Why do some people feel more tired than others?

[MinorSammy]

Medical conditions aside, what affects how tired people feel?

I've never felt tired really in my life and I want to know why because I'm nosy and it's interesting. Three kids, terrible sleepers, up all night for years. Hardly slept in late pregnancy either due to discomfort. Was really anaemic with my second and third. But never ever feel tired.

I sleep around 8 hours a night if left to my own devices without screaming children. I fall asleep easily. I generally have very stable hormones I think, or at least I don't get mood changes through the month or during pregnancy. I can drink all the coffee I want, or none at all, and it makes no difference.

Why are some people like me, is it all governed by hormones? Is it genetic? It can't just be good habits/lifestyle because lots of people have those and still struggle if they get no sleep. My brother does healthy habits but still gets tired like a normal person I will say.

It's not short sleeper syndrome because I sleep 8 hours a night ideally, which is too long for this condition.

Anyone else like this? I'd love to hear theories on why you think you might be like this!

Berocca and loads of fruit and veg, plus iron tablets, have recently made a massive difference to my energy levels. I need less sleep and am much less sluggish overall.

@Pancakee another un-tired person who also doesn't get sick. Interesting!

@Quizine I actually had ferritin of 8 at one point and still felt absolutely fine. It made no difference whatsoever. (I appreciate for most people it does though, and it's definitely worth checking).

If I did that, I'd be absolutely fine. It obviously is really weird 😕

I saw something interesting but I have no idea if it's true or not. Apparently the recommended 8 hours sleep was based on men not women...and actually women need more like 9-10.

I've always wondered this. I rarely feel tired except when I am ready for sleep (usually midnight) and if I have slept very badly (as in 4 hours) but that is unusual. Never needed caffeine to wake me up and have never understood that whole 'need my coffee' thing. I sleep about 7 hours a night but am fine on 6.

I agree to an extent. But isn't tired just a synonym for sleepy? Like thinking you would really like to be in bed and fall asleep right now.
I feel sleepy around 11pm which is when I normally go to bed. I feel sleepy every time I get woken up in the night. But even if completely sleep-deprived for months I never ever feel sleepy during the day. That's what I personally mean by tired, anyway.

Oh yes I am also rarely ill

Ah of course. The standard human 🤔

I always feel tired, but not from lack of sleep.

It's just that I literally cannot remember a single day in my entire life when I have woken up in the morning and felt fit & healthy, and ready to go. Decades of dragging yourself about in a permanent state of feeling unwell and tired out in some way or other doesn't do a lot for you, especially when your GP couldn't give a toss.

I find that I’m both tired & sick most days, now that I’m fat.
When I was slim I had no health issues & plenty of energy.

"But isn't tired just a synonym for sleepy?"

No, there are different types of tiredness.
When I really, really need to sleep my eyes itch and I scratch them a lot.

When I'm physically tired, my muscles hurt.

When my eyes are tired from screens, they just hurt a bit.

When I'm emotionally/mentally tired I feel like a bit of a zombie.

I also sometimes feel really down for no reason and only later realise that was tiredness.

I think I was getting no REM sleep. Now on amitriptyline and the difference in me is incredible. Also I dream.

I think I'm a cat. Don't they sleep for something like 22 hours a day 😴

How old are you?

@Resisterance I'm 37, but I've always felt the same. I'm aware I might hit 40 and be knackered! But it isn't exclusively related to youth, as lots of young healthy people would get tired if sleep deprived too surely.

Yes, you don’t sound like a thrill seeker, but presumably there are also just people whose neurology is just predisposed to a low-grade calm. I’m the opposite in that while I’m a calm and capable person in general, I’m very easily frightened or stressed by things most people consider minor, like someone approaching me unexpectedly and saying ‘Boo!’, jump scares in films, and I can’t watch anything that involves violence, gore, horror, suspense etc (which wipes out large chunks of popular entertainment.) I’d have found the images they had Alex Hornold look at unbearable.

I felt like you till i was 48. I was a night owl, loved staying up late, never got tired.

Now I'm £%#@ exhausted. The menopause is a killer for being exhausted constantly.

I work nights, so my tiredness is due to that, lack of sleep between shifts. Also the menopause doesn't help either. I do try and force myself to do stuff.

I am embarrassed to say that pre kids I moaned I was tired a lot.

In no way was I tired!

I did work back to back very long shifts but I worked very long hard shifts when I had my kids and at that point I actually understood tired.

I feel like I should apologise to every single parent that I worked with that I bare faced moaned to.

I'm the opposite of you OP, pretty much tired every day of my life since I was a child! 'Tired' doesn't mean sleepy, not in this context. It means no energy, physical or mental, to do things. I never knew why I was tired like that, I was a good sleeper and went to bed at a decent hour. I used to flag way before anyone else and hated myself for being so 'weak'.

It was only at 60 yrs old I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, but I don't know whether my thyroid was always struggling back then, or whether it was something else. It's not fun at all!

Same.

For me I think it's a mix of the grind of life and general overwhelm (demanding job and ADHD) and bowel issues.

I don't think I get proper nutrient absorption due due to the bowel problems

Are you sure.you are not undermedicated? Unfortunately many people with hypothyroidism are left undermedicated. As someone on thyroid replacement your TSH should be around 1 (or lower) and your FT3 and FT4 should be towards the top of their ranges. You also need your FT3 and FT4 to be in balance (so proportionately about the same amount through their respective ranges).

It's also very common for people with hypothyroidism to have vitamin deficiencies. And you may need to optimise these to feel well. Ferritin, B12, folate and d are the common "issues". Ferritin should be over 70 ideally, and the. Others should be mid range to be optimal.

If you haven't already then I'd go into the Thyroid U.K. forum on Health Unlocked with your most recent blood test results and get some advice on there.

Through my work I see many people left blatantly unwell and undermedicated - they feel exhausted, overweight and having lost a third of their eyebrows but because they are "in range" apparently all is fine! It's bloody criminal.

Genetics I should think. I am the opposite of you. I get tired everyday! Always have.

People experience tiredness differently too. I have friends who can keep
going when they are tired saying they are ‘just tired’. I can’t. It’s like a wall comes down between me and the world and I just can’t engage with anyone or function.

I’d much rather be like you.

Reheated food gives a heavy feeling after you've eaten. Feel the difference between eating a freshly cooked meal and a reheated one...try it.

You haven't made me feel worse OP, just jealous!
I think you ask a really important question. I think as a society we're quick to judge tiredness with laziness.
I also think when tired it's harder to look after yourself, because lack of energy makes exercising much harder, and eating junk food more appealing.
My mum had so much energy, my dad polar opposite.
I could never get my school friends enjoying PE or running around before and after school....I'd be the one sitting on the bench snoozing!
I get frustrated with myself though, as I'm exhausted 24/7. I could happily sleep 48hrs and then some. Obviously with work and kids that's not an option but I massively envy 'high energy' souls and would gladly swap for my bone idleness.