Why am I always tired?

[Idaboy]

There are some obvious reasons. I've got 5 kids under 8. I'm a farrier. I crossfit at 6 AM most days. And I understand that those are generally good reasons for a person to be tired. However, I need a better answer.

I'm 36 years old. I eat healthy and balanced meals. I usually get 7-8 hours of good sleep per night. I drink tons of water. I'm happy and satisfied with life and marriage (not depression). But I'm exhausted every dang day. Even on a Saturday, when I sleep in and don't workout, I'm ready for a nap by 11 AM. And if I do nap, which is rare, I can sleep for like 2 hours, and then be ready for bed by 8:30 that night.

I've had people tell me that it's just part of getting older, or part of raising kids. But I want a better answer. I have lots of friends in the same stage of life, with a similar lifestyle, that aren't as tired as me.

Anybody else out there that's extra sleepy? Better yet, anybody that used to be and has discovered some solutions or lifestyle changes that helped?

Get OSA checked out. Basic labs...are you getting 7hrs of sleep without waking up? If you are not getting 7+ solid Hours then you are chronically sleep deprived. For a health person under age 60, simple "low T" shouldnt make you nap all the time.

 

[Muddler]

Like others said, low T was the first thing I thought of, but I'm only a doctor on the internet.

I'm late 30s and have two kids under 8, so I know the feeling. Two things that helped me were getting outside first thing in the morning for some light exposure and doing a cold plunge before working out. I noticed when I do the cold plunge consistently, I'm not tired by the end of the day...I'm firing on all cylinders till bedtime.

 

[GiddyUp]

As many have already said, get your labs drawn. Have them draw a complete metabolic panel (CMP) to look at your TSH (thyroid) and iron levels. Hypothyroidism and anemia are possibilities. While they are at it, have them draw labs for testosterone, ergocalciferol (Vitamin D), and a tick panel. Low testosterone, Vitamin D deficiency, and Lyme Disease are also strong potential possibilities.
If at all possible, quit using caffeine altogether for a while and see how you feel. If you can't do that, limit it to where you don't have any after 12 or 1 o'clock. This could affect your ability to get restful sleep.
If all of the labs check out ok, consider having a sleep study done to test for sleep apnea. I know several guys that have done this and their CPAP machine has changed their lives.
I wouldn't be too quick to go to a men's clinic to get my labs drawn. While they are good at what they do, they are trying to sell you on a product in my opinion. They will always find a reason to medicate you. If used responsibly, testosterone injections do great things for many men, myself included. But, it's not without risk. It can cause your blood to thicken to the point that it forms clots. A friend of mine died 5 years ago. The Medical Examiner determined that he died from a pulmonary embolism secondary to using testosterone. He was 44 and in otherwise great health.
I'm not saying this to dissuade you from taking it if your doctor determines that you need it. Just be cautious and get labs to check your T levels and your blood's clotting time drawn regularly. If you have any questions that you don't want to ask publicly, please feel free to PM me.

 

[Reburn]

Diet is everything. You can't run a top fuel dragster life on 85 pump gas and RedBull. As least not very long.

Kris

They literally rebuild the engines after every run.

https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/top-fuel-engine-rebuild/

I get what you're trying to say but that analogy is just factually wrong.

 

[Fire_9]

What time are you eating dinner? Eating right before you go to bed can really be a detriment. My wife changed our dinner time a few years ago and it really helped me. Took a while to get used to eating at 4-4:30 but it's my new normal

 

[Skerhunter]

There are some obvious reasons. I've got 5 kids under 8. I'm a farrier. I crossfit at 6 AM most days. And I understand that those are generally good reasons for a person to be tired. However, I need a better answer.

I'm 36 years old. I eat healthy and balanced meals. I usually get 7-8 hours of good sleep per night. I drink tons of water. I'm happy and satisfied with life and marriage (not depression). But I'm exhausted every dang day. Even on a Saturday, when I sleep in and don't workout, I'm ready for a nap by 11 AM. And if I do nap, which is rare, I can sleep for like 2 hours, and then be ready for bed by 8:30 that night.

I've had people tell me that it's just part of getting older, or part of raising kids. But I want a better answer. I have lots of friends in the same stage of life, with a similar lifestyle, that aren't as tired as me.

Anybody else out there that's extra sleepy? Better yet, anybody that used to be and has discovered some solutions or lifestyle changes that helped?

welcome to middle age! You are working harder than 99.9% of people is my guess. I can’t say I know any 35+ person who can set shoes all day, work out hard, and not be wore out.

My only advice is starting eating/taking care of yourself like an athlete if you want to maintain that lifestyle (not just a normal person) and find a doctor that knows how to do it (might be hard). Even then you might have to find a better balance of work load/exercise/life if you don’t want to be exhausted.

 

[The_Jim]

Sounds like you eat healthy - are you taking electrolytes. Once a cleaned up my diet I had to consume a lot of salt and be pretty intentional with getting carbs - if I miss either of those I feel like a bag of shit.

Our bodies can only handle so much stress. I have 4 kids 11 and under so your in deeper than I am! Between work, kids, CrossFit, finances (kids are freaking expensive regardless of income!!!) you probably just plain have to much going on and your body is telling you to slow down.

Easier said than done but I would dial back the CrossFit workouts for 4 weeks and see how you feel!

 

[5MilesBack]

Ya, there is no "wrong time " to poop.

Oh, I beg to differ. The middle of the night would definitely be the "wrong time". Outside of stomach illness, I can easily say that I have never pooped during sleep time hours. My time is always mid-morning.

As for the tiredness.....definitely get the blood work done. I'm almost 60 and still NEVER nap. Of course I almost mainline coffee, but I've never been a napper even when I was a young kid. But I do wake up usually between about 0130-0400 wide awake. Most the time I get up, sometimes I can get back to sleep. My last blood work in Feb showed really low Vit D, which is weird because I go through 2 gallons of milk a week just for myself, am out in the sun a lot, and I take 2-4k IU's a day. So now they're trying to figure out how my Vit D is so low with all that.

 

[IDVortex]

Hopefully you'll have better luck getting a DR appointment then I did. 3 months out.

 

[Weldor]

There are some obvious reasons. I've got 5 kids under 8. I'm a farrier. I crossfit at 6 AM most days. And I understand that those are generally good reasons for a person to be tired. However, I need a better answer.

I'm 36 years old. I eat healthy and balanced meals. I usually get 7-8 hours of good sleep per night. I drink tons of water. I'm happy and satisfied with life and marriage (not depression). But I'm exhausted every dang day. Even on a Saturday, when I sleep in and don't workout, I'm ready for a nap by 11 AM. And if I do nap, which is rare, I can sleep for like 2 hours, and then be ready for bed by 8:30 that night.

I've had people tell me that it's just part of getting older, or part of raising kids. But I want a better answer. I have lots of friends in the same stage of life, with a similar lifestyle, that aren't as tired as me.

Anybody else out there that's extra sleepy? Better yet, anybody that used to be and has discovered some solutions or lifestyle changes that helped?

Your living a entirely to healthy of a life style.

 

[GoatPackr]

They literally rebuild the engines after every run.

https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/top-fuel-engine-rebuild/

I get what you're trying to say but that analogy is just factually wrong.

Actually it's not. You're engine can't rebuild when you're feeding it garbage. Eventually it will leave you with a blown motor along side the trail of life.
Kris

 

[DenverCountryBoy]

How well does your wife sleep? Does she have any sleep habits or issues that could disturb your deep sleep like apnea, using the restroom multiple times a night, kids coming in?

Maybe try using ear plugs at night for a week or two. I know I get better rest in 6 hours with ear plugs than 8 hours without.

 

[Throwin Darts]

I got tired just reading that you have 5 kids under 8.

I'll be 43 next week and have two kids under 5. I'm tired AF all the time. I do a daily workout at 5 AM every morning and I'm wiped out by 2 PM every day.

I focus on a clean unprocessed diet, hydration, sleep and fitness. Being tired is just part of it I guess.

Maybe try wearing a Garmin to sleep in and see if you are getting quality sleep. If I have two drinks or more my sleep turns to crap. I have to really really want to drink because of how tired I will be the next day. Just something to watch out for.

 

[Dos Perros]

OP, how stressed do you feel on a daily basis?

 

[Houseminer]

your time of eating
exercise or walk
You must be rich and have little to worry about

 

[timekiller13]

Lots of good advice on this thread.

My first thought is you are burning the candle at both ends. Scale back your workout regimen a bit.

I’m 39. A couple years ago I started training for marathons. I went all in and got consumed. Was running 60-70 miles a week. I was exhausted all the time and I was never improving.

I’ve scaled back to keeping a base of 20 miles a week and then building to no more than 40 when I’m training for a race. I feel way better.

Also, do drink a lot of caffeine, especially a couple hours before bed? Or any other stimulants (nicotine?). Cut that out 2-3 hours before bed. Don’t drink alcohol 2-3 hours before bed.

Finally, if none of the above is the case. Get checked for sleep apnea and low horomone levels.

 

[huntsman22]

My fatigue was caused by a leaky heart valve.....

 

[Lil-Rokslider]

Get OSA checked out. Basic labs...are you getting 7hrs of sleep without waking up? If you are not getting 7+ solid Hours then you are chronically sleep deprived. For a health person under age 60, simple "low T" shouldnt make you nap all the time.

We've got a baby, so I probably get woke up at least once most nights.

 

[Lil-Rokslider]

Like others said, low T was the first thing I thought of, but I'm only a doctor on the internet.

I'm late 30s and have two kids under 8, so I know the feeling. Two things that helped me were getting outside first thing in the morning for some light exposure and doing a cold plunge before working out. I noticed when I do the cold plunge consistently, I'm not tired by the end of the day...I'm firing on all cylinders till bedtime.

I've heard people talk about the cold plunge. What's the science behind why that gives a person more energy?

 

[Lil-Rokslider]

What time are you eating dinner? Eating right before you go to bed can really be a detriment. My wife changed our dinner time a few years ago and it really helped me. Took a while to get used to eating at 4-4:30 but it's my new normal

We eat at 6:30 or 7