Fatigue and Exhaustion: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Fatigue is a common symptom that affects physical energy, mental focus, and daily functioning. Some people feel exhausted, while others notice brain fog, low motivation, or poor concentration, even after sleeping. When fatigue becomes persistent, it often signals that the body is not fully recovering.

Fatigue can be linked to sleep quality, stress, diet, hormone changes, medical conditions, or medication effects. This page explains what fatigue is, what symptoms to look for, and the most common causes, so you can better understand what may be affecting your energy.

At The Wellness Way, we understand that fatigue and low energy can take a serious toll on your daily life. If you’re struggling with constant exhaustion, brain fog, or lack of motivation, we’re here to help you find natural solutions that address the root cause of your fatigue, not just the symptoms.

What is fatigue

Fatigue is a lingering sense of tiredness or low energy that can affect your body, your mood, and your ability to concentrate. It is more than simply wanting to sleep. People often describe fatigue as feeling run down, flat, or drained, even after rest. Fatigue may come and go, or it may be persistent and limiting.

Fatigue vs tiredness vs sleepiness

Tiredness is usually short-term and often improves after rest, food, or a slower day. Sleepiness is the strong urge to fall asleep, and it is often linked to poor sleep quality or sleep disorders. Fatigue is broader and can include physical heaviness, low motivation, and mental fog. You might be fatigued even if you are not sleepy, and you might feel sleepy even when you do not feel “ill.”

Fatigue Symptoms

Common Fatigue Symptoms

• Lack of energy: You may feel like you have less stamina for tasks that usually feel manageable. Every day routines can start to feel overwhelming, and you may tire quickly.
• Drowsiness: You might struggle to stay awake during the day, especially in the afternoon or during quiet activities. If this happens often, sleep quality could be an issue even if you’re in bed for enough hours.
• Difficulty thinking or brain fog: Fatigue can affect focus, memory, and mental clarity. You may feel slower, more forgetful, or have trouble with detail-oriented tasks.
• Low motivation or apathy: Low energy often accompanies low motivation. You may lose interest in activities you usually enjoy or find it hard to get started.

Types of Fatigue

• Short-term fatigue: This is fatigue that lasts a few days to a couple of weeks and is often linked to busy periods, poor sleep, stress, illness, or changes in routine.
• Fatigue linked to an underlying condition: This fatigue may build gradually and may be linked to a medical issue such as anemia, thyroid conditions, sleep disorders, infections, or mental health conditions.
• Chronic fatigue: This refers to fatigue that lasts longer than a few months or feels persistent and limiting. Chronic fatigue should be assessed by a healthcare provider, especially if it affects day-to-day functioning.

Other Types of Fatigue:

• Sudden fatigue: Fatigue that comes on quickly and feels intense or unexpected.
• Muscle fatigue: Physical heaviness or weakness that moves feel harder.
• Fatigue after eating: Sleepiness or low energy that happens regularly after meals.
• Post-viral fatigue: Low energy that lingers during recovery after a viral illness.

Fatigue during pregnancy: Fatigue that occurs during pregnancy is often strongest in the first trimester.

Possible Causes of Fatigue

Fatigue is not a single condition. It is a symptom that can be influenced by lifestyle habits, physical health, mental well-being, and the effects of medications or treatments. Many people experience fatigue for more than one reason at the same time, which is why it can be difficult to pinpoint without looking at the whole picture.

Understanding the most common contributors can help you recognise what may be affecting your own energy levels.

Lifestyle Factors

• Poor sleep quality: Even if you spend enough time in bed, broken or restless sleep can leave you feeling unrefreshed. Frequent waking, loud snoring, breathing pauses, late-night screen use, and irregular sleep schedules all interfere with the deeper stages of sleep that restore the body and brain.
• Stress and mental load: Ongoing stress keeps the nervous system in a constant state of alert. Over time, this drains energy, disrupts sleep, and contributes to muscle tension, digestive changes, and difficulty switching off, all of which can worsen fatigue.
• Low activity or overtraining: Too little movement can reduce stamina and make daily tasks feel harder. At the same time, too much intense exercise without enough recovery can lead to muscle soreness, low motivation, and persistent tiredness.
• Dehydration and diet factors: Not drinking enough water can cause headaches, sluggishness, and poor concentration. Skipping meals, eating irregularly, or relying on highly processed foods can also lead to blood sugar swings and energy crashes.
• Alcohol and caffeine effects: Alcohol may help you fall asleep, but it often disrupts deep sleep and leads to poorer recovery. Caffeine can temporarily mask tiredness, but too much or too late in the day can interfere with sleep and create a cycle of fatigue.

Physical Health Conditions

• Anemia and deficiencies: Low iron levels are a common cause of fatigue, particularly in people with heavy menstrual cycles. Other vitamin and mineral deficiencies can also affect energy, muscle function, and concentration.
• Thyroid conditions: The thyroid helps regulate how the body uses energy. When thyroid hormone levels are low, you may feel tired, cold, sluggish, or notice changes in weight, skin, or digestion.
• Sleep disorders, including sleep apnea: Sleep disorders can cause fatigue even when you think you are sleeping enough. Loud snoring, gasping during sleep, morning headaches, and daytime drowsiness may point to sleep apnea, while insomnia and restless sleep also prevent proper recovery.
• Infections and post-viral recovery: Fatigue is common during infections and may linger for weeks afterward as the body heals. Some people notice prolonged tiredness following viral illnesses.
• Diabetes and blood sugar issues: Blood sugar changes can affect energy levels, especially if meals are skipped or high in refined carbohydrates. Increased thirst, frequent urination, and unexplained weight changes should be checked.
• Heart and lung conditions: When the heart or lungs are not working efficiently, the body may not get enough oxygen, leading to reduced stamina and fatigue with everyday activity.
• Chronic pain and inflammatory conditions: Ongoing pain disrupts sleep and increases stress on the body. Inflammatory conditions may also be linked to fatigue and brain fog.

Mental Health Factors

• Anxiety: Anxiety keeps the body in a heightened state of alert, affecting sleep, muscle tension, digestion, and recovery.
• Depression: Depression often causes low energy, changes in sleep and appetite, reduced motivation, and difficulty concentrating.
• Burnout: Burnout develops after prolonged stress without adequate recovery and may show up as emotional exhaustion, mental fog, and reduced ability to cope.

Medication and Treatment-Related Fatigue

• Common medicines that can cause fatigue: Some medications, including certain allergy, blood pressure, mood, and pain medicines, list tiredness or drowsiness as a side effect. If fatigue starts after a medication change, it should be discussed with your provider.
• Treatments that may lower energy: Some medical treatments can temporarily or persistently affect sleep, appetite, and physical recovery, which can contribute to ongoing fatigue.

When to See a Doctor About Fatigue

Most short-term fatigue improves with rest, better sleep, and lifestyle changes. But in some cases, fatigue can be a sign of an underlying medical issue that needs assessment. It is important to know when tiredness is no longer something to ignore.

You should consider speaking with a healthcare provider if fatigue:

• lasts longer than a few weeks
• keeps getting worse
• interferes with work, daily tasks, or relationships
• does not improve with rest, sleep, or changes to routine
• comes with other symptoms such as weight changes, low mood, pain, or sleep problems

A provider can help determine whether your fatigue is linked to lifestyle factors, a medical condition, or something else that needs treatment.

Care and Treatment for Fatigue

Fatigue is best managed by addressing the factors that are contributing to it. For some people, this may involve changes to sleep, diet, and daily routines. For others, it may require medical care to treat an underlying condition. Many people need a combination of both.

Small, consistent changes often make a bigger difference than trying to fix everything at once.

Habits That Support Energy

• Sleep habits: Good sleep is one of the most important foundations for steady energy. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day helps regulate your body clock. Keeping the bedroom dark, quiet, and cool, and limiting screen use before bed, can also improve sleep quality. If you snore loudly, wake up unrefreshed, or need naps to get through the day, it may be worth discussing sleep quality with a healthcare provider.
• Movement and recovery: Regular, gentle movement supports circulation, muscle strength, and sleep. Walking, stretching, and light strength training can help reduce fatigue over time. It is important to balance activity with rest, especially if you are already feeling run down. Pushing too hard when you are exhausted can make fatigue worse.
• Stress support: Finding ways to reduce daily stress can improve both sleep and energy levels. Simple habits such as taking short breaks, spending time outdoors, slowing your breathing, or setting boundaries around work and screens can help the nervous system settle and support recovery.

Foods and Hydration

• Hydration basics: Drinking enough water throughout the day supports circulation, digestion, and concentration. Even mild dehydration can lead to headaches and low energy. A good guide is to drink regularly and notice whether your urine is pale in colour.
• Balanced meals and energy crashes: Eating regular meals that include protein, fibre, and whole foods can help keep blood sugar steady. Skipping meals or relying on sugary snacks can cause energy to spike and then drop, leaving you feeling more tired.
• Caffeine and alcohol: Caffeine can improve alertness in the short term, but too much or too late in the day can disrupt sleep. Alcohol may make you feel sleepy, but it often leads to poorer quality sleep, which can worsen fatigue the next day.

The Wellness Way’s Approach to Restoring Natural Energy 

Rather than focusing only on symptoms, our approach looks at the full picture of what may be contributing to low energy. The goal is to understand how different systems in the body are working together so care can be more personalized and effective. 

• Test, do not guess: We use lab testing to look for factors that may be linked to fatigue, such as nutrient levels, hormone patterns, and markers of inflammation. This helps guide care rather than relying on assumptions.
• Personalized nutrition and lifestyle plans: Food, sleep, and daily habits all affect energy levels. Recommendations are based on your individual needs rather than a one-size-fits-all plan.
• Support gut health and detox pathways: Digestive function and the body’s ability to clear waste products both play a role in how energized you feel. Supporting these systems can help the body work more efficiently.
• Support hormones and inflammation: Hormone balance and inflammation can influence fatigue, mood, and recovery. Care is aimed at supporting these systems so the body can move toward better balance.
• Chiropractic adjustments and nervous system support: Gentle chiropractic care is used to support nervous system function. When the nervous system is working well, the body can adapt to stress more effectively, which may support sleep, recovery, and overall vitality.

Fatigue FAQs

What diseases can cause extreme fatigue?

Extreme fatigue can be linked to a wide range of medical conditions. Common causes include anemia, thyroid disorders, diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, autoimmune conditions, chronic infections, depression, and inflammatory illnesses. In some cases, fatigue is the main symptom that brings someone to seek care. Because many conditions overlap in symptoms, persistent or severe fatigue should always be evaluated by a healthcare provider.

Why am I so tired for no reason

Feeling tired with no obvious cause is often the result of factors that are not easy to see, such as poor sleep quality, chronic stress, hormone changes, nutrient deficiencies, blood sugar swings, or low-level inflammation. Fatigue may also be an early sign of an underlying condition before other symptoms become noticeable. When tiredness lasts for weeks or keeps interfering with daily life, it is important to look deeper.

What are four warning signs of fatigue?

Some signs suggest fatigue may be more than just being busy or not sleeping enough. These include feeling exhausted even after rest, struggling to focus or think clearly, losing motivation for normal activities, and needing more effort to complete everyday tasks. When these symptoms last or worsen, it is a signal that the body may not be recovering properly.

What does pregnancy fatigue feel like?

Pregnancy fatigue often feels deeper than normal tiredness. Many people describe it as heavy, full-body exhaustion with low motivation and the need to rest more often. It can come with dizziness, shortness of breath, or difficulty concentrating. Hormonal changes, increased blood volume, and lower iron levels all contribute to how intense fatigue can feel during pregnancy.

How soon do you get tired when you are pregnant?

Fatigue can begin very early in pregnancy, often within the first few weeks after conception. Many people notice it before they even realize they are pregnant. Hormonal shifts, especially rising progesterone, along with changes in blood flow and metabolism, place extra demands on the body, which leads to early tiredness.

What are hidden pregnancy symptoms?

Some pregnancy symptoms are subtle and easy to miss. These can include unusual fatigue, mood changes, food aversions, bloating, lightheadedness, headaches, or feeling warmer than usual. These changes are driven by hormone shifts and increased energy demands on the body, even in the early stages of pregnancy.

What are the first signs of pregnancy in the mouth?

Early pregnancy can affect the mouth and gums. Some people notice tender or bleeding gums, dry mouth, bad breath, or changes in taste. Hormonal changes increase blood flow to the gums and can make the tissues more sensitive, which may lead to discomfort or mild swelling.

What parts of your body hurt in early pregnancy?

Early pregnancy can cause aches in the lower back, hips, breasts, and abdomen. Breast tenderness is very common due to hormone changes. Some people also feel cramping or pulling sensations in the lower abdomen as the uterus begins to change.

At what week of pregnancy do you start feeling uncomfortable?

Many people begin to feel more physically uncomfortable during the second trimester as the body changes and the uterus grows. However, fatigue and mild discomfort can appear much earlier. Each pregnancy is different, so the timing and type of discomfort vary from person to person.

Can fatigue be caused by stress even if you sleep enough?

Yes. Stress can keep the nervous system in a constant state of alert, which prevents the body from fully relaxing and recovering, even during sleep. This can lead to unrefreshing rest, muscle tension, digestive issues, and ongoing fatigue despite getting enough hours in bed.

Can dehydration make you feel extremely tired?

Yes. Dehydration reduces blood volume and circulation, which means less oxygen and nutrients reach your tissues. This can lead to headaches, low energy, and difficulty concentrating. Drinking enough fluids throughout the day is an important part of supporting energy levels.