Why am I always so tired?

[Riddlediddle]

I am permanently shattered and I can't really understand why this is. To give you am overview I am early 30s with one ds. I work full time in an office role. On average I get about 7 hours sleep per night. I like to think that I eat fairly healthily too - a typical days food for me is:

• one weetabix with semi skimmed milk
• handful of grapes
• egg or tuna with steamed veg for lunch
• snack a jacks
• apple/orange
• graze box of nuts
• usually something like a chicken stir fry for tea

Plus I drink about 2-3 litres of water per day and I take a wellwoman vitamin daily.
Any idea where I am going wrong???

[RandomMess]

You need to be checked for Vit D and anaemia to rule those out...

[Riddlediddle]

My multivitamin has 100% rda of vit d in it so I don't think it's that. Plus about 80% of iron rda too so again I doubt I'm lacking too much in that?
For context I am 9 stone 9lbs and 5'5 so sit within the normal.range of bmi

[RandomMess]

Or could be thyroid. Anyway point is see your GP. If you have Vit D deficiency you need far higher doses than RDA to get it back to normal.

[Bobbybobbins]

I would get a blood test to rule anything out - my GP just sent me for one for tiredness. I kind of knew it was more than fact that I have two disabled children, a stressful job and the usual other issues but it was good to check.

[boymum9]

You could get blood tests from doc, I did this about 10 years ago when was really tired all the time, nothing came back. I've found that the only thing that makes a difference for me day to day if taking a high strength magnesium citrate supplement, when I forget and go a few days without I really notice the difference!

[Riddlediddle]

I have been in hospital recently and had a number of blood tests done so I would imagine that something would have showed up there if I was deficient? Will ask my GP when I next go though if they can refer me for a blood test

[Apileofballyhoo]

Iron
B12
Thyroid
Coeliac disease
More sleep - maybe 7 hours isn't enough for you
Too much caffeine
Not enough REM sleep

Not enough carbs? Could that be a thing?

[NamechangeoutedbyMIL]

What contraception do you use?

When I was on the pill I was DOG TIRED for about 3 years and didn't realise it was the pill until I came off it. I've just got the depo injection and it's started again

[Apileofballyhoo]

Blood tests don't always check for everything. My DM gets tested for thyroid regularly but they didn't catch she was low in B12 because they didn't check for that.

Apparently you can be within the realms of normal for thyroid and still be very tired, as normal might not be your normal if you know what I mean.

[Mrsdoubtfireswig]

Get vit D checked. Over the counter vits have d2 in I think whereas we need d3 (which doctor can prescribe)

[Riddlediddle]

Don't take the pill or have implant so can't be that. Don't drink caffeine either (although I could do with some to wake me up).
The thing I don't really do is exercise (no time!) so maybe that is why I'm.feeling tired?

[Tofslan]

How old is your DS? I know it’s incredibly annoying when you go to the Dr with multiple ailments and they say ‘well you have small children you’re bound to feel run down’ but after dcs 2 and 3 I really only started to feel I had more energy than ‘tired all the time’ after the youngest was 3yo.

Also - look at the simplest solution first - 7hrs sleep is not enough for some people - can you find anyway to get to bed half an hour earlier?

[Tofslan]

And do you get much help with child care and so on? Because working a full time job and looking after a child can be really full on if you’re not getting any breaks.

[Graphista]

Obvious likely culprits are anaemia, vitamin deficiency, poor sleep quality or lack of, under active thyroid (pregnancy can trigger thyroid issues often overlooked by hcps though)

Your diet based on your example does seem lacking in carbs and iron.

Re supplements - what’s in the tablets isn’t necessarily what you absorb. It’s far easier for the body to absorb nutrients from food than from tablets. It’s also how and when you take them, iron is best taken with food/drink containing vit c and vit d with high fat foods (which don’t really feature in your diet either) as it’s fat soluble.

We need healthy fats just as we need all other nutrients.

I note also a lack of red meat nor oily fish, I’m veggie so no criticism but these are omni’s usual good source of b vitamins.

Anyway that’s the obvious stuff I’d be looking at first off.

[YeOldeTrout]

7 hrs isn't very much sleep.

[Riddlediddle]

What do most people sleep for? I didn't realise 7 hours was so bad x

[aSofaNearYou]

Tbh I need much more than 7 hours sleep to not feel tired, more like 9-10. It might just be the way you are.

[MonnaLIza]

How about exercise? I do not mean just the gym but moving, walking. I am the kind that the less movement I do the more tired I get. And I second the idea of more sleep. I need good 8 hours. Also are you dressed or worried? That an make you tired too.

[Riddlediddle]

Very stressed actually. I have a number of health issues at the moment which are a constant worry. Not really any way of not worrying about those though unfortunately. X

[Apileofballyhoo]

Would your health issues not be making you tired?

[YeOldeTrout]

Come on OP, list for us the health issues.

[AmazingGreats]

7 hours sleep a night is a 7 hour sleep debt for the average person. So assuming you have average sleep needs of 8 hours a night, you are losing out on a full nights sleep every 8 days, meaning approximately 4 nights a month. If you didn't sleep for 4 nights straight you would be very unwell (11 days and nights and you would die). Of course, most of us can survive on less than optimum sleep, but if you are somebody who really needs 9 or 10 hours sleep optimally, you could be stacking up a colossal sleep debt. On the positive, though, that means even a small change, an extra 10-15 minutes a night just be altering your sleep and wake times very slightly, could have a real positive impact.

[AmazingGreats]

7 hours sleep is a 1 hour* sleep debt for most people, sorry

[Graphista]

Well spotted by the pps on the sleep deficit.

8 hours is average not everyone needs that amount but some need more.

Are you counting the 7 hours based on when you go to bed though or when you're actually close to dropping off? Because if when you go to bed it may be even less than 7 hours you're getting.

I shoulda spotted that as I really struggle with sleep myself. I suffer badly from anxiety is the main issue (I have ocd) but I also have a physical disability which causes chronic pain even when lying down. At least a few times each night I'll move awkwardly and the pain will wake me.

I have for many years but it's especially bad at the moment I'm averaging 4 hours in a 24 hour period and not all in one stretch either. Then approx every 10 days/14 days it catches up to me and I'll sleep for maybe 10-12 hours in one go.

I feel pretty rotten and permanently knackered.

I understand the clamp down on sleeping meds but quite honestly I think it's very much gone too far the other way and a lot of people are being left struggling when even a short course would get them back on track.

But if you're normally used to that sleep pattern op then it still could be something else as well.

It's horrible feeling tired all the time.

[girlofthenorth]

I would try
Adding a bit more carbs, some people need a bit more I reckon , ie doesn't have to be over the top, eg it could be a jacket potato for lunch once in a while or some oat biscuits etc instead of snack a jacks.
Exercise every day , even a half hour fast walk , or do a twenty min yoga programme on you tube ( I love yoga with Adriene she's the bees knees.
More sleep .