Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Mental Health. Fatigue and Depression: Are They Connected? Medically reviewed by Timothy J. Legg, Ph. Fatigue vs. What are the differences between depression and fatigue? An unfortunate connection. Diagnosing depression and fatigue. Treating depression and fatigue. When to see your doctor. Food Fix: Foods to Beat Fatigue. Read this next. Medically reviewed by Vara Saripalli, Psy.
What Causes Malaise? Not getting enough vitamin D, iron and other important nutrients can also lead to fatigue. In order to keep your energy levels up, avoid drastic cuts in calorie intake, even if your goal is weight loss. You can calculate your calorie needs using the calorie calculator in this article. Your body requires a minimum number of calories in order to perform daily functions. Consuming too few calories can lead to fatigue and make it difficult to meet nutrient needs.
Research has found that when your sleep pattern is out of sync with your circadian rhythm, chronic fatigue may develop In one study, healthy young men were allowed to sleep either seven hours or just under five hours before being kept awake for 21—23 hours.
Their fatigue ratings increased before and after sleep, regardless of the number of hours they slept However, if your job involves shift work, there are strategies to retrain your body clock, which should improve your energy levels. In one study, shift workers reported significantly less fatigue and better mood after being exposed to bright light pulses, wearing dark sunglasses outside and sleeping in total darkness Using glasses to block blue light may also help people who perform shift work.
Try to sleep at night or retrain your body clock. Inadequate protein intake could be contributing to your fatigue. Consuming protein has been shown to boost your metabolic rate more than carbs or fat do In one study, self-reported fatigue levels were significantly lower among Korean college students who reported eating high-protein foods like fish, meat, eggs and beans at least twice a day 5.
Other studies have found that high-protein diets tend to produce less fatigue among weight lifters and people who perform resistance training 30 , To keep your metabolism strong and prevent fatigue, aim to consume a high-quality protein source at every meal.
Consuming adequate protein is important for keeping your metabolism up and preventing fatigue. Include a good protein source at every meal. The many biochemical reactions that take place in your body every day result in a loss of water that needs to be replaced.
Several studies have shown that being even mildly dehydrated can lead to lower energy levels and a decreased ability to concentrate 33 , 34 , Although you may have heard that you should drink eight, 8-ounce ml glasses of water daily, you may require more or less than this depending on your weight, age, gender and level of activity. The key is drinking enough to maintain good hydration levels.
Common symptoms of dehydration include thirst, fatigue, dizziness, and headaches. Even mild dehydration may reduce energy levels and alertness. Make sure to drink enough to replace fluid lost during the day. For example, a study in sleep-deprived healthy adults found that consuming an energy shot led to modest improvements in alertness and mental function Unfortunately, these energy drinks are also likely to set you up for rebound fatigue when the effects of caffeine and sugar wear off.
One review of 41 studies found that although energy drinks led to increased alertness and improved mood for several hours after consumption, excessive daytime sleepiness often occurred the following day Although the caffeine content varies widely among brands, an energy shot may contain up to mg, and some energy drinks provide as much as mg per can. By comparison, coffee typically contains between 77— mg of caffeine per cup However, even at smaller dosages, drinking caffeinated beverages in the afternoon may interfere with sleep and lead to low energy levels the following day It can affect anyone, and most adults will experience fatigue at some point in their life.
Each year, around 1. Fatigue is a symptom, not a condition. For many people, fatigue is caused by a combination of lifestyle, social, psychological and general wellbeing issues rather than an underlying medical condition.
Although fatigue is sometimes described as tiredness, it is different to just feeling tired or sleepy. Everyone feels tired at some point, but this is usually resolved with a nap or a few nights of good sleep.
Someone who is sleepy may also feel temporarily refreshed after exercising. If you are getting enough sleep, good nutrition and exercising regularly but still find it hard to perform everyday activities, concentrate or be motivated at your normal levels, you may be experiencing fatigue that needs further investigation. There are a number of diseases and disorders which trigger fatigue. If you experience prolonged bouts of fatigue, consult your doctor.
Studies suggest that psychological factors are present in at least 50 per cent of fatigue cases. These may include:. As fatigue can present a vast range of symptoms and be caused by many different factors working in combination, diagnosis can be difficult.
Your doctor may diagnose fatigue using a number of tests including:. Fatigue is a symptom —something you can feel and describe — not a condition or disease. To reduce your fatigue you first need to understand what the underlying reasons for your fatigue are. If fatigue is having a negative effect on your quality of life, or causing you distress, then consider speaking with a health professional. By asking questions, they will help you work out why you are experiencing fatigue, and offer some suggestions on how to find relief.
If necessary, your doctor might suggest certain medical tests if there is a reasonable chance the cause of your fatigue may be an undiagnosed medical issue for example, anaemia or thyroid dysfunction. Fortunately, for most people fatigue will get better over time on its own or with some simple and practical lifestyle changes. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:.
Other key symptoms are feeling very thirsty, peeing a lot particularly at night and weight loss. Speak to a GP if you think you might have diabetes symptoms. Glandular fever is a common viral infection that causes fatigue, along with fever, sore throat and swollen glands. Most cases happen in teenagers and young adults. Symptoms usually clear up within 4 to 6 weeks, but the fatigue can linger for several more months. It can stop you falling asleep or cause you to wake up early in the morning, which makes you feel more tired during the day.
Read more about clinical depression. You might also have an unpleasant crawling sensation or a deep ache in your legs. Or your legs might jerk spontaneously through the night.
Whatever your symptoms, your sleep will be disrupted and poor quality, so you'll feel very tired throughout the day. Feeling anxious is sometimes perfectly normal. But some people have constant uncontrollable feelings of anxiety that are so strong they affect their daily life.
Doctors call this generalised anxiety disorder GAD. It's a common condition, affecting slightly more women than men. As well as feeling worried and irritable, people with GAD often feel tired. Read more about generalised anxiety disorder in adults. Page last reviewed: 15 March Next review due: 15 March
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