I reckon 25 is about the last age you feel OK complaining about being tired. Past that, it feels assumed that everyone’s constantly wiped and that it’s barely worth mentioning.
But contrary to common attitudes, fatigue is not a fact of life; nor is walking around exhausted most of the time.
With so many people saying they’re tired so much of the time, or acting as though severe sleepiness is a reality we all struggle through equally, it can be hard to work out what’s a problem and what isn’t.
Luckily, Cleveland Clinic’s site says that there are some sure-fire signs your tiredness is actually fatigue; most of which you spot in the daytime.
What are the signs?
While everyone feels tired sometimes, the clinic says, fatigue “means feeling severely overtired.”
It may be especially noticeable during the day, where it can regularly interfere with your daily routine.
“Extreme fatigue makes it hard to get up in the morning, go to work, do your usual activities and make it through your day,” the site reads.
“Fatigue feels like you have an overwhelming urge to sleep, but you may not feel refreshed after you rest or sleep.”
The NHS says that not having a cause for your tiredness and feeling tired “all the time” could also reveal fatigue.
Additionally, the NHS says that “if you cannot explain why you’re tired and it’s been going on for a while and not getting any better, it may be a sign of a medical condition.”
What medical condition?
Insomnia, sleep apnoea, a poor diet, inactivity, stress, depression, hormonal changes, some medications, and even COVID (and potentially long COVID) can leave you fatigued, the NHS says.
Iron deficiency anaemia, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, and chronic fatigue syndrome are other potential causes, they add. You can find other symptoms of each of those conditions on their site.
Cleveland Clinic adds that heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, kidney disease, and even cancer can also cause fatigue.
See your doctor if your exhaustion is so bad it regularly ruins your whole routine without a clear cause.
Despite what you may have been led to believe, constant tiredness that disrupts your life significantly is not the norm.