To send a link and summary of this article to a friend, click here . Lots of tired people. Surveys show that fatigue is one of the most common reasons that we consult our family doctors. And that s not surprising when you consider the number of conditions, both major and minor, that have fatigue as a symptom. Stress, depression, thyroid problems, anemia and food allergies can all cause persistent tiredness, says Susan M. Lark, M.D., author of Chronic Fatigue and Tiredness, director of the PMS and Menopause Self-Help Center in Los Altos, California, and a physician specializing in women s health.
Many women also have premenstrual fatigue or fatigue that s related to menopause.
And while it may seem obvious, many of us simply don t get enough sleep. While a small minority of people can get by on four or five hours a night, most people need six to nine hours, says Peter Hauri, Ph.D., director of the insomnia program at the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Center in Rochester, Minnesota. The real test of whether you re getting enough sleep is how you feel and function during the day. And if your fatigue continues for six months or longer and is so severe that you can t function normally, you may have chronic fatigue syndrome, a mysterious illness that causes flulike symptoms, persistent muscle pain and problems remembering or concentrating. Chronic fatigue syndrome hits mostly people between ages 25 and 50 and is relatively rare.