Feeling a little tired and run down? It happens.
And while your first instinct to recharge is probably to hit the sheets for a few extra hours, a lack of sleep might not actually be what’s making you feel sluggish. Here are a few things that can make you feel tired that aren’t quite as obvious as a lack of sleep.
1. Your diet
Sure, drinking that glass (or four?!) of wine before bedtime makes falling asleep a snap, but the sugar in the alcohol gets processed while you sleep and makes you start to feel stimulated and restless. Spicy foods before bed can give you heartburn and wake you up. Ditto for fatty foods. Keep your diet light and clean for better sleep so you’ll feel less tired and more alert during the day.
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2. Your mood
Whether it’s anger or anxiety or just a case of the blahs, your mood has a lot to do with how fatigued you feel throughout the day. Engaging in talk therapy, or even turning on your favorite song or putting on your most favorite outfit, can go a long way to making you feel less tired.
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3. Clutter
A big mess, piles of paper and dishes — especially when you’re already feeling overwhelmed and down — are enough to drive anyone to take a nap. Put the pep back in your step by cleaning up the clutter to feel more energized and ready to tackle the next task.
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4. Summer heat
While there isn’t definitive proof that summer heat makes you more tired, there are several reasons to be very suspicious. First, when it’s hot your heart beats faster, even if you’re not exerting yourself. So that’s got to lead to feeling more tired, right?
That’s probably not a huge deal for most folks, but those with chronic health conditions could find themselves in real trouble. But besides the effects on your body, summer heat can make sleeping uncomfortable, causing you to wake up more often. There’s also loud air conditioners that make noise at night and can keep you up. And there’s the dreaded open window option, which can keep you up with everything from cat serenades to ambulance sirens. Not the kind of environment for catching good sleep.
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5. Sleep apnea
Always feeling tired is one of the warning signs of sleep apnea, a disorder that causes you stop breathing intermittently while you sleep, which then causes you to wake up. Often, this happens many times throughout the night without you even knowing it happened. Loud snoring can be another warning sign of sleep apnea, because when your body finally wakes up to take a breath, you make a loud snorting sound. If you’re feeling exhausted or your partner complains about your snoring, you might want to get checked by a doctor for sleep apnea.
This post is brought to you by The Cleveland Clinic. For more sleep tips to help you Dream Big, go to dreambigmattress.com.
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