Energy Zappers

Exhausted? Lack of sleep might not be the only culprit

- Jennifer Davis

If you’re feeling chronically tired, it could be due to arthritis pain disrupting your sleep or the fatigue that often accompanies inflammatory arthritis. Or it could be a result of one of these other culprits.

Depression and anxiety are two well-known energy zappers, and both are more common in people with arthritis than in other people. Depression drains energy and can alter sleep patterns, and some medications used to treat it also can result in fatigue. Plus, anxiety and stress can cause nighttime ruminations that inhibit good sleep.