Causes of Fatigue and Sleepiness and How to Fight Them

The causes of fatigue are usually ascribed to a lack of sleep, stress and a monotonous lifestyle. Every adult should get seven to eight hours of sleep per night to combat fatigue and sleepiness.

Read on to understand the causes of weariness and how it affects your everyday life.

• Lack of physical activity causes lethargy so people involved in little physical activity - or restricted to desk jobs - have higher chances of developing fatigue because of loosening of muscles.
• Stress causes fatigue and excessive yawning.
• Irregular sleeping patterns.
• Hyperactivity. This state of mind often disturbs the normality of human beings. Most people suffering from hyperactivity complain of fatigue because of an erratic lifestyle that negatively affects their health.
• Cluttered mind. Many people go to bed with a cluttered mind. This is because of an  excessive dependency on gadgets such as laptops, mobiles and e-planners, which have become a necessary evil. Messaging, talking to people at bed-time or spending more time than required planning the next day kills the urge to sleep. This results in fatigue.
• Anaemia. Women low on haemoglobin content often complain of fatigue even during a casual stroll, climbing stairs or performing daily household chores.
• Monotonous lifestyle. A simple and a well-planned life do not necessarily convey a hassle-free existence. Most people often forget the art of benefitting from life. This includes the most basic forms of recreation. Fatigue is not only caused from a sleep-induced mode of living; It is also about relaxing the mind.
• Lack of food intake causes drowsiness. This works in a vicious cycle: Lack of sleep often causes loss in appetite which in turn is responsible for fatigue.

Human existence should be tightly knit around a few principles to help combat fatigue and sleepiness. After all, who does not want to look fresh at work?

• Switch off that mobile phone and put aside every other gadget early in the night. Fix your bed-time and try to follow it for at least five days of the week.
• Take some time out for breakfast. Try that pancake with honey and yoghurt instead of the usual toasts and juices.
• Have iron supplements to avoid fluctuating haemoglobin levels.
• Consume coffee and tea conservatively. Excessive consumption of caffeine causes sleepiness and nervousness, which affetcs the basal body temperature.
• Enjoy your workout sessions. Join a gym, tennis club or simply dance your way to beat fatigue. A healthy work-out session always aids an undisturbed sleep.
• Divide your work accordingly, leaving ample space for those unplanned emergencies because not every day is the same.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Understand your physical reactions and limitations. This includes avoiding foods that the body cannot tolerate, excessive consumption of alcohol or unprecedented nicotine consumption. Avoid neglecting the immediate needs and concerns of the body to avoid fatigue.

With all this in your mind, let fatigue be history!

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