Americans spend 1,500 hours a year feeling tired

Do you feel like you say “I’m tired” a lot? Are you fighting the urge to yawn as you read this?

Well, it looks like you’re not alone. A new survey of 2,000 adults from Talker Research conducted for MD Live and shared by SWNS Digital found that the average person says “I’m tired” out loud three times a day. They also revealed that they spend 1,460 out of the 8,760 hours in a year feeling tired.

A third of the respondents said they even feel tired always or often after a good night’s sleep.

According to a Cleveland Clinic interview with sleep disorders specialist Marri Horvat, MD, there are several sleep disorders that can cause tiredness after eight hours of sleep. These include sleep apnea, a breathing disorder, and restless leg syndrome. Thyroid problems, environmental factors such as noise and heat, diet, alcohol use, mental health conditions and anemia can also impact sleep.

Sleepiness appears to be impacting Americans’ lives, according to the Talker survey. Results showed that 58% of respondents said ​​feeling tired often keeps them from enjoying life. A third said it caused them to skip events and more than a quarter said it has caused them to cancel plans with family and friends. Additionally, 32% of respondents said they procrastinate on doing chores when they are tired, 21% said they skip exercising, 20% said they avoid cooking and 30% said they just stay in bed.

Often, weekends hardly offer a reprieve from sluggish energy. According to the survey, the average American spends 27% of their weekend recuperating from the previous week.

Last November, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that 13.5% of adults age 18 years old and older who participated in a 2022 survey said they felt very tired or exhausted most days or every day over the previous 3-month period. The following month, the CDC released data about myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome “a complex, multisystem illness characterized by activity-limiting fatigue, worsening of symptoms after activity, and other symptoms,” with no known cause. Per the CDC, 1.3% of U.S. adults had the condition as of 2021-2022.

Apart from chronic fatigue syndrome, other chronic illnesses can contribute to feelings of sleepiness or fatigue.

“The survey also included 1,000 respondents who reported suffering from a chronic disease, including diabetes, obesity or hypertension, among other conditions,” said SWNS of the Talker survey results. Respondents who suffered from chronic disease reported being tired two extra hours each day compared to those who did not have one. They also reported avoiding social interaction more and having a difficult time enjoying life.

While many of us feel tired, 33% of the respondents said they push through their feelings to get things done. In fact, 35% admit they “rarely” or “never” think about the underlying reasons behind their tiredness or fatigue.

“More than half of respondents (51%) are not convinced that fatigue is a serious health concern and 35% aren’t aware that fatigue can be linked to an underlying condition,” SWNS said.

At the same time, 88% regularly had symptoms that lined up with fatigue. Common symptoms are very low energy (38%), trouble sleeping (37%), low motivation (33%), tired eyes (32%) and muscle pain/weakness (32%).

“Occasional tiredness can often be managed with better sleep habits and lifestyle changes, but fatigue is a persistent exhaustion that could signal underlying health issues that should be discussed with a doctor,” said Dr. Maggie Williams, medical director for MD Live Virtual Primary Care, as cited by SWNS.