WASHINGTON: Waking up tired after what seemed like a full night's sleep can leave you wondering why your energy never seems to return. You may turn to another cup of coffee, push through the working day or assume you simply need more rest. But when exhaustion keeps returning, the explanation may involve more than how many hours you spend in bed.
Poor-quality sleep, irregular sleep schedules and conditions such as obstructive sleep apnoea can leave people feeling drained during the day. Fatigue can also be associated with medical problems, including anaemia and thyroid disorders, making it important not to dismiss persistent symptoms as an unavoidable part of a busy life.
New data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlight how widespread the problem is. A report published by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) found that 16.6% of US adults experienced frequent fatigue in 2024. More than seven in 10 reported feeling very tired or exhausted at least some days over the preceding three months.
The findings do not establish why people experienced fatigue or show that Americans are becoming more exhausted over time. They do, however, underline how frequently tiredness occurs and how closely frequent fatigue can coincide with difficulties in everyday functioning.
For people who feel exhausted despite trying to get enough sleep, sleep specialists say the important question is not simply how tired they feel, but what may be preventing them from feeling rested.
Why you can feel tired even after sleeping
Sleep duration is only part of the picture. The quality of sleep, consistency of the sleep schedule and presence of an untreated sleep disorder can all affect how rested someone feels.
Dr Zubin Bham, a sleep physician at Bridgeport Hospital in Connecticut, said modern routines can leave people with too little time to sleep as they try to manage competing demands.
“Our lives have gotten so much busier that we don’t have enough hours in a day to get through everything we need to get done,” he said. “So we’re spending less time sleeping.”
A demanding schedule may contribute to insufficient sleep, but it should not automatically be blamed for every case of persistent exhaustion. Some people spend enough time in bed yet continue to feel drained because their sleep is repeatedly interrupted or is not restorative.
The distinction matters because the right response depends on the cause. Adjusting bedtime may help someone who is consistently sleeping too little, while a person with a sleep disorder or another medical condition may need professional assessment and treatment.
CDC data reveal the wider impact of fatigue
The CDC findings come from the 2024 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), which asked adults aged 18 and older how often they had felt very tired or exhausted during the previous three months.
The report, Fatigue Among Adults Age 18 and Older: United States, 2024, was written by Natalie A.E. Young, PhD; Julie D. Weeks, PhD; and Nazik Elgaddal, MS.
Of the adults surveyed, 54.9% reported feeling very tired or exhausted on some days, 10.7% on most days and 5.9% every day. The remaining 28.5% said they had not experienced these symptoms during the period.
The researchers classified fatigue as frequent when respondents reported feeling very tired or exhausted on most days or every day. By that definition, 16.6% of adults experienced frequent fatigue.
Women were more likely than men to report frequent fatigue, at 20% compared with 13%. The prevalence was highest among adults aged 18 to 34, at 19.5%, and lowest among those aged 65 and older, at 12.9%.
Differences were also recorded across racial and Hispanic-origin groups. Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native adults had the highest reported prevalence, at 25.5%. The figures were 18% among non-Hispanic White adults, 17.3% among non-Hispanic Black adults, 12.9% among Hispanic adults and 9.1% among non-Hispanic Asian adults.
Frequent fatigue was more common among adults with lower family incomes and those living in the South and Midwest. It also increased as the level of urbanisation decreased, with nonmetropolitan areas reporting a higher prevalence than large metropolitan areas.
These figures describe differences in reported symptoms. They do not explain the reasons for those differences or establish that any particular demographic characteristic causes fatigue.
The effects go beyond feeling sleepy
The CDC report found that adults with frequent fatigue were more likely to report limitations in daily life than adults without frequent fatigue.
About 36% of adults experiencing frequent fatigue reported limitations in their ability to work, compared with 15.3% of those without frequent fatigue. Social activities were also affected: 29% of those with frequent fatigue reported some degree of difficulty participating, compared with 8% of adults without frequent fatigue.
Among adults reporting frequent fatigue, 45.3% said symptoms lasted for some of the day, 34.5% said they lasted most of the day and 20.2% reported fatigue lasting all day. When asked about intensity, 14.5% described their fatigue as a little, 46.8% rated it between a little and a lot, and 38.8% described it as a lot.
Frequent fatigue also coincided with other reported functioning difficulties. Symptoms of anxiety were reported by 69.6% of adults with frequent fatigue, while 46.1% reported cognitive difficulties and 45% reported symptoms of depression.
Overall, 89.1% of adults with frequent fatigue reported at least one other functioning difficulty, and 50.9% reported difficulties across three or more areas.
These findings show an association, not proof of cause and effect. The survey cannot determine whether fatigue contributed to these difficulties, whether other problems contributed to fatigue or whether both were influenced by other factors.
What sleep doctors recommend to improve daytime energy
While the right approach depends on why someone is tired, Dr Bham and Dr Yasemin Tashman, a sleep medicine specialist at Mayo Clinic, recommend paying attention to everyday habits that can affect energy and sleep.
1. Review your meals and drink enough water
Dr Bham advises looking at eating patterns, noting that heavy meals may promote fatigue and sleepiness, particularly meals rich in protein.
Staying adequately hydrated is another practical consideration. General US guidance commonly cites approximately 11.5 cups of total water intake daily for women and 15.5 cups for men. These estimates include water from food and all beverages, not just plain drinking water. Around 20% of daily water intake typically comes from foods such as fruit and vegetables.
Water requirements vary depending on factors such as physical activity, climate and individual health, so these figures are general guidelines rather than targets that apply equally to everyone.
2. Move your body, even if you do not feel like exercising
When fatigue makes it difficult to concentrate or continue working, a movement break may help.
Dr Tashman recommends finding an activity that gets the body moving rather than assuming that vigorous exercise is necessary. A short walk or a few minutes of stretching may be a manageable option during the day.
A recent study cited in the original expert report suggested that 20 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise may be a useful duration for improving memory after a sleepless night. However, this finding should not be interpreted as proof that a 20-minute workout treats persistent fatigue or makes up for inadequate sleep.
The practical message is to choose movement appropriate to your ability and circumstances, rather than pushing through exhaustion with strenuous exercise.
3. Rethink your caffeine and nap habits
Coffee may make you feel more alert temporarily, but its timing can affect your ability to sleep later.
Dr Tashman advises avoiding caffeine within approximately eight to 10 hours of bedtime. The effect varies between individuals, but caffeine taken too late in the day can interfere with sleep and contribute to a cycle of daytime tiredness and nighttime difficulty sleeping.
If a nap is necessary, she recommends limiting it to a maximum of 20 minutes. Brief naps may offer a short break without interfering as much with nighttime sleep, although individual responses vary.
Neither caffeine nor naps should become a substitute for addressing a persistent lack of restorative sleep.
4. Keep your bedtime and wake-up time consistent
An irregular schedule can make it harder to maintain a reliable sleep routine. Dr Bham recommends going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time every day.
“The more routine you can make it,” he said, “the better your body will be.”
Consistency can help people who regularly cut short their sleep or shift their sleep times. It is also useful to allow enough time for sleep rather than relying on a schedule that repeatedly leaves the body short of rest.
5. Make your bedroom more conducive to sleep
Small changes to the sleep environment may help improve comfort and sleep quality. These include keeping the bedroom comfortably cool and using a mattress that supports comfortable rest.
Dr Tashman also recommends avoiding phone use for 30 to 60 minutes before bed. Reducing screen-related distractions can help make the transition to sleep easier for some people.
These adjustments are worth considering, but they may not be enough when an untreated sleep disorder or another health condition is responsible for persistent exhaustion.
Fatigue or sleepiness: how can you tell the difference?
The terms fatigue and sleepiness are often used interchangeably, but they do not describe exactly the same experience.
Sleepiness generally involves drowsiness or a tendency to fall asleep. Fatigue can involve physical or mental exhaustion, reduced energy or difficulty carrying out normal activities, even when a person does not feel ready to sleep.
One question worth considering is whether you feel refreshed after a night of adequate sleep. Dr Tashman said that feeling rejuvenated after sleeping well may suggest that you had not been getting enough sleep.
If you continue to feel exhausted regardless of how long you sleep, however, another issue may be involved. Poor sleep quality is one possibility: spending many hours in bed does not guarantee that sleep is restorative.
This distinction is not a diagnosis. Symptoms alone cannot reliably determine the cause, and persistent fatigue may require a broader assessment.
Sleep disorders, health conditions you should not overlook
Obstructive sleep apnoea, insomnia and restless legs syndrome can interfere with restorative sleep and contribute to daytime fatigue.
Obstructive sleep apnoea can repeatedly interrupt breathing during sleep. Insomnia can make it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep, while restless legs syndrome can cause uncomfortable sensations and an urge to move the legs that disrupts rest.
Fatigue may also be associated with conditions outside sleep medicine. Dr Tashman identified anaemia, thyroid problems and certain autoimmune diseases as possible causes.
Medication effects and other health issues may also need consideration, depending on the person's symptoms and medical history. That is why persistent exhaustion should not automatically be attributed to stress, a busy schedule or poor sleep habits.
If fatigue continues despite adequate rest, keeps returning or interferes with work and everyday activities, consult a healthcare professional. Depending on the circumstances, a clinician may review sleep patterns, medications, lifestyle factors and other symptoms before deciding whether examination or testing is needed.
Seek urgent medical attention if sudden or severe fatigue occurs alongside warning signs such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, fainting or new confusion.
When should you stop trying to push through tiredness?
Occasional tiredness after a demanding day is not the same as exhaustion that repeatedly affects daily functioning. If you routinely wake up unrefreshed, struggle to stay alert or find that fatigue is affecting your work and social life, it is worth looking beyond another cup of coffee.
The CDC findings show that frequent fatigue can coincide with broader difficulties in functioning, but they do not establish a single explanation for the symptoms. For some people, changes to sleep routines, hydration, meals and physical activity may help. For others, a sleep disorder or medical condition may need to be identified and treated.
Dr Bham emphasised the importance of finding the underlying issue rather than treating tiredness as a problem with one universal solution. As he put it, the goal is “seeing the right doctor, the right specialist, and fixing the right issue.”
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