Peak Pursuits: Why Are More Young Men Feeling Tired?

Medical news today

If you ask a young man in his twenties how he is doing, you will probably hear an answer in the form of a familiar phrase: “I’m tired.”

In fact, for many men today, fatigue is not just an occasional problem; it has become an everyday reality. Young men wake up tired, look to coffee to help them make it through the day, and think of low energy as nothing unusual in adult life. These young men seem to be doing everything correctly – working out several times a week, making healthy, protein-rich meals, taking vitamins, and living a healthy lifestyle. But even with that, they still feel fatigue that won't leave them.

So why does this happen?

Although long work hours and low motivation are often blamed for fatigue, specialists suggest the causes may be far more complex. Fatigue is frequently due to several lifestyle factors such as poor sleep, ongoing stress, eating habits, watching too many screens, drinking alcohol, and even overdoing exercise without recovery periods. In certain instances, lasting fatigue may even signal some health problems.

One reason fatigue is so widespread today is that people don't usually give their minds and bodies enough time to recover.

"Exhaustion feels increasingly normal, especially among people in their 20s and 30s, because modern life places constant psychological, cognitive, and emotional demands with very little true recovery," said Asst Prof Cyrus Ho, Senior Consultant in the Department of Psychological Medicine at the National University Hospital (NUH).

Unlike past generations, many today’s young adults appear to live in what specialists refer to as an “always-on” environment: work emails pour in non-stop around the clock, social media activities continue, news alerts come in day and night, and cell phones make it harder to disconnect. The demarcations between work, private life, and relaxation have blended, leaving little room for proper recovery. 

Work emails, social media, news alerts, and constant notifications make it increasingly difficult for the brain to fully switch off, leaving little room for genuine recovery.

In modern life, there is a constant need to use the mind. On the one hand, this may not seem to create much strain, but on the other hand, it puts the brain under continual cognitive and emotional pressure. Even if a person looks well on the outside, he or she might be mentally exhausted due to this pressure throughout the day.

Because many young people believe that, to get good rest, they must sleep seven or eight hours a day, they forget about sleep quality. Using social networks, watching videos all night long, or having an inconsistent sleep schedule reduces the time a person spends in deep sleep.

Research supports this idea. A research report from NCBI published by Jun Kohyama concluded that while both sleep quantity and sleep quality are fundamental to overall health, many studies suggest that sleep quality may be a better indicator of health and daytime functioning than the number of hours slept alone. In other words, spending eight hours in bed does not necessarily guarantee restorative sleep if that sleep is frequently interrupted or lacks sufficient deep sleep.

Not getting enough sleep affects more than just your energy levels. It can impair concentration, slow reaction time, affect decision-making, compromise the immune system, and prolong recovery after exercise. Surprisingly, many people cope with sleep problems by consuming more caffeine, thus reinforcing the cycle of poor sleep and increased stimulant consumption.

Many people think of stress as something that impacts one’s mental health only. In reality, chronic stress negatively affects the body as well. Whenever stress is present, hormone levels, including cortisol, are high, leaving less opportunity for the body to recuperate from day-to-day activities.

For many young men, these pressures can be felt even when they are not at work. Concerns about career, financial state, relationships, fitness, and social media comparisons require psychological resources. Each pressure creates stress, but in combination they can be overwhelming.

"Chronic stress can affect the body quietly and cumulatively, even in people who appear fit and healthy on the outside," said Asst Prof Cyrus Ho, Senior Consultant in the Department of Psychological Medicine at the National University Hospital (NUH).

Because fatigue is often invisible, it is easy to dismiss when someone appears physically healthy. It is possible for a person to go to the gym regularly, eat properly, and live an active life but still suffer from biological problems caused by ongoing stress. The feeling of constantly being tired does not necessarily mean that the person lacks discipline or motivation. Many people feel fatigued simply because their bodies do not get enough opportunities to relax.

While people usually view fatigue as something to deal with, specialists recommend paying attention to the first symptoms of fatigue. Being tired after a good night's sleep, having memory problems, getting sick too often, and feeling bored with old activities can mean that stress is starting to affect health.

As young people try to get better results in the gym and outside of it, recovery is often forgotten. Physical exercise and healthy eating are vital, but they can hardly replace the need for good recovery in cases of chronic stress or sleeplessness. It is critical to realize what else can take away energy of a person.

Sleep and stress may be two of the key causes of fatigue. However, they are not the only causes. Daily habits that might seem harmless can also take a toll on your energy level over time.

One of the prime examples of this is nutrition. Most young men who are physically active are concerned with their protein intake. However, staying energized takes more than building muscles. While carbohydrates are the main energy source, iron and vitamins such as vitamin B12 and vitamin D support metabolism and help to keep tiredness away. Skipping meals or following overly restrictive diets can leave the body without enough energy to support both exercise and daily life.

Recovery is also a factor that is often neglected. Many in the fitness culture think that the tougher you push yourself, the better your results, yet our bodies actually get stronger in recovery. Recovery means that the body has enough rest to repair muscles, replenish energy reserves, and recover the nervous system after exertion. Not having enough recovery leads to exercise that is meant to make us healthier resulting in constant fatigue, decreased performance, and lack of motivation. 

It is also essential to consider daily habits that are not related to exercise. For example, although alcohol may help a person to fall asleep faster, it can lower the quality of sleep due to disrupting normal sleep phases. Another example is using smartphones or laptops for hours before bedtime, which leads to brain stimulation and blue light exposure; thus, it becomes harder to fall asleep. Many people tend to rely on coffee or energy drinks to overcome fatigue; therefore, they build a habit of poor sleep, followed by caffeine use that may also lead to sleep problems.

If one suffers from exhaustion despite changing lifestyle or when tiredness interferes with work, relationships, or day-to-day activities, it could possibly reveal that some medical conditions might be present.

Feeling tired has become increasingly common among young men, but that does not mean it should be accepted as normal. Rather than simply pushing through exhaustion, recognizing fatigue as an early warning sign may be one of the most important steps toward protecting both long-term health and everyday performance.