You wake up tired due to poor sleep quality/quantity, disrupted sleep cycles (sleep inertia), stress, sleep disorders (like apnea), or lifestyle factors (alcohol, caffeine, diet, dehydration, lack of exercise). Underlying issues like anxiety, depression, hormonal changes, or iron deficiency can also cause persistent fatigue, even after adequate rest.
If you wake up exhausted or feel foggy throughout the day, you could have an undiagnosed sleep disorder. For example, sleep apnea, a condition that interrupts your breathing during sleep, affects up to 29 million Americans, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
Consult a GP for advice.
Not feeling rested after sleeping could be due to disruptions in your sleep stages, especially if you need to reach or spend more time in the deep sleep phase, which is crucial for feeling refreshed. It could also be related to sleep disorders, stress, or other sleep quality factors.
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies, including B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12, C, D, iron, and magnesium, are among the most common causes of unexplained fatigue. Vitamin D deficiencies affect over 50% of the global population, and approximately 12.5% have iron deficiency anemia.
When trying to cope with fatigue, a simple rule is to remember The Five P's: Plan, Prioritise, Pace, Position and Permission. Plan and organise your time. Plan your day ahead with periods of rest and periods of activity.
Vitamin B12 and folate perform several important functions in the body, including keeping the nervous system healthy. A deficiency in either of these vitamins can cause a wide range of problems, including: extreme tiredness. a lack of energy.
Symptoms of fatigue
Vitamin B12 is the best vitamin supplement for treating tiredness and fatigue. This essential nutrient helps your body produce energy and keeps you feeling less fatigued both physically and mentally.
This level of fatigue goes beyond just feeling “tired” after a busy day. You may feel physically worn down, like your body is heavy and sluggish, while your mind continues to race. Even when you try to rest, the restlessness often associated with ADHD can make it hard to relax fully.
Dietary suggestions for fighting fatigue
Drink plenty of water – sometimes you feel tired simply because you're mildly dehydrated. A glass of water will help do the trick, especially after exercise. Be careful with caffeine – anyone feeling tired should cut out caffeine.
These measurable factors make up the Fatigue Test Panel: Complete Blood Count (CBC), Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP), Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), Ferritin, and Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) with reflex to Free T4 (FT4).
Complex carbohydrates
Pace, plan and prioritise (the 'three Ps')
Think about the 'three Ps' to help you learn to manage your fatigue. Fatigue can follow a pattern. Learning to understand this can help you make the most of your energy.
Individuals experiencing a deficiency often report feeling unusually tired or weak, even after adequate sleep. This symptom arises because a lack of B12 impairs the production of red blood cells, leading to fewer cells to transport oxygen throughout the body.
Possible symptoms of anemia include:
If you have low energy, certain vitamins and supplements may help improve your symptoms. Low levels of B vitamins, vitamin D, and iron can cause fatigue. But taking these vitamins is only likely to improve your energy if your levels are low. Ginseng, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), and ashwagandha may all help increase energy.
Fatigue becomes worrisome when it lasts over two weeks despite rest, significantly impacts daily activities, comes on suddenly without clear cause, or accompanies "red flag" symptoms like unexplained weight loss, shortness of breath, fever, severe pain, unusual bleeding, or heart issues, signaling a need for prompt medical attention for potential underlying conditions like anemia, diabetes, sleep apnea, thyroid problems, or infections.
Take it gently to start with, and do not push through symptoms. Listen to your body. Start with a small amount of gentle activity that you can do on most days (not just on a good day) and without increasing your symptoms.
Serotonin Boosters: Certain medications that raise serotonin are highly alerting and can reduce fatigue. Examples include fluoxetine, escitalopram, and sertraline. Alerting Agents: Other medication options include modafinil and armodafinil.
Issues with specific organs could lead to severe fatigue. The thyroid, liver and brain are possible contributors, but heart and lung conditions are the most common cause. If this condition becomes serious, your doctor may recommend cardiac care or cardiopulmonary.
You may also feel symptoms of sleep inertia if you didn't get enough hours of sleep. Everyone needs a certain number of sleep hours, and if you don't get what you need, you may find it difficult to hop out of bed feeling refreshed. Finally, sleep disorders could be the cause.
Here are 10 unexpected signs of a vitamin D deficiency that may surprise you.
Common causes of fatigue include anemia, thyroid dysfunction, vitamin deficiencies, infections, and hormonal changes. Certain blood tests can check important biomarkers and help uncover the root cause of fatigue. These labs for fatigue include CBC, thyroid panel, vitamin D, B12, and iron studies.