Why am I so tired?

Our lives are so fast-paced and more is expected from us, at work, at home and often from ourselves. Even if our hours are 9 – 5, we may still be answering emails outside of these hours.  If we are a working parent, there may be children’s activities to fit in, and cooking after that.  Or we may have ageing parents who require our assistance in a variety of ways. And on top of that, we are encouraged to exercise if we want to stay healthy and trim. No wonder we are tired!

How to recognise the signs of fatigue:

• Do you struggle to get up in the morning?
• Are you more reliant on stimulants?
• Are you avoiding exercise?
• Are you struggling to enjoy a social life?

These may be good indications that you are tired and need to reassess your lifestyle and diet.

Causes of fatigue:

1. Imbalanced blood sugar – a diet high in refined carbohydrates (white flour products) and sugar can affect your blood sugar levels giving you energy highs and lows.  
2. Stimulants – caffeine, sugar and energy drinks artificially boost energy levels, followed by a crash causing tiredness.  Relying on them depletes your natural energy reserves and ignores the body's signal for rest.
3. Poor sleep – sleep apnoea, caffeine, stimulants, alcohol and high cortisol levels all interfere with sleep.  A lack of natural light and regular meal times affect our circadian rhythms, leaving you unrefreshed.  Many people wake around 3am due to blood sugar imbalances.
4. The wrong lunch – a lunch high in carbohydrates can cause afternoon sleepiness
5. Stress – too much stress can increase cortisol levels which impacts blood sugar, immunity and energy, eventually causing exhaustion. This includes overuse of screens and social media
6. Low iron levels or low B12 – get these checked at the GP.  Low iron and anaemia can cause tiredness. B12 works best sublingually or via injection if very low.
7. An underactive thyroid – results in a slow metabolism and fatigue. If the TSH reading is above 2.5, nutritional support is necessary. It may also indicate Hashimoto’s, an autoimmune thyroid condition.
8. ME / chronic fatigue – when the body has undergone prolonged physical or emotional stress, it shuts down. ME or Chronic Fatigue is a cry for help from your body.
9. Poor circulation or arterial disease – is the heart pumping well, are the blood vessels clogged, respiration and oxygen delivery good? You may need to make nutritional and lifestyle changes to support healthy lungs or heart disease.
10. Doing too much – rest is something we tend to do if we have time when everything else is complete! However, if you don’t make time to recharge your batteries and relax, your body won’t cope and you will feel fatigued or become physically or mentally ill.

Foods to eat when tired:

• Nuts and seeds are great energy fillers but don’t eat too many, as they are high in calories
• 85% dark chocolate can perk you up and has no sugar
• Green tea is a better alternative to strong caffeinated drinks. It has a hint of caffeine to boost flagging energy, without the crash that follows a strong coffee
• If low energy is due to falling blood sugar levels, don’t add in more sugar, instead have a protein snack such as hummus and raw veg, or apple and nut butter.

Foods to avoid when tired:

• Watch excess wheat, especially bread which can cause sleepiness in many people
• Swap sugar, sweets, cakes and biscuits, which give you a spike of energy, followed by a blood sugar crash for fresh whole fruit or 85% dark chocolate
• Avoid excess caffeine (more than 2-3 cups per day) as this can stimulate your cortisol causing energy to rollercoaster. 
• Reduce alcohol which is a nutrient and energy robber, but also disrupts sleep making you more tired the next day. A healthier alternative is sparkling water and tonic.

Lifestyle tips:

• Build in some rest time every day, whether this is a 10-minute power nap after lunch (if work permits ) or longer relaxation in the evening, this is key to keeping our energy consistent
• Have a good sleep hygiene.  Go to bed earlier and keep the lights low.  Don’t watch TV in bed or go on devices in the bedroom, and aim not to eat after 7.30 pm
• If you are working full time and finances allow, get help with housework or gardening
• Set boundaries around looking at emails and switching off computers
• Don’t do high-intensity exercise when exhausted.  A walk or yoga may be better for at these times.