TGIF! I really feel exhausted now after attended 2 days of workshop this week, incessant teleconferences, plotting and preparing 2 Ramp Up plans as well as few days of fabulous lunches including today.
But then, a colleague cum friend of mine who is working as an Equipment Engineer smirked at me by saying that if my job functions also can cause tiredness then his job can be likened to climbing Gunung Tahan!
- This is called smirking!
WTF! as I thought of his statement. On his ignorance of how tiredness can happen and what cause it, I dedicate this post to him,of course to you too in case you are also in the dark as him when come to understanding tiredness .
What is Tiredness ?
Under medical term, it is called Fatigue (also called exhaustion, lethargy, languidness…., which is a sign of weariness. Broadly defined, there are 2 types of fatigue: Physical fatigue & Mental fatigue.
- Physical fatigue or muscle weakness (or “lack of strength”) is a direct term for the inability to exert force with one’s muscles to the degree that would be expected given the individual’s general physical fitness.
- On the other hand, Mental fatigue is not necessarily seen with any muscle fatigue. Such a mental fatigue, in turn, can manifest itself both as somnolence (decreased wakefulness) or just as a general decrease of attention, not necessarily including sleepiness. In any case, this can be even more dangerous when performing tasks that require constant concentration, such as driving a vehicle. For instance, a person who is sufficiently somnolent may experience microsleeps.
A microsleep is an episode of sleep which may last for a fraction of a second or up to thirty seconds. It often occurs as a result of sleep deprivation, or mental fatigue. Microsleeps can occur at any time, typically without significant warning. In the middle of even lively conversations, the onset of a microsleep episode can cause sufferers to ‘suddenly’ lose the thread of a conversation.
I personally indulge in microsleep very often during highway cruising. Consequently on recent Jan 1st, while on the way back from the Casino Royale in Genting Highlands, I again microslept while the other 2 partners were sleeping and yawning comfortably during the wee hours, like this photo!
Once I woke up from the microsleep, the car was already in this sorry state:
Sign of microsleep? If you are driving, and then suddenly realizes that several seconds have passed by unnoticed. Then it is time to change position. This is from the sleeping expert…. not from me!
Back to tiredness, other than the 2 types aforementioned, the other things you need to know:
What are The Causes of Tiredness?
- a recent illness
- a current illness
- pregnancy
- bereavement
- moving home
- divorce
- work problems
- jet lag
- depression
- boredom
- lack of sleep
- some type of poisoning
- a vitamin or mineral deficiency
- anemia
- Brainstorming too much,excessive graphs plotting, editting photos,reading and responding emails….
- Non-stop daydreaming.
- Talking kok too much.
- Embroiled in arguments or gossips.
The list is ever growing cuz every homo sapien’s biological structure is different.
