by John G Thomas

Created on: July 11, 2011

Sleep may be the most underrated solution to many of the leading health problems that plague our modern times. The modern world is fast paced, and in some circles work s seen as being for the weak. We have all heard stories of celebrities and successful people claiming to survive on four hours sleep a day, but what price are they paying for racking up such enormous sleep debt?

Sleep is incredibly important for both physical and psychological health. The simple fact is, we cannot manage without sleep. If we go with out sleep for long enough we die.

If you are feeling tired during the day and cannot seem to function at your peak due to feeling tired, then it is time take a step back and look at the reasons why you could be feeling this way.

Here are five reasons that you could be tired.

The first and most obvious reason, that many people overlook, is the simple question of how many hours of sleep on average they are getting each night. Studies have shown that sleeping less than six hours per night can cause daytime sleepiness and drowsiness.
Feeling tired and fatigued can be caused by stress and anxiety. Stress and anxiety are draining emotions. Facing a stressful situation can be tiring, especially when you cannot see a solution to the problem.

Diet factors can also contribute to feeling tired more than normal. Being overweight and underweight can cause lack of energy and lethargy. Being underweight means that most likely you are consuming too fewer calories to give your body the fuel it needs for energy. Being over weight means that your body has to work on over drive to complete everyday activities and tasks.

Many individuals who work shift patterns and nights find that their body clock becomes disrupted and they suffer from disturbed and broken sleep patterns. Without quality sleep our brains are unable to function properly.

The most common problem and arguably the easiest to avoid is caffeine. Caffeine consumption is a major culprit in causing sleep problems, which leave people feeling tired and irritable when they should be well rested and ready to face the day. Caffeine is not just in tea and coffee but also in many soft drinks and fizzy drinks. It is also found in some food products, including chocolate.

If you are feeling tired and want to find a reason for it, then look at your lifestyle factors and ask yourself what physical or emotional causes could be disrupting your sleep and casing tiredness.

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