What does fatigue feel like with generalised anxiety disorder?

Ongoing worry can keep your mind alert and make it difficult to switch off at bedtime. You may wake often, feel unrefreshed and spend the day using energy to monitor possible problems. Tense muscles, headaches, irritability and trouble concentrating can add to the sense of exhaustion. Fatigue can also be caused or worsened by medicines, low mood, sleep problems or physical illness, so consider the whole pattern rather than one symptom.

Keep regular times for waking, meals and winding down. Gentle activity, daylight and brief pauses between demanding tasks may make energy easier to manage. Write worries down before bed and practise a calming breathing exercise if it feels comfortable. Arrange an appointment if worry is hard to control, sleep is repeatedly disrupted or fatigue is interfering with daily life; talking therapies and other treatments can be discussed.

Seek urgent help if exhaustion occurs with chest pain, severe breathing difficulty, fainting, sudden confusion or thoughts of self-harm. Contact a clinician promptly if you cannot sleep for several nights, are unable to eat or drink, or notice a rapid deterioration in your ability to function.

Could anxiety explain my fatigue, or should we check for another cause? How might my sleep be assessed? Which talking therapies or medicines could help? What should I do if worry or fatigue suddenly worsens?