There may be a subconscious desire to hibernate as the days get shorter, the nights cooler, and the clocks get turned back.

We may even feel more tired during our workouts this time of year. If after a couple of weeks, you don’t feel that you have adjusted to the season and shorter days, you may want to consider some other causes.

What other factors, if any, could be contributing to our lethargy? What follows is a discussion of six possible causes for such feelings:

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder that, if left untreated, may lead to health issues like high blood pressure and heart problems. With sleep apnea your breathing stops many times while you sleep. This makes you snore loudly and feel exhausted even after sleeping the whole night. Sleep apnea can happen to anyone, but older, overweight men are most likely to have it.

Breathing cessation and awakening repeatedly occur may during the night, which makes you wake up feeling tired. If you have sleep apnea symptoms, such as daytime tiredness and snoring, see your primary care physician to discuss the risks and possible treatment methods.

Anemia

When red blood cells are low, oxygen can't get to your organs and tissues as it should, this results in anemia. Anemia, or low hemoglobin, is a condition that causes extreme loss of energy. Remember, we need oxygen to burn body fuel like glucose and fats to produce energy. Therefore, if your body doesn't have enough "transporters," cells will not receive enough oxygen; therefore, less energy will be produced. As a result, one feels weak depending on whether the anemia is mild, moderate, or severe.

Anemia may be due to short-term or long-standing causes. Acute causes include infection and bleeding due to trauma. Anemia can also occur due to cancers and bone or kidney disease. Therefore, you must see a doctor to rule out any serious cause.

Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is a medical disorder resulting from the inability of thyroid glands to produce sufficient thyroid hormones(triiodothyronine and tetraiodothyronine). The work of thyroid hormones is to increase your body's metabolic rate or activity. Suppose they are deficient; as in hypothyroidism, the body is less active, and therefore, you feel tired. Symptoms to prompt consultation include excess sleep, cold intolerance, tiredness, hair loss, dry skin, and weight gain.

Your doctor can easily treat hypothyroidism by giving exogenous thyroid hormones. It is recommendable to see a doctor for a diagnosis to avoid serious complications like heart rhythm disorders, sexual dysfunction, and the life-threatening variant of hypothyroidism called myxoedema.

Autoimmune Disease

Autoimmune illness develops when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body instead of defending it. The reason your immune system reacts this way is unknown. Over a hundred distinct autoimmune disorders now exist. Diseases like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis are examples of the more common autoimmune disorders.

Autoimmune disorders lead to a long-standing inflammatory response. Inflammation disrupts the balance of cytokines which is important for mood, cognition, and sleep. The disruption of normal physiological cytokine balance leads to weariness.

If not treated, autoimmune disease can destroy crucial organs, leading to organ dysfunction. It is crucial to see a doctor early as there are medications to alleviate the severity of autoimmune attacks.

Depression

Depression creates sadness and apathy. It can cause mental and physical issues and impact your thinking, feeling, and acting. You may struggle with daily tasks and feel that life isn't worth living. In case of depression, you are likely to feel tired most of the time. However, why does this happen?

Depression causes dysregulation of brain neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and adrenaline that control pleasure, sleep, and motivation.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder due to the partial or complete absence of insulin hormone. It may occur due to the body's inability to use or produce insulin. Since insulin directly lowers blood glucose, its deficiency will lead to chronically elevated blood sugars. For glucose to enter cells, insulins must "open the gates." Suppose the opener is deficient; no glucose will enter the cells, meaning there is no fuel to produce energy, thus the tiredness. Although abundant glucose is in the blood, cells can't use it. This is why sometimes diabetes is referred to as "starving in the land of abundance."

In case you have diabetes and you feel tired, book regular consultations. This is because diabetes is associated with chronic complications like kidney disease, eye disease, high blood pressure, heart disease, and artery disease, among others. Controlling blood sugar is of utmost significance if you have to avoid these complications. There are also acute life-threatening complications like diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic states.

In case you suspect or have any of these, see a doctor. In addition, the risk for some of the causes can be overcome by exercise and fitness. These include diabetes, depression, sleep apnea, and to some extent anemia.