I have noticed lately I am always very tired. I am always sleepy and must nap at least once in the day. Very much like an old man would.
Is there anything I can do to increase my energy levels?
[QUOTE=Surya Deva;35043]I have noticed lately I am always very tired. I am always sleepy and must nap at least once in the day. Very much like an old man would.
Is there anything I can do to increase my energy levels?[/QUOTE]
Does this “tired” come after you eat?
What does your sadhana consist of?
Sometimes when you eat things do you get a runny nose? Mucus production?
I am not going to base my response to you on yoga, as you know far more than I.
It could be the result of many things, and with no insight into your life it would be hard for us to pinpoint the possible triggers. But speaking from my own experience, which is all I can offer you…
Before I started the journey of healing myself I was ALWAYS TIRED! Sleeping was my body’s way of coping with what was going on for me inside, the things I was not yet ready or strong enough to deal with.
Maybe there is something on your mind that you not yet aware of (subconsciously even)? Perhaps on a subconscious level sleeping is avoiding it being pushed up? Although you are an inspirational Yogi, perhaps you too, like the rest of us, have things that crop up from time to time…
Just a thought, I might be totally off track.
I have not had a consistent sadhana for a while. Although I recently uped the ante of my practice, but the tiredness was before that. I just feel sleepy all the time, and I have the most vivid and crazy dreams. It’s like I don’t want to be in the body, but remain in the mind.
Of course I do want this to stop and become active in the body. I think it is something to do with energy levels of the body.
I’ve also been feeling extremely tired and prone to needing naps for the last couple of weeks. It doesn’t feel like ‘me’. I’ve definitely increased my studies (reading on the subject for a couple of hours a day) and the amount of time I’m practicing asana/pranayama/meditation has also increased. Unfortunately, my diet hasn’t been great as my sweet tooth has suddenly been on overdrive (gee, I wonder why…old habits trying to remain maybe:) Anyway, yes, energy level has shifted, but I’m being patient and just observing and also trying to take care. Not asking for advice, just letting you know that someone else is going through something similar (possibly), and I feel it’s directly related to my practice.
[QUOTE=Surya Deva;35043]I have noticed lately I am always very tired. I am always sleepy and must nap at least once in the day. Very much like an old man would.
Is there anything I can do to increase my energy levels?[/QUOTE]
Are you staying up too night reading posts on yogaforums.com? I am!
That’s probably why I am so tired in the mornings!
[QUOTE=WakingUp;35069]…as my sweet tooth has suddenly been on overdrive (gee, I wonder why…old habits trying to remain maybe:) Anyway, yes, energy level has shifted, but I’m being patient and just observing and also trying to take care.[/QUOTE]
Hey WalkingUp (coincidental name ;))…The ‘always tired’ bit I mentioned in my previous post here was also combined with sugar cravings, or if you like food cravings, again the body is comforting itself, amazing isn’t it?! So I hear you!
You doing much better than I did by remaining patient and just observing, good advice.
Omamana, YES exactly, sugar cravings like CRAZY it totally feels like the body is trying to comfort itself in the midst of this shift. Last night I was so tired that I napped on the couch for over an hour, and when I woke up, I KNEW I had to pull back on the spiritual study/practice at least for the evening. I had this intense feeling of being scattered or spread too thin like butter on bread (mmmm…bread…with jelly…). I’m going to take the weekend and play outdoors in nature, and do lots of non-spiritual stuff to regenerate and replenish, and maybe the cravings will back off:)
Thanks Waking up.
I have noticed I seem to want to go to sleep right after finishing meditation, so there might be a connection.
Although recently I have been meditating only on and off, cus I am busy with other things, so this may not explain the tiredness. Its been there for a while actually, comes and goes.
I think part of the reason could be because I been staying up a lot recently which has messed up the sleeping cycle. I restored that recently. I woke up at 5am today, did some pranayama and then meditation, and went back to sleep 
MUCUS PRODUCTION? HELLO?
TELL ME!!!
Do you eat certain things and get a runny nose?
IF your a sugar fiend then yes you are going to rise and fall like the roman empire throughout the day.
Sugar. Simple Carbs. Will jack you up. Then make you crash. Its what they do.
ZOOOOOMMM. Ahhhh me tired… more sugar…ZOOOOOOMMMMM. ahhh me tired…
Screw sugar. A little here and there is fine no big whooop. But if your drinking or eating it incesseantly like a fiend this could be a VERY LARGE REASON why your tired . . .
Refined carbs. Breads and Pastas. and soda pops, and candy will shoot you up - then down you go. Chips. Pretzels. and so on . . .
This is unhealthy and unproductive.
Unfortunaly sugar or simple carbs are in pretty much all commercially produced so called food products.
Nah, there is not usually any mucus production or runny nose. I do not eat too many sugary things. In fact I barely have an appetite anymore, I eat at very irregular times and sleep at irregular times(I am a natural vata) I think way too much, I think that might be using up my energy as well.
ITs not just sugary things.
REFINED CARBS!!! Breads. Pastas. Things made with flour. . . . Box cereals. french fries. Potatoes.
Surya,
Do you have sore muscles and are often cold? What about your thyroid?
Any history in your family of thyroid troubles?
my honest initial thought was that it may have something to do with the the way you respond to many people on here, unprocctive arguing can take a lot of energy, I also would believe this behavior goes beyond the yoga forum. and I realize this is the pot calling the kettle black and that the words I wrote I can apply to myself.
best to you my friend
brother Neil
There could be only two reasons.
- Change in your lifestyle (about what and how much you eat and sleep)
- Dissipating your energy in tension or other things knowingly or unknowingly.
I tried one thing and it worked like wonders for me. if point 1 is ok then to fix point 2 you need to be aware of your breaths whenever possible thoughout your day. Just keep on bringing your awareness (again whenever possible) on your breath without getting into any thoughts. This will keep you fresh most the day.
[QUOTE=Surya Deva;35043]I have noticed lately I am always very tired. I am always sleepy and must nap at least once in the day. Very much like an old man would.
Is there anything I can do to increase my energy levels?[/QUOTE]
Do you drink plenty of water? Water is the fist thing that nutritionist claim you could be lacking if your felling tired. Also too much food, too many carbs, too much sugar or fat. Also mentally. I used to get tired when I used to study and think a lot. It’s good to have a few ‘redundant’ mental moments, where you switch off, and forget about things, Go for a picnic, and just soak in the silence. Also, I found that Asanas that focus on the back and legs, give me bucket loads of energy for some reason. I don’t know why, but when I do standing poses like Warrior 2, and lots of twists, my energy levels explode. Hope some of this helps.
We could guess all day long about why you feel tired and as there are countless possible reasons, we’ll be doing a lot of guessing 
If this feeling is of concern and is weighing upon you, you may want to approach a trusted doctor and be evaluated. If you’re given a clean bill of physical health, then you may be able to look in other directions with greater focus and clarity.
Hello,
I would go to your doctor and have them check your iron and B12 levels. I would then take your result and compare it against the ranges and see where you fit in the spectrum.
You may be iron deficient and need to take iron supplements.
In my life, sleepiness, early wakefulness, and vivid dreams are what clue me in to a need for an extra session in the pool or on the treadmill, and a week of food journaling. I usually find that I’ve crept away from my healthy food base (which – for me – is mostly whole grains and veggies, and meals separated by more than 4.5 hours.)
And I agree with everyone else, too – sleepiness seems to be a general symptom, and lots of things could cause it. A sudden series of cloudy days, incomplete nutrition, insufficient sleep, too much sleep, the development of narcolepsy. . .
Good luck!
You could have your liver condition checked. A toxic liver often results fatique. (personally experienced this). Of course there might be other causes, just an idea.