If your strong urge to sleep and take naps during the day is due to not getting enough hours of sleep at night, then that explains your daytime sleepiness. But if you feel this way even with enough night sleep (doctors recommend 6 - 8 hours), then the cause is likely a wrong healthy habit or a medical problem. In that case, you should see your doctor for tests and diagnosis. In this article, we will look together at the main reasons that cause your constant sleepiness and wanting to sleep for hours.
The first reason:Anemia
There is a good chance your tiredness and need to sleep is from anemia, a common disease linked to poor nutrition and unhealthy habits. Sometimes it’s inherited, other times from bad diet. There are many types of anemia but the most common is from iron deficiency. This reduces oxygen carried from lungs to body cells, causing tiredness, sleepiness, headache, dizziness, weakness, and other symptoms. If you think this fits your symptoms, see your doctor fast. You can also here find out how to overcome anemia.
The second reason: Depression
Depression is one of the most common causes of feeling constantly sleepy and having a strong desire to nap. It's also one of the most widespread mental illnesses ever, affecting about 350 million people worldwide. Just like genetics and family medical history affect depression risk, environmental factors do too. Eating meals that lack the nutrients your body needs daily and not exercising are some of the main causes that can lead to depression. One key sign of depression is feeling sad for more than two weeks. If that happens, you need to see your psychiatrist for diagnosis and treatment. Depression can also cause physical symptoms like fatigue, exhaustion, body aches, loss of appetite, and others.
The third reason: Not exercising
You might feel tired, exhausted, and sleepy if you do high physical and muscle effort during workouts to make up the lost energy. Also, generally avoiding exercise and not making it a daily habit can make you feel lazy, sluggish, and sleepy. Your body needs movement to produce energy and feel active, able to keep going through the day and fight off sleepiness and the urge to nap.
The fourth reason: Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes patients suffer from some clear symptoms like tiredness and fatigue, feeling sluggish, and sleepiness, along with dry mouth and frequent urination. These symptoms really help a person realize they have diabetes even before diagnosis. The reason for feeling sleepy and sluggish comes from sugar building up in the blood and not being turned into energy the body can use. This makes them feel tired most of the time.
Fifth reason: Low thyroid hormone levels
The thyroid gland looks like a necktie, sitting in the middle of the neck and wrapping around the sides. This gland releases hormones that control vital body functions and regulate how organs like the heart and brain work. So it's normal to feel sluggish, lazy, very sleepy, and gain weight if these hormone levels drop below what's normal. This affects cell activity and the body's ability to work properly.
Sixth reason: Eating too few calories
If you think cutting your daily calories way below your normal needs will help you lose annoying body fat and extra weight, you're wrong. Losing fat this way will just be temporary. After a while, your body will get used to the low calories and your metabolism will slow down. You'll feel sluggish, generally tired, and always sleepy because your body lacks energy. So if you're not doing much physical activity during the day, don't go below 1200 calories a day. If you work out regularly, keep your calories between 1500 and 1600 at least.
Seventh reason: Eating too much sugar
If you eat sugary foods a lot like donuts, cookies, and cake all the time, expect your blood sugar to rise beyond what your body needs to turn it into energy. This rise makes you feel tired, lazy, sleepy, and very drowsy. Also, watch out because high sugar levels aren’t just in sweets. Some healthy food products hide a lot of sugar inside, like some protein bars and smoothies. So make sure before you eat them that they are truly healthy, or make them yourself with healthy and natural recipes and ingredients.
Eighth reason: Not drinking enough water
If you drink a lot of caffeinated drinks, maybe too much, expect to feel tired, worn out, and sleepy, especially if your body doesn’t get enough water. Your body needs a steady daily amount of water based on your weight and height, and it needs more after you drink coffee or sodas because they have caffeine. Then your body needs water to refresh and regain vitality.
Ninth reason: Avoiding carbs
Many wrong diet plans stop you from eating carbs and rely only on proteins and other foods. Even though losing just one gram of carbs daily means losing some water weight, carbs are your body’s main energy source. You need to eat them in balanced, moderate amounts. If you cut them too much, your body will feel weak, tired, lazy, and you’ll feel sleepy and very much want to sleep. Your daily calorie intake should have about 45 to 65% carbs. That’s around 100 to 200 grams a day. You can get these carbs from brown bread, whole grains, fruit, veggies, and more. There are other harms to your body if you avoid carbs. Learn about them from Here.
The tenth reason: Vitamin D deficiency
If you don't get enough vitamin D from sunlight because you cover your body with sunscreen to avoid skin cancer, you can take supplements that have vitamin D or eat healthy foods rich in it. Add these to your daily meals. Low vitamin D levels can cause depression, anxiety, sadness, and many other symptoms, including a constant desire to sleep.
