Drowsiness throughout the day can make things a drag, but it also has negative effects on your health. A good amount of sleep is essential to staying healthy, so here are 7 of the most surprising things to look out for if you’re ever experiencing tiredness.

1. Low Nitric Oxide Levels

Nitric Oxide is a molecule that benefits almost every part of your body, but it’s also one of the main contributors to helping you sleep.[1] It’s one of major things to look out for if you’re ever experiencing fatigue.

2. Dehydration

Many symptoms of dehydration include lightheadedness, thirst, and tiredness. It’s as destructive to falling asleep as it is to staying asleep. To prevent dehydration, a good benchmark is to drink 4-6 cups of water per day.[2]

3. Hormone Imbalance

As you age, certain hormones may be produced less and less, and some of those are key to helping you sleep. Cortisol, Melatonin, and Testosterone are some of the most important to keep in balance if you want to sleep better.

4. Low Blood Pressure

At night, it’s common to have a lower blood pressure than while awake, so it’s important to keep an eye on it. Studies testing low blood pressure and sleep patterns found that many patients with low blood pressure had struggles sleeping and therefore staying awake during the day.[3]

5. Unbalanced Diet

What classifies as a balanced diet depends on your individual needs and habits, but there are some trends that affect your daytime energy and nighttime sleep. Commonly, less fat and more carbohydrates is the best pattern for a higher energy diet.[4] 

6. Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Vitamin B12 has been proven to help some people maintain healthy sleeping patterns.[5] It can be found in meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and milk, and has a wide range of health benefits.

7. Fluctuating Blood Sugar Levels

Lack of sleep can actually increase the risk of diabetes, but high blood sugar can also be a cause of poor sleep. A sugar crash, where your blood sugar rises then falls drastically, is a major cause of fatigue and drowsiness.