AnnaMarie Houlis
You forgot that person’s name right after they told you? Oof.
Or maybe you forgot to run that favor for a friend you swore you’d get done. Yikes.
What was that thing at the top of your to-do list, again?
Shoot. The credit card bill due date passed already?
It happens all the time. We forget things. Sometimes we forget what we’re doing, even as we’re doing it.
Sometimes, it’s merely a product of being busy-minded. Some days are just off days. But other times, it can be a serious cause for concern, such as when it’s a symptom of dementia or an underlying health condition.
Fortunately for you, there are several ways to prevent forgetfulness from becoming a regular occurrence that disrupts your day-to-day living.
Here are the eight most common causes of forgetfulness—and how to tackle them head-on.
8 Common Causes of Forgetfulness
Here are eight common causes of forgetfulness.
1. Lack of sleep (or sleep apnea)
Sleep is so important for your mind and body. Not getting enough of it could lead to forgetfulness, because you’re not mentally present.
Worried you might have sleep apnea? Ask your doctor right away. Sleep apnea damages your brain because it prevents oxygen from reaching it. Treatment will reverse forgetfulness, a common symptom of the condition.
2. Stress
As if stress wasn’t bad enough for your skin and mental health, it can also impair your memory. It’s a bit of a vicious cycle. If you’re stressed out, your ability focus is affected, which in turn leads to forgetfulness. Managing your stress can also help improve sleep quality, which is also intrinsically connected to memory.
3. Drinking too much alcohol
You don’t need to be an alcoholic to have memory problems. In fact, drinking more than two drinks per day is all it could take to experience short-term memory loss, even after you’ve sobered up.
When you drink too much alcohol, known as blacking out, your brain’s ability to convert short-term memory to long-term memory is impaired. In fact, it can cause you to not be able to recall several hours of your life as a result. Plus, drinking too much alcohol can disrupt your REM sleep, which is very important for memorizing and memory consolidation.
4. Medications
If you take medication for depression, blood pressure, even allergies, there’s a chance that it’s making you more forgetful. Surprisingly, non-sedating antihistamines like Claritin are known to impact your memory. If you suspect this could be the reason, talk to your provider to determine whether there is an alternate medication you can take instead.
5. Vitamin B12 deficiency
Vitamin B12 is directly related to cognitive ability and memory. There was even an article published this year that explains how B12 deficiency could be mistaken as Alzheimers.
Not getting enough B12 can also result in other symptoms such as fatigue and confusion. Fortunately, this could be easily remedied by adding more vitamin B12-rich foods in your diet, such as beef and fish, or with a vitamin supplement, which can be bought at drugstores.
6. Depression
Depression, as well as other emotional disorders, can lead to memory loss. A BYU study finds that pattern separation, a mechanism that enables you to form distinct memories, is negatively impacted by depression. The study concludes that depression could result in higher levels of memory interference, especially when compared to someone who does not experience any symptoms of depression.
7. Thyroid issues
Thyroids don’t receive enough attention, considering issues with your thyroid can impact memory, lower your quality of sleep and cause depression—all things already mentioned in this article. Cognitive issues like “brain fog” and difficulty concentrating could also be the result of thyroid issues.
It’s very easy to get tested for hypothyroidism, and to be treated for it, if necessary.
When to See a Doctor
If you are truly concerned about your forgetfulness and believe it could be a result of an underlying health condition, such as hypothyroidism, depression, vitamin B12 deficiency or even Alzheimers (although rare, it is possible to develop early-onset dementia in your 20s or 30s), it’s never a bad time to see a doctor.
Seeing a doctor will help settle any fears that your memory problems could be due to a health condition. They can run tests to determine just how much your memory is impaired and help diagnose the cause.
Be prepared to answer questions regarding your memory loss, such as when it started happening and whether you have recently gone through a stressful event.
8. Burnout
Burnout may just sound like a word thrown around by entitled millennials who demand days to themselves, but it’s legit. According to recent research from Future Forum, burnout is on the rise, too. Yes, millennials face it the most—as do Gen Zers and women. More specifically, almost half (48%) of adults under 30 said they feel drained compared with 40% of their older peers, while women (46%) reported more burnout than men (37%).
While these statistics are alarming enough, what’s worse is that burnout isn’t just about feeling foggy and needing to take that PTO to recharge. It can have some serious health implications and take a toll on your cognitive functioning. According to the Association for Psychological Science, it can have similar symptoms as depression, including forgetfulness.
How to Prevent Memory Loss
Your brain is like a muscle. Work it out, and it will become stronger. Don’t use it, and you’ll lose all of the strength and definition you’ve gained. Aside from eating a healthy diet and getting enough sleep, stimulating your mind could be the single most important thing to do if you want to stay sharp and prevent memory loss.
Brain exercises could be as simple as completing a crossword every day, but if you want to step it up, download an app like Elevate or Peak to complete puzzles that require memorization, critical thinking, sentence structure and even math! Using an app designed to help you improve your memory and retention, like Dorothy, can also help prevent memory loss, especially if you’re consuming large sums of new information.