10 REASONS YOU’RE... ALWAYS TIRED

1 DIABETES Regular tiredness is a common symptom. Others include constant thirst, needing the loo all the time, and slow-healing wounds. It’s simple for your GP to diagnose with a blood test. 2 YOU’RE GLUTEN INTOLERANT Coeliac disease, the body’s reaction to gluten, damages the small intestines, hampering the body’s ability to absorb nutrients. 3 CAFFEINE AT THE WRONG TIME A late-night caffeine drink increases the likelihood of waking in the night. An 8am cup of coffee isn’t a problem, but caffeine stays in the system for up to 14 hours. 4 YOU HAVE ANAEMIA Iron-deficiency anaemia can make you feel rundown. It’s comon during pregnancy. You may need iron supplements and to boost your intake with dark-green leafy vegetables. 5 FEELING ANXIOUS? Anxiety and depression can interrupt sleep, leaving you feeling more tired during the day. A Mental Health Foundation survey found that almost a third of us are severely sleep-deprived, often because of job and money worries. 6 YOUR THYROID IS UNDERACTIVE Tiredness is a symptom of an underactive thyroid, where the body doesn’t produce enough hormones. This isn’t usually serious and can be treated with hormone pills. 7 YOU HAVE SLEEP APNOEA Does your partner complain about your snoring? Sleep apnoea, where your throat narrows during sleep and interrupts your breathing, can cause sleepless nights and exhaustion. 8 YOU ENJOY A NIGHTCAP A glass of red may help you unwind, but you’ll sleep less deeply afterwards, even if you manage a full eight hours. ‘Never drink just before bedtime,’ advises Marcus Herbert, physiologist for Nuffield Health. ‘Avoid alcohol for at least two hours before.’ 9 YOU’RE FLAT OUT… ON THE SOFA Studies have shown that people sleep better and are more alert in the daytime if they get at least 150 minutes of exercise a week. Some experts believe that exercise triggers an increase in body temperature, and the post-exercise drop in temperature may promote falling asleep.

10 YOU MAY HAVE CHRONIC FATIGUE Severe, disabling tiredness lasting for at least six months could indicate that you have chronic fatigue syndrome. You may also have symptoms such as a sore throat, muscle and joint pain and headaches. The cause is unknown, but some believe it is triggered by a viral infection.