Several factors can cause this recurrent fatigue.
It is, in short, a normal experience in the day to day of healthy people, something totally natural and that only reflects something we already know: that our body is subject to limitations and needs to have moments to regenerate and charge energies.
However, tiredness, expressed in certain ways, can also be a sign that something is not right. In fact, persistent fatigue is a typical symptom of a wide variety of physical and psychological health disorders.
In this article we will stick to one of those cases in which exhaustion should put us on alert, andwe will see the possible answers to a question that many people ask: why do I wake up tired?
- Recommended Article:”The 10 Most Common Psychological Disorders”
What is fatigue?
Tiredness or fatigue is an experience of relative discomfort in which the body warns us that our body cannot function with optimal performance. It should not be confused with sleep, which is another phenomenon specifically linked to the lack of healthy bedtime habits (either due to lack of sleep or otherdisorders linked to insomnia), although in many cases both overlap.
Thus, fatigue appears, for example, when we have been using our muscle capacity a lot and we have no more strength, but it can also arise because of an excess of nervous activity. In the first case, fatigue tells us that we need to allow time for some muscle fibers to regenerate due to microruptures, and in the second, we must allowour neuronsto enter a state of rest (for example, after an intense day of study).
In short, fatigue appears as a “limit” so that we do not demand from our nervous or musculoskeletal system what it is no longer able to do, at least for the moment. Now, behind the process of physical or psychological wear that has led to the appearance of fatigue we can find natural and typical facts of everyday life, or pathological phenomena (not necessarily of extreme severity) that we must treat or try to stop.
When we realize that when we wake up we are tired, it is very likely that the second thing will happen, since the normal thing after sleeping is to have enough energy to spend the day.
Symptoms
Thespecific symptoms in which fatigue is expressedare the following:
- Difficulty staying focused.
- Transient loss of physical strength.
- Trouble remembering short-term memory information.
- Loss of interest in hobbies that require some movement.
- Loss of interest in maintaining active social relationships.
Why do I wake up tired? Possible causes
These are the most likely reasons why, in the hours following waking up after the main day of sleep, fatigue remains.
1. Accumulated sleep
If you have not slept well for several days, the simple fact of getting an eight-hour sleep may not be enough for the body to recharge.
In this case, it is important not to give in to the habits that have led us to sleep little in the previous days, and continue dedicating the necessary hours to rest.
2. Depression
Constant tiredness is one of the typical signs that you havedepression, although it is not the only one and by itself does not indicate the presence of this disorder.
Given the suspicion that you may be suffering from depression, it is very important that you go topsychotherapyas soon as possible.
3. Dysthymia
Dysthymia is a mood disorder similar to depression (which also belongs to this category). It differs from the previous one, above all, in that its outbreaks are of longer duration and the symptoms are somewhat more attenuated.
In any case, its presence also affects the biochemical functioning of the brain, and causes you to have less energy and generally less desire to engage in tasks and social interactions (a phenomenon known as abulia).
In the face of dysthymia, what should be done is the same as what must be done for any psychological disorder: seek professional help.
4. Poor diet
Another possible cause of feeling tired or tired after waking up has to do with food. Even if you think you eat enough, the food you eat probably isn’t nutritious enough, so your body will lack materials to regenerate cellular tissues worn out by day-to-day activity.
Do not forget that the simple passage of time does not make the body perform maintenance tasks. Therefore, review your eating habits and make sure you have all the necessary macronutrients and vitamins.
5. Use of drugs
Some medications can cause fatigue throughout the day as a side effect. This doesn’t just happen in drugs specifically designed to act on the brain, such as antipsychotics oranxiolytics.
If you think that this fatigue may be due to this habitual consumption of drugs, go to your doctor, to assess the possibility of looking for alternative medication. Do not stop taking the drug unilaterally without medical supervision and without having the possibility of trying another medicine, so as not to take risks (many times, abruptly stopping the use of these substances without the indication of the health professional is dangerous).
6. Alcohol abuse
Alcohol has a depressant effect on the activity of the nervous system, and significantly worsens the quality of sleep. If you have recently started consuming alcohol, it is very important that you stop doing so and commit to keeping the possible onset of addiction at bay.
If you have already begun to manifest typical symptoms of addiction, go to therapy as soon as possible: psychological and medical intervention will be necessary.
7. Insomnia
Some cases of insomnia can cause discomfort associated more with fatigue thanwith the feeling of sleep.
If you have been noticing this type of fatigue caused by difficulty falling asleep, frequent awakenings in the middle of the night or inability to continue sleeping after the first few hours, see the doctor, and if the problem persists, also go to psychotherapy.
8. Asthenia
Asthenia is an alteration that is usually linked to imbalances in the hormonal balance of the body, and often arises linked to seasonal or climatological changes. To treat asthenia fatigue, see your doctor.
9. Anxiety disorders
Problems such as agoraphobia, social phobia or Generalized Anxiety Disordercan generate such wear and tear on the nervous system, that it does not regenerate completely during the hours in which you sleep. Therefore, it is possible to continue feeling tired when you wake up.
If you think you are experiencing anxiety and stress disorders, go to the psychologist for professional assistance as soon as possible.
References
- American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: 5th ed. (DSM-5). (2013). Arlington (VA), Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
- Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Patients with Insomnia in Primary Care (2009). Clinical practice guidelines in the SNS Ministry of Health and Social Policy. Madrid: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación.
- National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health. Depression. (2009). The treatment and management of depression in adults (updated edition). National Clinical Practice Guideline Number 90. London: British Psychological Society and Royal College of Psychiatrists.
- World Health Organization. ICD 10. (1992). Tenth Revision of the International Classification of Diseases. Mental and Behavioral Disorders: Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Guidelines. Madrid: Meditor.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.