallow sleep.

Sleep apnea is a condition experienced by obese people (waist circumference greater than 30 inches) who snore. A C-pap device is necessary to keep soft tissue in the throat from closing the airway while sleeping. There are four stages of severity in sleep apnea.

Another reason for "fatigue" is skipping breakfast. The brain needs glucose in the morning to function properly so eating a complex carbohydrate and protein provides the fuel for clear thought and judgment.

Exercise, social engagement and charitable activities are also very important to put the mind and body in balance.