Fatigue is a normal condition that everyone knows. While fatigue is often a sign of a lack of sleep, stress or exertion, there are other causes of physical fatigue. Here we explain how you differentiate between them and what you can do to counteract fatigue.
What are the causes of fatigue?
One of the most common reasons for fatigue is lack of sleep, which is why regular and sufficient sleep is essential. Other causes include lack of exercise, stress, overwork, and a possible electrolyte or iron deficiency in the body. Especially in women, the latter is not uncommon due to blood loss during menstruation. Chronic illnesses or the use of certain medications can also be the reason for tiredness. It is also important to know your own sleep-wake cycle, also known as the circadian rhythm. Regardless of external factors, this ensures that the body carries out various physiological functions in a 24-hour rhythm. This includes (deep) sleep, digestion, temperature and blood pressure regulation.
Sleep-wake disorders are among the most common health complaints and can be traced back to disruptions in the 24-hour rhythm. This also includes sleep disorders, which not only relate to the duration of sleep, but also to the deviation from a normal sleep cycle, as well as problems falling asleep and sleeping through the night. Permanent fatigue or sleep problems can lead to severe health damage. The consequences of this are an increased risk of chronic diseases, heart attacks, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes mellitus as well as a weakened immune system.
Regardless of the cause, fatigue is a sign of a lack of sleep, fluids, oxygen, exercise or other factors the body needs to function. So if you don't have the feeling that you're sleeping too little, drinking too little or can't find any other explainable cause for persistent tiredness, then we would recommend that you have this checked out by a doctor.
Is it normal to feel tired during the day?
It's normal to have a dip at midday, often after lunch - this also has to do with the 24-hour rhythm. There is a physiological reason why the body gets tired in the middle of the day. After lunch, more blood has to be pumped into the gastrointestinal tract for digestion; this blood is then missing in the head and in the muscles. As a result, the concentration decreases and you feel sluggish overall.
What are the reasons for concentration difficulties?
One of the most common reasons for concentration problems is stress. In the case of worries, unrest and emotional problems, it can also be difficult to concentrate on things that arise. Especially in the age of social media, our attention span has drastically decreased. We are more and more easily distracted by external stimuli and the flood of information from all sides and have trouble concentrating for a long time. The length of the ability to concentrate varies from person to person and is also related to the person's age - for example, adults have a concentration span of approx. one hour. Of course, tiredness also causes concentration problems.
What helps against tiredness and concentration problems
The first thing to mention here is of course sleep. Sleep is known to be the best medicine and the body needs it for continuous regeneration and therapy.
You can do a lot yourself to improve or even prevent a concentration disorder that is not caused by an illness. Primary attention should be paid to a balanced diet so that the brain is supplied with all the necessary nutrients. In addition, a daily drinking quantity of 2-3 L is recommended. And always take short breaks at work and get up from your desk - that helps to be more productive over a longer period of time! Effective stress management is also a way to improve concentration problems - yoga, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, exercise, journaling and many other things will help you relax.
Exercise is always a good idea to combat fatigue. A short walk in the fresh air fills the lungs with oxygen and gets the circulation going! Coffee is often used as a remedy against tiredness, as the caffeine gives the body an energy boost. Caffeine docks onto the receptors in the body that are normally bound by adenosine. This inhibits stimulating messenger substances in the body. So if the receptors for adenosine are bound by caffeine and not by adenosine, these stimulating messengers have free rein - all the effects of coffee unfold. You can find more information on this topic in our previous blog post. As an alternative, you can also use our Bright Awake AddOn, which is a real pick-me-up with unbound caffeine. Free caffeine is the active ingredient found in regular coffee. “Unbound” is a little misleading as it still refers to a so-called “chlorogenic acid-potassium complex” is bound. However, when it comes into contact with the acid in the stomach, the caffeine is released directly. The capsules without unbound caffeine also contain caffeine, but in a bound form. Here the caffeine comes from plant extracts such as matcha and guarana. The caffeine is attached to polyphenols so that it is only released in the intestine. The effect is therefore later and gentler, but it also lasts longer, so that you don't develop a "low" after taking it. Another advantage is that the negative sides of coffee, such as restlessness and nervousness, do not occur. Here you can learn more about our Bright Awake AddOn.
