Have you noticed a lack of stamina and energy in your teenager lately? Has your child complained of weariness and tiredness for quite some time? If so, you are not alone in this. Low energy and fatigue are some of the most common problems reported by teenagers. To learn more about the causes of fatigue and lack of energy in your child and how to cope with them, you can talk to a specialist who can give you professional advice.
Fatigue is the feeling of weakness and drowsiness which does not go away with rest alone. It can be physical due to bodily exertion or psychological due to prolonged stress and anxiety. Fatigue can moreover be an outcome of a combination of both physical and mental distress.
Causes of Fatigue
Not getting enough sleep, an unhealthy diet, and busy schedules play a significant role in your child feeling tired and lethargic. Apart from that, mental stress also plays a prominent role in your child feeling this way.
While it’s comparatively easy to cope with physical strain, your child might need extra help battling psychological ailments like depression, anxiety, and stress. The excessive psychological pressure might lead him to opt for drugs, which is an easy escape. It is crucial at this stage to let your child know he is not alone. Otherwise, it can push confused individuals towards further dependence on harmful substances and drug addiction, for which professional help is required. Family help plays a fundamental role in helping a child in his teens fight back emotional distress and survive the psychological challenges he encounters. Professionals offer an addict and his family help to cope with the impact of drug abuse and to help pull teenagers out of cyclical recourse to drugs.
On the other hand, fatigue may be linked to some underlying disease. It is best to opt for medical advice and get a medical specialist to do a complete physical and mental examination if you see drastic changes in your child’s behavior.
Ways To Battle Fatigue in Teenagers
Here are some ways where you can help your child battle feelings of lethargy and tiredness and help them regain lost energy.
- Get A Good Eight Hours Of Sleep
Exhaustion and low energy may be due to a lack of sleep. Recommended hours of sleep for a teenager are eight hours every night. Due to early classes, excessive homework, extracurricular activities, late-night outings, and unnecessary use of smartphones at night, many teenagers have been deprived of the privilege of a good night’s sleep.
Planning a regular sleep schedule will do the trick here. Discourage afternoon naps, no matter how badly your child wants them, so he may sleep early at night and feel revitalized for the next day. Also, encourage your child to avoid sleeping in on the weekends. Sticking to a schedule throughout the week is the key to maintaining healthy sleep patterns.
- Exercise Regularly
While exercise may seem draining as a way to burn energy, and you might assume that it will leave your child feeling even more tired, it does the exact opposite. Regular exercise assists in boosting energy levels and getting rid of fatigue and drowsiness. It will also benefit your child in getting deep sleep at night, which will relax his muscles and reduce the symptoms of fatigue.
Exercise also aids in battling the anxiety and depression that accompanies most teenagers’ life experiences. It gives them an instant sense of achievement and a positive outlook on life.
Fatigue can also be caused by excessive weight gain or weight loss. Proper exercise will assist your child in maintaining a healthy weight too.
- Promote Healthy Eating
One of the most common and obvious causes of low energy is the lack of nutrition. Your child might not be eating well. His diet may lack the nourishment he needs for his body to function properly.
Plan a proper diet for your teenagers. Allow them to have enough protein, carbohydrates, and iron-enriched food. Restrain reliance on empty calories and junk food, which has limited nutritional value and leads to weight gain.
Limit fats in their diet and encourage them to have lean meats, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, pulses, and dairy. Lack of proper nourishment also leads to a weak immune system, which makes them susceptible to multiple illnesses.
The day should start with a healthy, nutritionally rich breakfast. It is also better to divide the meals into six smaller portions rather than eating two to three heavy meals. This meal plan allows the body to digest the food well and provide the required energy at the right time.
- Drink Plenty of Water
Dehydration also contributes to fatigue and low energy levels in people of all ages. Make sure to keep your child hydrated. The average water intake for a teenager is about 8 – 10 glasses per day. Any amount of liquid less than that will result in weariness and drowsiness.
- Limit Screen Time
Screen time directly interferes with sleep cycles. Screen lights keep the senses alert, and your child stays awake beyond bedtime because the regular cycle for the onset of normal sleep at night is delayed. The best way to handle this dilemma is to put all the screens away at least an hour before bedtime. Please keep them in a place where your child cannot access them and where the gadgets won’t disturb their sleep. Excessive screen time also leads to stress, irritability, depression, and anxiety, a common cause of fatigue in teenagers.
- Limit The Caffeine Intake
Caffeine is generally known to energize, but it can create the opposite effect. Besides interfering and messing up the sleep cycle, caffeine can cause a “caffeine crash.” Once the caffeine metabolizes, it leaves the body feeling tired and sore. As a general rule, avoid coffee, tea, sodas, and other forms of caffeine after 3 in the afternoon.
- Address The Psychological Issues
Psychological issues like stress and anxiety are most likely causes of fatigue and weariness in teenagers. Please encourage your child to speak to you about their problems, so pressure doesn’t build up inside. Create a safe and peaceful environment where they can talk about their insecurities and help them sort their priorities.
Conclusion
Lack of energy and fatigue is quite common in teenagers and might be caused by multiple factors. Addressing the issue on time, proper medical attention, psychological counselling, good sleep, plenty of water, enough exercise, and healthy food can help your child recover.
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