What should you know about fighting fatigue?

Fatigue is more than feeling sleepy after a busy day. It can feel like low physical energy, poor concentration, reduced motivation, or needing unusual effort for ordinary tasks. Short-term fatigue may follow disrupted sleep, stress, travel, infection, dehydration, or an intense change in routine. Ongoing fatigue can also accompany anaemia, coeliac disease, chronic kidney disease, COVID-19, burnout, alcohol use disorder, or chronic fatigue syndrome. A symptom does not identify one diagnosis by itself.

Keep wake-up and bedtime reasonably consistent, and make the bedroom quiet, cool, and dark. Eat regular meals containing protein, fibre, and a variety of foods; drink fluids through the day and take extra care during heat or illness. Start with manageable movement, such as a short walk, then increase gradually if it does not worsen symptoms. Break demanding jobs into smaller tasks and schedule rests before you are exhausted. Avoid using alcohol as a sleep aid, and review medicines or supplements with a clinician rather than starting stimulants on your own.

Arrange a medical review if fatigue lasts beyond a reasonable recovery period, keeps returning, limits work or daily activities, or comes with weight change, fever, persistent pain, breathlessness, palpitations, low mood, loud snoring, or a marked change in sleep. Seek urgent help for severe breathing difficulty, chest pain, fainting, sudden confusion, new one-sided weakness, or thoughts of self-harm.

Ask which causes fit your pattern, whether an examination or blood tests could help, how to track sleep and energy, and which changes are safe while you recover. Bring a list of medicines, supplements, recent illnesses, and changes in mood or bleeding.