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Why Are You So Tired?


Fatigue Cause Number One: Time-Stacking

For many women who suffer from fatigue, the diagnosis is "time-stacking" or multitasking to the max and not getting enough sleep. "If you're juggling kids, careers, and a long list of commitments and only getting five or six hours a night, it will catch up with you, McIlwain says.

But what if you're a healthy woman, getting eight hours of sleep nightly, and still feel fatigue? McIlwain recommends a checkup to see if there are any health problems to blame for the fatigue.

If you feel fatigued for longer than a week or two and you're getting plenty of sleep and don't have a cold or other viral infection, McIlwain says to call your doctor. "Most of the time, fatigue has a fairly straightforward explanation, and sometimes medical treatment is necessary."

Fatigue can also be the sign of a serious illness, which is why your doctor may be able to quickly diagnose the problem.




SOURCES: Harris H. McIlwain, MD, rheumatologist, adjunct professor, University of South Florida, Tampa; author, The Fibromyalgia Handbook, 3rd Edition. Ronald R. Fieve, MD, psychopharmacologist, professor of clinical psychiatry, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York City; author, Bipolar II. Nieca Goldberg, MD, director, NYU Medical Center Women's Heart Program; associate professor, NYU School of Medicine, New York City. Rebecca Amaru, MD, clinical instructor of obstetrics and gynecology, Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York City. W. Stephen Pray, PhD, RPh, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Weatherford, Okla. Rudy Rivera, MD, author, Your Hidden Food Allergies Are Making You Fat. WebMD Feature: "Living with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue." WebMD Feature: "Why Am I So Tired?" WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise: "Sleep Apnea—Treatment Overview." WebMD Medical Reference provided in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic: "Depression: Detecting Depression." WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise: "Hypothyroidism."