Excessive sleep and lack of motivation often stem from lifestyle factors like poor sleep hygiene, stress, or diet, but can also signal underlying issues such as depression, anxiety, thyroid problems, anemia, sleep apnea, vitamin deficiencies (iron, B vitamins, D), chronic fatigue, or even certain medications, making a doctor's visit crucial for proper diagnosis and treatment.
Sometimes, the causes of tiredness and low motivation can be traced back to lifestyle factors such as poor sleep hygiene, excessive caffeine consumption, or lack of physical activity. Inadequate sleep or inconsistent sleep patterns disrupt your body's natural rhythms, leading to fatigue and reduced energy levels.
Many cases of tiredness are due to stress, not enough sleep, poor diet and other lifestyle factors. Try these self-help tips to restore your energy levels.
Conditions that affect your muscles, brain or central nervous system can all cause hypersomnia. Mental health conditions like depression may also trigger it. Injuries. Head injuries or traumatic brain injuries may cause hypersomnia or increase your risk.
Symptoms of fatigue
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies, including B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12, C, D, iron, and magnesium, are among the most common causes of unexplained fatigue. Vitamin D deficiencies affect over 50% of the global population, and approximately 12.5% have iron deficiency anemia.
Feeling tired or exhausted most of the day is one of the most obvious signs that you need rest. Stress can cause fatigue as much as physical activity. The more you try to push through the fatigue, the more rest you may need. Consider taking some time just for yourself.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency: A Rare Cause of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness | Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.
The 3-2-1 bedtime method is a simple sleep hygiene strategy: stop eating 3 hours before bed, stop working 2 hours before bed, and stop using screens (phones, tablets, TVs) 1 hour before sleep, helping your body transition to rest by reducing stimulants and digestive load for better sleep quality. A more detailed version adds 10 hours (no caffeine) and 0 (no snoozing) for a 10-3-2-1-0 rule.
Vitamin B12 is the best vitamin supplement for treating tiredness and fatigue. This essential nutrient helps your body produce energy and keeps you feeling less fatigued both physically and mentally.
9 Ways to Get Your Energy Back
Emotional signs and symptoms of burnout
Feeling helpless, trapped, and defeated. Detachment, feeling alone in the world. Loss of motivation. Increasingly cynical and negative outlook.
Can you admit yourself into a mental health hospital for exhaustion? Possibly. Exhaustion (extreme fatigue) has many causes. If your exhaustion is caused by a mental health condition, like major depression or anxiety, you might benefit from being admitted to a mental health hospital.
Narcolepsy is a condition that makes people very sleepy during the day and can cause them to fall asleep suddenly. Some people also have other symptoms, such as muscle weakness when they feel strong emotions. The symptoms can have serious effects on daily life.
When trying to cope with fatigue, a simple rule is to remember The Five P's: Plan, Prioritise, Pace, Position and Permission. Plan and organise your time. Plan your day ahead with periods of rest and periods of activity.
Mental exhaustion is when you feel completely depleted and overwhelmed, even if you've had enough rest. It's different from physical tiredness or fatigue, which can usually be fixed with a good night's sleep or long rest.
The koala is famous for sleeping around 20-22 hours a day, which is about 90% of the day, due to their low-energy diet of eucalyptus leaves that requires extensive digestion. Other extremely sleepy animals include the sloth (up to 20 hours) and the brown bat (around 20 hours), with some snakes like the ball python also sleeping up to 23 hours daily.
Our circadian rhythm functions by light and dark cycles and therefore an ideal sleep time is 10pm – 6am give or take ½ an hour either way so a full 8 hours of sleep is achieved each night. Even if you are retired or not working, this is an essential component of good sleeping habits.
In his piece, he revealed that through his years of research, he's found that rumination is the biggest thing that causes poor sleep. He says that being worried about something at night has affected his own ability to fall asleep.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 helps make your DNA, produce red blood cells and protect your nervous system. “Red blood cells transport oxygen through your body,” explained Dr. Shah. “So, when you don't have enough B12 to produce red blood cells, oxygen doesn't get transported to your cells, which leaves you feeling tired.”
About excessive sleepiness
This may be due to shiftwork, family demands (such as a new baby), study or social life. Other causes include sleep disorders, medication, and medical and psychiatric illnesses. Hypersomnia can be helped or cured with a few adjustments to lifestyle habits.
Complex carbohydrates
Physical signs of stress
As the body continues to slow down, the person may become completely unresponsive. Breathing may become more labored or exhibit a distinct pattern called Cheyne-Stokes breathing, where periods of rapid breaths alternate with moments of no breathing at all.
Not feeling rested after sleeping could be due to disruptions in your sleep stages, especially if you need to reach or spend more time in the deep sleep phase, which is crucial for feeling refreshed. It could also be related to sleep disorders, stress, or other sleep quality factors.