Fatigue, or extreme tiredness, can result from various factors, including certain health conditions and lifestyle choices. Some of its common symptoms include breathlessness, dehydration, excessive sweating, and, in extreme cases, lightheadedness. Fatigue can be addressed by making lifestyle changes, such as working out regularly and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, as well as using certain home remedies. If these solutions do not work, one should consult a healthcare professional to learn about the next course of action.

Causes of fatigue explained

Sleep deprivation

When one sleeps, their brain releases growth hormones that promote cell repair. This release of hormones happens especially during uninterrupted sleep. When sleep is disturbed or insufficient, the brain does not release growth hormones, which affects the cell repair process. As a result, the body has difficulty fully recovering and recharging from the previous day’s exertion. This is why inadequate or interrupted sleep leaves one feeling tired upon waking.

Stress

In the long term, stress can lead to inflammation, fatigue, and stress-related exhaustion disorder (ED). Episodes of anger, work pressure, familial issues, infighting, poor performance on school or college tests, and outstanding debts are among the causes of stress.

Certain foods

Unhealthy food habits can also lead to fatigue. Sugar, caffeine, processed meats, salt, dairy, soda, fried foods, and red meat, when consumed in excess, make one feel tired. That’s why one should avoid them and instead pick options rich in essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals.

Excessive caffeine consumption

Drinking too much coffee, tea, or other caffeinated beverages daily can disrupt sleep cycles. Caffeine blocks adenosine, a brain chemical that promotes sleepiness, causing increased alertness and delayed sleep onset. This makes it harder for one to obtain sustained, high-quality sleep throughout the night. Subsequently, they experience fatigue the next day.

Since caffeine can remain in the body for up to nine hours and has a long half-life, one should avoid drinking caffeinated beverages within ten hours of bedtime. To prevent caffeine-induced fatigue, one should also limit coffee or tea intake to one or two cups at most during the day.

Managing daily fatigue naturally

Drink plenty of water

Dehydration depletes the body of energy, making even the simplest tasks difficult. It also decreases alertness and concentration. Moreover, dehydration weakens the immune system and increases the body’s vulnerability to a range of conditions that can cause fatigue.

To avoid such issues, one should drink enough water based on their activity levels and the climate they live in. To know whether one is drinking enough water, one can check the color of one’s urine. Ideally, the urine should be yellow or straw-colored. If the urine is darker than that, one should increase water intake.

Keep time with the body clock

Different individuals experience bursts of energy at different times during the day. Some feel energetic first thing in the morning (known as early birds), while others are energetic at the end of the day (night owls). One’s brain structure and genetics determine their energy patterns. 

Since changing these patterns is a challenge, rather than trying to do so, one can use one’s energy patterns to one’s advantage. This can be done by scheduling the most energy-demanding activities when one’s energy levels are at their peak. The trick is to work when one feels most energetic, while ensuring eight to nine hours of sleep every night.

Exercise daily

Working out keeps the body in good shape and helps one feel a little tired by the time they go to bed. This helps them sleep better and wake up the next day fresh and full of energy. Simple exercises, such as walking and cycling, tire the body just enough to ensure good sleep comes easily.