Your 18-year-old daughter is likely tired due to a mix of teenage biological shifts (later sleep cycles), lifestyle factors (screens, activities, jobs), and potential underlying issues like stress, anemia, vitamin deficiency, or mental health concerns, needing 8-10 hours of sleep but often getting less; a pediatrician visit is best to rule out medical causes like thyroid or mono.
Up to 40% of healthy teens experience regular sleepiness, defined as an increased tendency to fall asleep. Fatigue is the perception of low energy following normal activity and is reported by up to 30% of well teens.
A busy schedule, not getting enough sleep at night and even being hungry can all make a child tired. But if a child is consistently feeling tired, especially when he or she is getting enough sleep, it is a good idea to talk about it with a pediatrician. In some cases, tiredness may be a sign of an underlying problem.
Once primary medical conditions have been excluded a common factor contributing to unexplained, chronic fatigue is physical and cognitive deconditioning; not going to school, not being on a regular schedule, sleeping too much, decreasing the amount of physical activity or not getting any physical activity.
In adolescents, the main causes of excessive daytime sleepiness are sleep deprivation, inadequate sleep hygiene, insomnia disorders, circadian rhythm disorders, chronic somatic pathologies, psychiatric disorders, movement disorders related to sleep, respiratory disorders related to sleep, parasomnias, hypersomnia ...
CFS is a chronic (long-lasting) condition that makes people feel very tired and weak. They can also have headaches, dizziness, or other physical symptoms. Sometimes they have emotional symptoms too, like anger or sadness. Different people with CFS can have different symptoms.
Among adolescents, complaints regarding fatigue are relatively common and it's been assumed to be associated with the hormonal changes of puberty, the various social conflicts common in adolescence and a variety of educational expectations.
Fatigue red flags signal potentially serious issues beyond normal tiredness, including unexplained weight loss, persistent fever, night sweats, shortness of breath, chest pain, severe headaches, confusion, or new neurological/joint problems alongside exhaustion. Other signs include fatigue worsening with activity, significant cognitive/mood changes, or lack of energy despite rest, suggesting conditions like infection, autoimmune disease, heart problems, cancer, or mental health issues, warranting prompt medical evaluation.
There's no single "hardest" age, but many parents and experts point to ages 14-16 as particularly challenging due to intense hormonal shifts, social pressures, identity formation, increased desire for independence, and conflicts with parents as teens push boundaries, with some studies suggesting 14 (especially for girls) and 15 (for boys) are peak difficulty points.
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.
Vitamin B6
If the body doesn't receive enough of this vitamin, one feels easily irritable and fatigued. Having enough levels of Vitamin 6, your body can make enough dopamine. Dopamine is another neurotransmitter that can help increase alertness so that kids can pay more attention at school.
Symptoms of fatigue
Each day, aim to include the following: 2-3 portions of protein e.g., meat, fish, eggs, beans, pulses. 3-4 portions of starchy foods e.g., bread, rice, potatoes, pasta. 5 portions of fruit and vegetables.
As technology has become more integrated into teenagers' lives, the time spent in front of screens has continued to rise in the United States (1). High levels of screen time have been linked with adverse health outcomes, including poor sleep habits, fatigue, and symptoms of anxiety and depression (2–4).
Fatigue becomes worrisome when it lasts over a couple of weeks without relief, disrupts daily activities, comes on suddenly without a clear cause, or is accompanied by "red flag" symptoms like unexplained weight loss, shortness of breath, fever, unusual bleeding, severe headaches, or chest pain, indicating a need to see a doctor promptly. It's crucial to seek medical advice if rest, good nutrition, and stress management don't improve your energy levels.
Exhaustion that doesn't let up might be a sign of:
The four Ps are problem solving, planning, prioritising and pacing. The aim is to think of the four Ps at the beginning of each day or week to help you manage your energy levels.
Vitamin C, Iron and Magnesium Are Also involved in Energy-Yielding Metabolism. Vitamin C is needed for two dioxygenase enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of carnitine, an essential cofactor in the transport of long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria.
There are lots of potential causes of fatigue. Medical causes can include anaemia, low thyroid, other chronic medical issues, or medication side effects. Mental health issues such as excessive stress, depression or dysthymia can also cause significant fatigue.
Bloating, fatigue, irritability, hair loss, palpitations, mood swings, issues with blood sugar, trouble concentrating, and infertility these are just some symptoms of hormone imbalance. These compounds affect every cell and system in the body.
Being Tired. Fatigue is more persistent, constant and lingering compared to feeling tired. Feeling fatigue usually interrupts your day-to-day activities and isn't always relieved by sleeping more. “Sometimes the differences between fatigue and being tired can be difficult for people to differentiate.
By age 18, many teens are feeling a combination of excitement and fear about the future. They tend to focus on their friends, social lives, and future, investing a lot of time thinking about what type of life they want once they're on their own. The day your child turns 18, they become a legal adult in most states.
The 10-3-2-1-0 rule is a popular sleep hygiene guideline that creates a countdown for winding down before bed, advising: 10 hours without caffeine, 3 hours without big meals or alcohol, 2 hours without work or stressful activities, 1 hour without screens (phones, TV, computers), and aiming for 0 snoozes in the morning, promoting better sleep quality by reducing stimulants and preparing the body and mind for rest.
“Napping can help you feel a little more energetic, alert and relaxed,” Dr. Drerup advocates. “The trick is to nap long enough to feel refreshed, but not so long that you'll move into deeper stages of sleep or take away your sleep drive for the night.”