How do you folks handle fatigue?

[Leegh]

Fatigue is an issue with me, as often I wake up tired, and am tired throughout the day. Although most days I feel good, but at least two days out of the week, I wake up tired. I am not overweight, but not super thin, and I would say I am average to somewhat thin, as far as my weight is concerned. Would losing ten or so pounds help with fatigue? I have had anemia, but got my iron levels up, and still have fatigue at times. My other blood work is OK. What do you folks do if you are tired a lot? Has weight loss helped? I would really like some suggestions!

[crederer]

Do you have sleep apnea? I do, it doesn't matter if I sleep 5 hours or 12 I'm always tired.

 

Dr's want me to get on a CPAP machine but I don't want to wear a mask while I sleep........

 

It also costs a small fortune as it isn't covered by the government (I'm in Canada)

[compulsivedancer]

Weight loss could make you more tired if you're already on the thin side. Depends how you do it.

 

If you implement a healthy diet and exercise regimen, you'll feel better and probably won't be as fatigued. But don't just start dieting, or you'll feel even sh]ttier.

 

When I exercise more, I sleep better - harder but less. I'm more tired when I go to bed and less tired when I wake up.

[carhill]

My suggestion would to take a defined period of time, perhaps a month, and journal daily, including your impressions of your daily activities, noting any fatigue and chronicling your diet/sleep/stress, etc. Modern technology makes journaling easy. If you have a smart phone, you can essentially do a video diary right into the phone.

 

Then, if you find the problem persists, edit the journals down into commonalities you deduce from reading/viewing and make an appointment to see a doctor and discuss your condition and findings with him/her, along with getting a general physical and having blood work done.

 

One possible example which comes to mind, as far as cause, would be something I dealt with while caregiving: my mother's hypothyrodic condition. If her thyroid meds weren't right, she would have marked bouts of fatigue, along with heightened agitation. When they were right, sleep improved, fatigue lessened and incidences of psychosis were fewer and further between. So, in your case, it's possible you could have an undiagnosed thyroid condition. That's one possibility of thousands, as the human body is enormously complex.

 

At my age, right now, when I feel similar symptoms, I take some vitamin B12 and that seems to work for me. I used to drink coffee but found I had lesser tolerance for chemicals in it than when younger so have generally cut it out; however, it did 'get things going' when waking up in a fatigued state, no doubt about that.

 

Good luck!

[Copelandsanity]

For myself, eliminating fatigue involves incorporating a number of habits in my everyday routine. They include:

 

1. Clean diet: No sugar, no unhealthy fats, 3g of high quality fish oil, multivitamin, only enough carbs as needed for energy output.

 

2. 8-9 hours of sleep. Some may require less (7-8), but I prefer 8-9. I also increase the quality of my sleep by adjusting the temperature of the room to comfortably cool (67-70 degrees), wearing a sleep mask and using blackout curtains for light, and using earplugs for noise. I also have 20 almonds as a pre-bed snack, which prevents tiredness upon waking (low blood sugar).

 

3. Exercise at least 30 minutes a day.

 

4. Get at least 15-30 minutes of sunlight exposure a day.

[HokeyReligions]

I suffer from chronic fatigue and insomnia. I've been this way for ovrr 50 years. Docs have tried everything but I just have to live with it. I try to prioritize my work duties to correspond to my various energy levels. At home I can barely make myself do anything.

 

Healthy eating and exercise are vital. One t hing the docs did was regiment the balance of carbs and proteins to an exercise schedule and that helped some.

[whichwayisup]

B12 shots, ask your Dr about this! It has made a difference with me. Since your iron levels are low, your B12 levels are also automatically low as well. Have you ever had iron shots? Ask your Dr about this too.

[compulsivedancer]

B12 shots, ask your Dr about this! It has made a difference with me. Since your iron levels are low, your B12 levels are also automatically low as well. Have you ever had iron shots? Ask your Dr about this too.

 

Just make sure you check with a doctor before taking iron, as you can easily overdo it, and it's pretty bad for you if you get too much. When I needed iron, I took Flintstone vitamins with iron, so that I just got a LITTLE extra, not a lot.

[whichwayisup]

Just make sure you check with a doctor before taking iron, as you can easily overdo it, and it's pretty bad for you if you get too much. When I needed iron, I took Flintstone vitamins with iron, so that I just got a LITTLE extra, not a lot.

 

Oh thanks for adding that! I heard Iron can do a lot of damage if not taken properly...and the shots are painful if a Dr recommends monthly ones.

[FitChick]

No sugar or alcohol. Go on the Candida Diet. Tough to do if you are a sugar addict.

 

How many hours of sleep do you get a night? How often do you wake up?

 

Try taking melatonin, starting with 1 mg and if you need to, work your way up. Your body produces melatonin but you become deficient as you get older.

[MercuryMorrison1]

Maybe you should try exercising in the mornings? I hardly ever miss a workout, but if I do for whatever reason, I generally tend to feel sluggish all day, in contrast when I do workout, I feel alive, awake and bursting with energy for the day.

 

Eating clean will help to, I take a multivitamin and a few other supplements ontop of a healthy diet, that will probably help kick start your energy as well.

 

Also as FitChick pointed out, try taking melatonin before bed. It will help you get a fuller nights sleep. At least it does for me. I would recommend just taking the 1mg and seeing how it works. I've tried 1mg 5mg and 10mg. The 5 and 10 will cause you to have some weird dreams...But they will knock out you out hard.

Edited October 24, 2013 by MercuryMorrison1

[mea_M]

Regular exercise, going to bed about the same time everynight, and following a healthy diet. Works best for me.

 

Mea:)

[todreaminblue]

if i dont exercise....i dont sleep.....which leads to fatigue as i still have to get up at six.....so tired all day.....so i try to go for a walk at night when i dont...i go skitz and am up and down all night....and extremely restless.....deb

[theonlyjuan]

I'm always pretty tired no matter how much sleep I get

 

I drink a lot of coffee or take grenade pills

 

I drink a lot of water too and eat well

 

It sucks but I just power through it

[Sivok]

A healthy diet, and honestly, a great pre-workout supplement. I personally use N.O. Explode and it gets me from half asleep couch potato to workout mode in 10 minutes flat.

 

EDIT: Misread original post. Getting moderate exercise in a few days a week is a great way for your body to feel less fatigued throughout each day

Edited October 29, 2013 by Sivok

[MoooOinkBaaa]

Carb up, carbs give you energy, no carbs no life. So eat more fruit and veggies. I eat 30 bananas a day and I feel great.