Feeling Tired or Fatigued? Here's What to Do

Do you often feel fatigued? Do you sometimes lack the energy you need to do the things you love to do? Feeling fatigued is no fun. And if you are feeling fatigued frequently, you’re not alone. 

It’s estimated that upwards of 20% of all primary care visits are because fatigue is the main or secondary issue.¹ In addition, a survey from 2020 involving American workers found that 43% admitted they did not get enough sleep and it negatively impacted their ability to do their job.²

Figuring out why you’re feeling fatigued may require a closer look at your sleep habits because lack of sleep and fatigue often go hand-in-hand.

Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

The actual definition of fatigue is “the body’s response to sleep loss or prolonged physical or mental exertion.”² It makes sense, then, to look at sleep when trying to enhance energy. 

Here’s what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends when it comes to the amount of sleep needed each day:³

• Infants (4-12 months) = 12-16 hours
• Toddlers (1-2 years) = 11-14 hours
• Pre-schoolers (3-5 years) = 10-13 hours
• School-age children (6-12 years) = 9=12 hours
• Teens (13-18 years) = 8-10 hours
• Adults (18-60 years) = 7 or more

Why is sleep so important? The CDC reports that even one night of lack of sleep can cause you to feel fatigued, put you in a bad mood, make you less productive, and even increase your risk of a car accident.³

Fortunately, all-natural sleep supplements can help support sound sleep.

Herbs to Support Sleep

There are several herbal extracts that may help support sleep including valerian, chamomile, passionflower, lemon balm, and hops. These herbs can help support a sense of calm and relaxation which may contribute to soothing sleep. You can often find these in teas.

Nutrients for Sleep

In addition to herbs, certain nutrients such as gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) and melatonin, can help support sleep.⁴ 

Melatonin is a hormone that the body makes naturally to help support sleep-wake cycles. Research shows that taking melatonin before bed may help support sleep.

GABA is an amino acid that functions as a neurotransmitter for the central nervous system with the main goal of assisting calm and relaxation.⁵ Because of this relaxation effect, research also shows that GABA may help support soothing sleep.⁶

Get Soothing Sleep to Fight Fatigue

It’s time to take away that tired feeling by getting the sleep you need. By combining the herbs and nutrients mentioned, you’ll get soothing sleep support to help you drift off calmly each night. Pair this with the necessary amount of sleep each night, and you’ll be helping stave off feelings of fatigue.

Learn about more ways you can get better sleep and don’t forget to follow @zhou_nutrition for more fitness and wellness tips!

References

1.  Maisel P, Baum E, Donner-Banzhoff N. Fatigue as the Chief Complaint–Epidemiology, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2021;118(33-34):566-576. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8579431/?report=reader
2.  Wong I, Arlinghaus A. Work-related fatigue reaches beyond the workplace. CDC NIOSH Science Blog. 2020;April 27. https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2020/04/27/fatigue-spillover/
3.  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Are you getting enough sleep? 2022;Sept 19. https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/features/getting-enough-sleep.html
4.  Li T, Jiang S, Han M, et al. Exogenous melatonin as a treatment for secondary sleep disorders: a systemic review and meta-analysis. Front Neuroendocrinol. 2019;52:22-28. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29908879/
5.  Allen MJ, Sabir S, Sharma S. GABA Receptor. StatPearls. 2023;Feb 13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526124/#_NBK526124_pubdet_
6.  Gottesmann C. GABA mechanisms and sleep. Neuroscience. 2002;111(2):231-9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11983310/