SO TIRED! :(

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caimay149
caimay149 Posts: 65 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey everyone, so I know this isn't a medical board and that I should see my doctor etc but I just want to know what you all think.

I'm really freaking tired, all the time. Not just lacking energy tired, but falling asleep tired. I had blood tests done, including diabetes, and everything came back A+.

Typically, my day goes like this: wake up at 7am, drag (and I mean DRAG) myself out of bed. Commute 1.15hrs to work in an office all day. I eat a lot of vegetables, but I'm not big on fruit. I do tend to have a sugary breakfast, I must admit - like a croissant - and always a coffee, but I normally feel fine after this. Lunch is what does it for me. An hour after lunch I HAVE to take a nap. I maybe make it to about 3pm and I have to sleep in my office for an hour or so because I physically cannot stay awake. Lunch is almost always vegetable and chicken soup and a roll with butter - or some variation on that - and another cup of coffee. I don't overeat

In the evenings, I workout hard. I dance, hop hop and locking, and my classes and rehearsals are demanding and normally at least an hour a day. Once I'm in the studio, and afterwards, I have boundless energy.

I do have trouble falling asleep, but not much. I wake up a few times in the night. It just feels like I've never had enough sleep, and in reality I'm getting 8-9 hours.

In the past I've tried taking multi vitamins, but they don't seem to have any effect.

Anyone know what could be causing it? I'm not sure if it's too much exercise, or not enough, as I'm very sedentary during the day.

Replies

  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,209 Member
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    It's probably from your mostly-sedentary lifestyle. Movement creates energy, as you've noticed in the evenings.

    Curious - how many grams of protein do you have per day?
  • caimay149
    caimay149 Posts: 65 Member
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    Ah, so maybe I'll start hitting the gym at lunch time some weekdays and see if it makes a difference.

    Around 80-90g protein a day, I would estimate. Mainly from white meat and dairy.
  • wkwebby
    wkwebby Posts: 807 Member
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    If you're waking up several times a night, I would assume that you are never hitting REM sleep. This stage is the most important part of the sleep cycle.

    Try going to sleep earlier and get rid of all electronic things at least a half hour before sleep, don't eat or drink about an hour before sleep, and keep outside distractions in the bedroom to a minimum (i.e. no tv before bed, no reading in bed). Supposedly, even though you think you're relaxing by reading a book or on the iPad, your brain is being stimulated. Since you're working out at night, this may also be affecting your sleep cycle (exercise too close to bedtime and you're still pumped from it).

    See about researching how to get better quality sleep. Again, if you're waking up several times a night, your sleep quality is down the toilet. You need 6-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep to feel good.
  • caimay149
    caimay149 Posts: 65 Member
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    Thanks! I will try that.
  • 2013sk
    2013sk Posts: 1,318 Member
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    I worked out late at night for a couple of years, and my sleep pattern was a mess - I sort of got used to it though being that way. Reason being is I never wanted to workout when everyone was there and it was so busy. From 6.00pm - 7.30pm its the gym's busiest time.

    Now I try to get over there straight from work, say 5.00pm. Its a lot better.

    But yes you need to wind down before sleep, Switch everything off.

    I used to sleep so well before aswell.... Cry Cry!!!!!!!!
  • blukitten
    blukitten Posts: 922 Member
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    I agree with some of the others that it could be you are working out too close to bed time. I have noticed this too- if I workout close to bed time- it takes me forever to wind down and actually fall asleep because of the adrenaline from working out.

    Have you thought of trying a high protein low sugar breakfast? Just a theory, and I know its a little far fetched cause its after lunch that you crash but could you maybe be experiencing the crash from your sugary breakfast after lunch? I mean you have sugar, carbs and caffeine for breakfast, then another carb (roll) for lunch-- so maybe you are crashing from not having enough protein with your meals- that with the combo of the interrupted sleep cycle would make you crash in the afternoon.

    The combo of caffeine and sugar/carbs gives you "fake" energy until they run out at the 3pm mark?

    Just a thought
  • alska
    alska Posts: 299 Member
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    ugh ... welcome to my world!! :( i am tired all the time too n i'm scared to go to the dr to find out why. I wake up n i'm good for an hour or maybe two then forget it i'm so tired that i just can't do a thing. i HATE it. Right after my coffee in the morning I have to go workout cuz if I wait ... I will be too tired to do it n when I come back from my workout I get a tiny bust of energy n then bam I'M TIRED .... ughhhh and stay that way till I go to bed.

    i so know what you are going through :(
  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
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    Are you eating enough? There's a lot of veggies in your day, which are very low cal. Are you "eating back" at least some of your exercise calories? How many daily net calories do you average?
    Get plenty of protein and try to fix the sleep issue.

    Hope you find your solution.
  • kefryar
    kefryar Posts: 77 Member
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    Caffeine can also be a huge problem. It gives quick bursts of energy and then you crash. Maybe try only having a cup in the morning and taking a walk after lunch. When I get tired at work (which I do bc I sit ALL DAY), I get up and walk around the floor or do some squats in the bathroom. It usually helps.
    Sitting all day will make you sleepy, and If you're drinking coffee after noon that may be the reason you don't sleep well at night.
  • ZombieMom79
    ZombieMom79 Posts: 70 Member
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    It took 3 rounds of blood work, 2 doctors and me checking off on my blood requistition form T3, T4, TSH to get diagonoised for underactive thyroid - hypothyroid. There are normal ranges but you could be on the line of the high or low range and they will tell you that you are fine. I was on that line and I wasn't fine. I could sleep 8 or 9 hours and night and have no problem laying down for a nap for 2 or more hours. Once I got on some meds my tiredness went a way.
  • 1princesswarrior
    1princesswarrior Posts: 1,242 Member
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    Are you eating enough? There's a lot of veggies in your day, which are very low cal. Are you "eating back" at least some of your exercise calories? How many daily net calories do you average?
    Get plenty of protein and try to fix the sleep issue.

    Hope you find your solution.

    ^^^ This

    You need to fuel your workouts and if you only eat a croissant for breakfast and then soup and vegetables for lunch where are your calories coming from? I've heard of people stirring protein powder into their coffee but I'm not a coffee drinker. I make a greek yogurt protein powder mixture for lunch that gets me around 70 grams of protein and energizes me for hours. Sometimes I have it for dinner when I eat out for lunch because it is lower in calories depending on how much I fix.

    I also have chronic insomnia and have worked a long time with my doctor to get that figured out so another doctor visit may be in order.
  • JessiBelleW
    JessiBelleW Posts: 820 Member
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    I know you said you had a ***** of tests done did you get your iron checked?

    I had super low iron and was always tired and needed s nap a day. It got so bad once I got up, went to my first class at uni, after my first class went to the library and went to sleep under the desk for am hour.
  • socalkay
    socalkay Posts: 746 Member
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    I agree with wkwebby. It sounds like you aren't getting enough good, uninterrupted sleep. I've been dealing with this since menopause. Lot's of good suggestions on how to improve your sleep already given here. I take a couple generic benedryl at night before I go to bed. Non-habit forming and helps me get to sleep (and my sinuses are better off but that's just a side benefit).

    "Experts say that if you feel drowsy during the day, even during boring activities, you haven't had enough sleep. "

    http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/brain_basics/understanding_sleep.htm
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
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    I read an article in one my crappy rag mags about someone with the same symptoms as you. Turns out they had a Ph imbalance. Too much acid or something. They said just to buy regular old litmus strips and test your Ph with saliva. They said to do it first thing in the morning before eating. The lady in the article just changed her eating habits.

    I'm not sure how much stock I put into this, but I would probably consider it since it's a lot cheaper than seeing a bunch of doctors who have already told you that you are fine. I think foods that are high in protein tend to be more acidic from what I read. So, if you are eating alot of protien maybe your body is just sensitive to acidity.

    Otherwise, I'd go to the doctor and see if I could do a sleep study. Maybe you are tired from sleep apnea? Do you snore?
  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
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    I was tired all the time when I was lazy and depressed.
  • caimay149
    caimay149 Posts: 65 Member
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    Thanks everyone, I'm going to incorporate a lot of these suggestions and see if they make a difference. I drink a lot of caffeine, eat a lot of carbs and probably not enough protein now that I think about it. So I'm going to base my meals around protein, and make my morning coffee my only coffee. Also go to the gym at lunch time. I can't do anything about the evening workouts - they are my classes/rehearsals at fixed times, but I can give more time to winding down after class, ie no electronics. thanks again.

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