Both women and men experience hormonal imbalances that lead to feeling fatigued. Fatigue is a common symptom associated with menopause and andropause. Sleeplessness is one reason to feel tired during the day, but feeling fatigued even after getting a good night’s sleep may be caused by age-related hormonal changes that can be treated using bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT).
Many women and men who feel constantly sluggish during the day tend to shrug it off because they’re not getting enough sleep. Men and women who experience unexplained and persistent fatigue, however, should discuss their concerns with a provider to determine if an underlying medical condition could be responsible. Blood tests may reveal that sluggishness is being caused by hormonal imbalances. Hormones, including estradiol, progesterone (for women only), thyroid, and testosterone, are chemicals that help control processes such as heart rate and temperature. If these powerful chemicals are out of balance, even by a small amount, they can cause a wide range of symptoms—including feeling tired and having trouble sleeping.
Many people say they feel tired all the time without knowing exactly why. Occasional fatigue can usually be chalked up to staying up late or a stressful time at work, but chronic feelings of fatigue and listlessness are often caused by an underlying issue. Effectively treating fatigue requires having a doctor zero in on a specific cause or causes.
The list of potential causes, besides insomnia, includes:
• Anemia
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Dehydration
• Excessive caffeine
• Heart disease
• Undiagnosed urinary tract infection
• Hypothyroidism
• Food allergies
• Nutritionally inadequate diet
• Shift work
• Sleep apnea
• Chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia, whose causes are unknown, may also be responsible for feeling chronically tired.
Insomnia is a sleep disorder in which you have trouble falling and/or staying asleep.
The condition can be short-term (acute) or can last a long time (chronic). It may also come and go. Risk factors include long term illness, mental health issues, and night shift workers.
Acute insomnia lasts from 1 night to a few weeks. Insomnia is chronic when it happens at least 3 nights a week for 3 months or more.
Types of Insomnia
There are two types of insomnia: primary and secondary.
• Primary insomnia:
This means your sleep problems aren’t linked to any other health condition or problem.
• Secondary insomnia:
This means you have trouble sleeping because of a health condition (like asthma, depression, arthritis, cancer, or heartburn); pain; medication or substance use (like alcohol). You might also hear about:
• Sleep-onset insomnia:
This means you have trouble getting to sleep.
• Sleep-maintenance insomnia:
This happens when you have trouble staying asleep through the night or wake up too early.
• Mixed insomnia:
With this type of insomnia, you have trouble both falling asleep and staying asleep through the night.
• Paradoxical insomnia:
When you have paradoxical insomnia, you underestimate the time you’re asleep. It feels like you sleep a lot less than you really do.
