Your Mind & Body > The Tired Teenager Fatigue is a very common symptom during adolescence. These teenagers complain of exhaustion, having no energy or being sleepy all the time. While fatigue from lack of sleep, strenuous physical activity, or emotional stress is to be expected, unexplained weariness may be a sign of a more serious disease. Therefore, it is important to talk to your parents and contact your doctor to exclude a physical cause for the fatigue Among the disorders that could be discovered during a checkup include: Anemia ("low blood count") -- This is commonly seen in teen girls who put themselves on strict diets to stay trim and fail to replace the iron they lose every month during menstruation. Infectious mononucleosis is commonly seen in teenagers and extreme tiredness is the most common feature. Other less frequent illnesses that have energy loss include hepatitis, tuberculosis and thyroid disease. "Burning the candle at both ends" is another identifiable cause of teenage exhaustion. You get up at 5:30 am to catch the bus for school, attend classes, run cross country, have a part-time weekend job, and don't stop until you "crash" at night after doing two hours of homework. You will quickly get "better" if you cut back on your activities. Medications that you take for allergies and other minor conditions can cause tiredness. Illegal drugs and alcohol will also cause teen fatigue. Despite the various medical causes, by far the most common reason for teenage fatigue is psychological. Fatigue caused by specific diseases usually gets worse as the day wears on, while fatigue from stress, anxiety or depression is often described as worse in the morning and is not made better with rest. For more information, check out these articles: Dealing with Feelings of Depression Defining Clinical Depression Characteristics of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Source: TeenGrowth.com < Back to Mind & Body main page