Teen Chronic Fatigue: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options
Parents are often used to constant energy from their kids, especially when they’re young – disregarding the odd sick day here or there. Yet, when a child reaches adolescence, these energy levels can shift.
It’s normal for teens to struggle to get up in the morning or feel fatigued from time to time throughout the day. Yet, when energy tapers off abruptly and does not return for weeks or months at a time, this may be a cause for concern.
Teen chronic fatigue is a real condition that can impact all aspects of a teenager’s life. So, while being tired is not, in and of itself, unusual, feeling fatigued, no matter how much rest has been had, is.
Chronic fatigue is linked to a variety of mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD. If you’re concerned about your teen’s energy levels, professional mental health support can help you get to the root of the issue and understand whether treatment is required.
This page can also help you better understand teen chronic fatigue, as it covers:
- What teen chronic fatigue is
- The signs of fatigue in adolescents
- Common causes of fatigue in adolescents
- Therapy options for teen chronic fatigue
- Where to find professional support
What Is Teen Chronic Fatigue?
There are a lot of exhausting elements involved in being a teenager, but these aren’t always recognized. For instance, teens are often expected to work diligently on their studies, pursue extracurricular activities, and weigh impossibly large choices about their future. Plus, they should hopefully have a balanced social life at the same time.
Add…
- sports demands
- part-time employment
- and the stress of growing up in an age of social media
…to this mix, and there are a lot of pressure points. Any of which can result in exhaustion or fatigue.
Yet, the pressure of such demands is often left unspoken, sometimes leading parents to wonder, Why is my child tired all the time?
To accurately answer this question, first, an important distinction needs to be made: There is a difference between fatigue caused by lifestyle habits and that resulting from mental health conditions.
For instance, fatigue caused by routines can sometimes be fixed with targeted adjustments to their daily habits. It’s an often-ignored fact that teenagers should get around ten hours of sleep per night.1 So, if your teenager is not hitting these numbers, then an easy solution might be to tweak their schedule a little bit to see if they can prioritize rest better. If phone use before bed, for example, is disturbing your teen’s quality of rest, you could implement a sleep routine with involves a ‘no screen rule’ at night.
However, if your teen is getting adequate sleep but still feels tired, or struggles to either fall or stay asleep despite a healthy routine, something deeper might be going on. Other potential causes of teen chronic fatigue could include sleep disorders and several mental health conditions.
The Signs of Chronic Fatigue
The medical definition of chronic fatigue refers to exhaustion that lasts for six months or more and is not relieved by sleeping more.2
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are five common symptoms of chronic fatigue, including:11
- Fatigue that causes a decreased ability to do activities
- Worse symptoms after activities
- Feeling tired even after a full night’s rest
- Memory and thinking problems
- Problems standing or sitting upright (orthostatic intolerance)
Additionally, physical symptoms such as muscle weakness, joint discomfort, and sore throat can accompany chronic fatigue. Emotional symptoms can include irritability, anxiety, and depression.11
To be considered “chronic,” stress-related exhaustion in teens needs to have been persistent for at least half a year. However, you don’t need to wait until your child has been suffering for this long to take action. Early intervention for chronic fatigue can contribute significantly to adolescent wellness and energy levels.
Common Causes of Fatigue in Adolescents
Over time, stress-related exhaustion in teens can compound, particularly through the input of multiple sources, such as:
- Fight or flight overstimulation
- Peer relationships
- Identity-related challenges
- School-related stress and anxiety
- Blue light from screens
- The difficulties related to growing up with social media
Any one of these factors mentioned could be enough to trigger fatigue by itself. However, many teens experience the combined impact of all of them at once.
However, it’s important to be aware that the causes of fatigue in adolescents can vary considerably. In fact, in many cases, fatigue can result from a combination of factors, including certain mental health conditions. Fortunately, each of these conditions is treatable – but early intervention is often key for optimal outcomes.
The following sections take a look at some mental health conditions that can lead to teen chronic fatigue.
Sleep Disorders
One common cause of chronic fatigue is an undiagnosed sleep disorder. These include:
- Insomnia: Insomnia can lead to teen chronic fatigue because it disrupts the amount or the quality of sleep that someone gets. Insomnia is closely linked to certain mental health conditions
- Sleep apnea: Though relatively rare in teenagers, sleep apnea is a condition in which someone stops breathing intermittently (usually for only a few seconds at a time) throughout the night3
- Delayed sleep phase syndrome: This condition happens when a teen’s body clock falls significantly out of sync, making it hard to fall asleep and wake up when required. Due to natural shifts in a teen’s circadian rhythms, this syndrome can be especially common in this age group.4
The good news is that these conditions are possible to treat. For instance, people experiencing delayed sleep phase syndrome are encouraged to reorganize their schedule to prioritize getting to bed at the same time every night.
Further, increased light exposure in the morning can tell the brain it’s time to shut off melatonin production (the sleepy chemical). It can also activate cortisol production (the chemical that helps wake us up in the morning).5 Occasionally, supplements like melatonin are used to encourage sleep.
Treatment for sleep apnea can vary, but it typically involves medication as well as the use of a CPAP machine.
However, if teen chronic fatigue is the result of insomnia, an underlying mental health condition such as anxiety may be present, which may require a different approach.
Fatigue and Anxiety Connection
The chemicals that activate in a person’s brain when they experience anxiety can lead to exhaustion. This is because anxiety triggers the body’s fight or flight response system, leading to cortisol and adrenaline flooding the brain.
Some cortisol production is normal, and even necessary for motivation and performance. But when the fight or flight reaction is triggered constantly, it can disrupt sleep and interfere with energy levels.8
Additionally, anxiety can also lead to physical symptoms such as muscle tension, headaches, and stomach upset, which can lead to difficulties functioning and exhaustion.
Depression and Teen Chronic Fatigue
Depression can suppress the chemicals that contribute to energy and alertness throughout the day – serotonin and dopamine. While these chemicals do not precisely generate energy, they do regulate the way our bodies use it.6
These are also some of the chemicals that contribute to our sense of motivation. For this reason, many people experiencing depression are less productive and energetic than usual. While these symptoms may come across as a lack of effort or enthusiasm, a teen with depression may feel physically incapable of mustering up the energy to be productive.
It’s also good to note that chronic fatigue may be predictive of depression, so targeting it early could be protective of long-term mental health.9
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Teen Exhaustion
Exposure to trauma can activate the same chemical response in the brain as anxiety. Therefore, people who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder often live in a state of constant overstimulation. For example, trauma survivors may continuously evaluate their surroundings for signs of threat.
Constantly feeling hypervigilant towards potential sources of threat can stimulate the adrenal system, resulting in an overload that can contribute to further stress and exhaustion.10 Plus, PTSD can also result in disrupted sleep patterns, compounding teen chronic fatigue.
How to Tell the Source of Your Teen’s Chronic Fatigue
Though the causes of teen chronic fatigue are sometimes very obvious, there are many situations where the symptoms can be subtle or even disguised as something else.
This ambiguity could make it hard for parents to respond. At what point does professional intervention become the next step? Every family may answer that question differently.
If you’ve tried various coping strategies for fatigue and come up short, it may be time to take a serious look at psychological causes. For instance, if you’ve implemented an earlier bedtime, tried planned light exposure, or reduced screen time before bed, but without results, there may be a deeper cause of fatigue.
However, in general, if chronic fatigue is affecting your child’s ability to function day to day or is impacting their happiness levels, professional support may be required.
Therapy For Chronic Fatigue
Emotional regulation for energy management can be developed through professional support. Yet what this experience looks like may depend on your child’s unique needs. However, most often, it will involve a combination of lifestyle modifications and skill-building.
The therapy process usually starts with an evaluation between your child and a mental health professional. This expert will most likely try to pinpoint the underlying causes of fatigue, such as sleep disorder related exhaustion.
Once the root causes are identified, a mental health professional will likely talk you and your child through treatment options. These may involve evidence-based techniques such as:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT can address limiting beliefs by targeting inaccurate thoughts. A study conducted in 2008 showed that children suffering from fatigue increased both their energy levels and academic performance following exposure to CBT.7
- Mindfulness-based therapies (MBT): Mindfulness approaches involve guided training on skills for focusing on the present moment. These techniques can improve fatigue in teens who tend to spiral into anxious thoughts at bedtime.
- Stress management techniques: If stress or trauma is contributing to a teen’s inability to achieve quality rest, a trained therapist can guide them through stress management skills. As a result, they are less likely to feel overstimulated at night.
- Trauma-informed approaches: If a teen has a history of trauma, therapies like EMDR can assist them in processing their memories in a safe, supportive environment – helping them find relief.
Aside from therapies such as these, a professional may also discuss holistic approaches, such as implementing lifestyle changes, such as a more balanced diet, sleep routines, or daily gentle exercise. They may also discuss the option of medication – if appropriate. For example, in the case of severe depressive symptoms. However, medication works best alongside talk therapy.
Mission Prep: Professional Support for Mental Health and Fatigue
Chronic fatigue can be highly distressing and frustrating for both a teen and their family. It can erode the motivation to be productive at school, cause increased irritability, and strain relationships. However, teen chronic fatigue is not something your family has to cope with alone – Mission Prep can help.
Our team can guide on teen lifestyle adjustments that can promote healthy sleep habits and tailor treatment packages to suit a teen’s unique needs and circumstances. Plus, our approaches are always evidence-based, and we always aim to embody compassion and understanding.
Whether your teen could benefit from inpatient, outpatient, or telehealth options to suit their lifestyle, we can help them get their energy levels back on track. Contact us today for a free, confidential consultation.
References
- UCLA Health. (2022, October 31). How much sleep do teens need? And how to help them get enough. https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/how-much-sleep-do-teens-need-and-how-to-help-your-teen-get-enough
- Mayo Clinic. (n.d.). Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) – Symptoms and causes. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chronic-fatigue-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20360490
- Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2023a, April 6). Sleep apnea. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sleep-apnea/symptoms-causes/syc-20377631
- Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2023b, September 21). Delayed sleep phase. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/delayed-sleep-phase/symptoms-causes/syc-20353340
- Blume, C., Garbazza, C., & Spitschan, M. (2019). Effects of light on human circadian rhythms, sleep and mood. Somnologie – Schlafforschung Und Schlafmedizin, 23(3), 147–156. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11818-019-00215-x
- Cleveland Clinic. (2025, September 22). Serotonin. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22572-serotonin
- Knoop, H., Stulemeijer, M., De Jong, L. W. A. M., Fiselier, T. J. W., & Bleijenberg, G. (2008). Efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy for adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome: Long-term follow-up of a randomized, controlled trial. Pediatrics, 121(3), e619–e625. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2007-1488
- Healthline. (n.d.). Can having anxiety make you feel tired? Retrieved October 13, 2025, from https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/can-having-anxiety-make-you-feel-tired
- Marin, H., & Menza, M. A. (2004). Specific treatment of residual fatigue in depressed patients. Psychiatry (Edgmont), 1(2), 12. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3012615/
- PTSD UK. (n.d.). Why does post-traumatic stress disorder make you so tired? Retrieved October 13, 2025, from https://www.ptsduk.org/why-does-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-makes-you-so-tired/
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, March 13). Signs and symptoms of ME/CFS. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/me-cfs/signs-symptoms/index.html
