Exhausted States of America: Average person feels tired over 4 hours each day

NEW YORK — There’s no question that the fast-paced nature of modern life can certainly wear anyone out, but a concerning new poll finds many people are actually sleep-walking through their days. Researchers found that the average American spends 1,460 hours a year feeling tired.

The survey of 2,000 adults examined how Americans deal with their symptoms of tiredness and found that the average person feels tired four hours a day, and nearly a third (31%) admit they feel tired for even longer than that. In fact, one in three people “always” or “often” still feels tired after a good night’s sleep.

Conducted by Talker Research for MD Live, the survey also reveals that 58% believe feeling tired often prevents them from enjoying life. The same number added that feeling exhausted has caused them to avoid social interactions, forcing a third to skip events and 27% to cancel plans with family or friends.

For people living with persistent health issues, it can be even worse. The survey also included 1,000 respondents who reported suffering from a chronic disease, including diabetes, obesity, or hypertension, among other conditions.

Compared to those who do not suffer from a chronic disease, these respondents reported being tired two extra hours a day, avoiding social interactions more because of their health (64% vs. 51%), and having a more difficult time enjoying life (66% vs 50%). Dealing with these feelings trickles into the weekend for many respondents, as the average American spends 27% of their weekend recuperating from the previous week.

For chronic disease sufferers, 40% have skipped events, and 33% have canceled plans with loved ones due to their feelings of extreme tiredness. However, recuperation doesn’t always mean relaxing. Americans find themselves procrastinating with their chores (32%) and staying in bed (30%) when they feel tired.

Moreover, those surveyed shared that they end up skipping exercising (21%) or avoiding cooking (20%) when exhaustion hits. Still, 33% of those surveyed said they push through their feelings of tiredness to get things done.

While the average person says “I’m tired” out loud three times a day, many Americans prefer to hide their feelings from others. In fact, one in seven say “I’m fine” to others every day — even if they don’t always mean it. Those who push through said they do so because they are concerned about things not getting done (54%) or feel that their tiredness will pass (23%).

Although tiredness slows them down, 35% admit they “rarely” or “never” think about the underlying reasons behind their sluggishness. Another 43% weren’t aware that there is a difference between tiredness and fatigue.

“Despite using words like ‘tired’ and ‘exhausted’ interchangeably, there are distinct and clinical differences between tiredness and fatigue,” explains Dr. Maggie Williams, medical director for MD Live Virtual Primary Care, in a statement. “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.”

More than half of respondents (51%) are not convinced that fatigue is a serious health concern, and 35% aren’t aware that fatigue can have a link to an underlying health problem. Despite that, a staggering 88% identified having symptoms of fatigue regularly.

The most common symptoms Americans experience are having very low energy (38%), trouble sleeping (37%), low motivation (33%), tired eyes (32%), and muscle pain or weakness (32%). Respondents may even be overlooking some of the lesser-recognized symptoms of fatigue they’re experiencing, like poor memory (27%) and nervousness or anxiety (22%).

However, when they do have these feelings of tiredness, only five percent speak to a doctor about it. When it comes to fatigue, 66% say they have never spoken with a doctor about experiencing any of these symptoms.

Knowledge may be key for respondents to understand more about their bodies. In fact, nearly a fifth of Americans (17%) are not sure if they suffer from fatigue. 

“If sleep-related issues or feelings of extreme tiredness begin to interfere with your quality of life, it’s important to consult a doctor. Before diagnosis, more than one-third of chronic disease sufferers noted they experienced extreme tiredness without realizing it was a symptom of their underlying condition,” notes Dr. Williams. “A doctor’s evaluation can help identify the root cause of any symptoms and develop an effective treatment plan.”