Why You're Always Tired

Hey there,

Ever feel like no matter how much sleep you get, you’re still running on fumes?

Like you’re trapped in a never-ending cycle of yawning, sluggishness, and debating whether coffee counts as a meal?

You’re not alone.

Everyone—from teenagers to people who should be in their prime—is dragging through life like they belong in a congressional hearing.

I know because I was there.

So, naturally, I did what any rational person would do: I went down an internet rabbit hole, convinced myself I had 12 different medical conditions, and became my own guinea pig.

Iron deficiency? Gluten sensitivity? A calcified pineal gland? None of the above.

Turns out, the answer was stupidly simple—I was ignoring the basics: sleep, exercise, and diet.

I thought I had those covered. I got some sleep. I worked out. I ate food (mostly things that required chewing).

But I was treating these fundamentals like a checklist instead of something to optimize.

Here’s what actually made a difference:

First, caffeine. AKA, the best and worst thing to happen to humanity.

It turns us into productivity machines but also wrecks our sleep, fuels anxiety, and makes us dependent gremlins.

The half-life of caffeine is 5–7 hours, meaning if you drink a 4 PM coffee, half of that caffeine is still in your system at 11 PM, and a quarter of it is still hanging out at 5 AM.

Your body is supposed to be in deep recovery mode during sleep, not fighting off leftover espresso shots.

So, I stopped drinking caffeine after lunch, capped my intake at two morning cups, and avoided coffee for at least two hours after waking up (to let my natural cortisol do its job).

The result: better sleep, fewer crashes, and no existential dread by 2 PM.

Second, sleep opportunity.

You’ve heard you need eight hours of sleep, but nobody tells you that means more than eight hours in bed.

It takes time to fall asleep, and if you’re only in bed for eight hours, you’re probably getting less than you think.

Sleep debt is real, and you don’t fix it with one good night—you need consistent, quality rest.

I started allowing myself at least 8.5 to 9 hours in bed, and my energy levels stopped resembling a rollercoaster.

Third, my circadian rhythm. 

Your body has an internal clock, but most of us are wrecking ours.

The biggest culprit is screens (no shocker there).

Blue light from your phone tricks your brain into thinking it’s still daytime, delaying melatonin production and sabotaging your sleep.

So, I ditched screens before bed, avoided using my phone in bed, and invested in blackout curtains (or, if you’re on a budget, just pin up a blanket like a caveman).

Game changer.

Then, breathing. James Nestor’s book Breath highlights how nasal breathing is superior to mouth breathing.

But every night, my nose would get congested, forcing me to mouth-breathe like a neanderthal.

That’s where Blaze Performance Nose Strips came in. These things worked wonders, improving my sleep and even my workouts (no affiliation, just a fact).

Worth trying if you wake up with a dry mouth and the vague sense that you were fighting for air all night.

Finally, movement. You’d think expending energy would leave you with less energy, but the opposite is true.

Those who move regularly actually build a higher baseline of energy.

I assumed my three weekly workouts were enough, but my sedentary work life was draining me.

So, I added post-workout runs (6-7.5 miles total per week) and started walking more throughout the day.

Small tweaks, big impact.

If you’re glued to a chair all day, getting up and moving—even just a few minutes every hour—can make a huge difference.

And no, I’m not diving deep into diet because, let’s be real, the internet is already loud enough on that front.

But in general, eat less processed junk, avoid excessive sugar, drink enough water, and figure out what works for your body.

The real key to all of this is that it’s not “one magic fix”—it’s dialing in all of these things.

When sleep, exercise, and nutrition work together, your energy skyrockets.

You stop dragging through the day and start tackling life head-on, without feeling like someone’s pulling you back by the collar.

Fix the fundamentals, and you might just wake up feeling actually rested for once.

Have a wonderful week, all.
Much love to you and yours, Scott (@motivatedscott).

This newsletter is brought to you by Lumen

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Simple, right?

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• The Mindset That Will Instantly Improve Your Life