What Causes Fatigue?

Fatigue is the body’s normal response to physical exertion, emotional stress, or lack of sleep. When your body lacks proper nutrition or adequate rest, it can no longer produce the energy to keep you mentally alert and physically strong. You can’t think straight or feel dead on your feet. You may even get irritable or disinterested in what’s going on around you. Everyone reacts to fatigue differently, but usually you know when you’re worn out.

Your body relies on a delicate balance of sleep, nutrition, and regular exercise to operate at its maximum potential. If that balance is tipped �?say, for example, you get too much exercise and not enough sleep or nutrition �?you begin to feel tired or weak.

Many factors can cause you to get too much or too little sleep, nutrition, or exercise. Perhaps stress is keeping you from sleeping, or your job prevents you from eating right. It may be a combination of factors. There are several recognized causes of fatigue, including:

• Overexertion
• Overwork
• Poor sleep
• Worry
• Boredom
• Lack of exercise
• Illness
• Prescription and nonprescription medications
• Abuse of alcohol or illegal drugs
• Overuse of stimulating beverages or food

Of course, fatigue can also be a symptom of a serious health condition. If fatigue occurs with other serious symptoms, or if it lasts longer than two weeks, see your doctor.