Waking up exhausted to post-lunch grumps – what your energy slumps reveal about your health
IT’S dark by 5pm and you can’t leave the house without a coat. Winter is officially on its way.
And with this gloomy change of the seasons brings the inevitable cold weather energy slumps.
Whether you’re trying to stay focused in a meeting or power through an extensive to-do list, everything is ten times harder when your energy flags.
No one is full of beans from dusk till dawn — in fact, it’s very normal to have some ebbs and flows.
But there are times when your fatigue and mood could indicate problems with your health or lifestyle.
Here, with the help of experts, we get to the bottom of your energy slump . . .
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WAKING UP EXHAUSTED
YOU’VE clocked eight hours yet you’re still exhausted when you wake up. Sound familiar?
Although you’ve hit the ideal quantity of sleep, it might be wise to assess the quality of it.
Rob Hobson, author of The Art of Sleeping and registered nutritionist at Healthspan, tells Sun on Sunday Health: “Conditions like sleep apnoea, insomnia and restless leg syndrome can stop you from reaching the deeper stages of sleep, leaving you feeling groggy.
“Sleep apnoea interrupts your breathing, so you wake up throughout the night, and is linked to obesity. If you think this might be you, speak to your GP.
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“RLS on the other hand could be a sign of iron deficiency.”
Supplements like Healthspan IronCare (£6.60 for 120 tablets) or Boots Iron 14mg (£1.70 for 60 tablets) could help.
Feeling tired in the morning may also be because you were woken up during deep sleep, Dr Sarah Brewer, a GP and nutritionist from Aeons, explains.
“There are three main stages of sleep — light, REM and deep,” she says. “When you enter deep sleep, your brain activity slows. If you wake up at this point, you are likely to feel groggy.”
If you’re in a noisy or bright environment, try earplugs, black-out blinds or an eye mask.
Dr Gareth Patterson, a London-based GP, adds: “Poor sleep hygiene and lifestyle factors, such as taking your phone to bed, little exercise, eating a meal close to bedtime, and drinking caffeine after 2pm are common reasons for a lack of restorative sleep.”
Alcohol can also have an impact. Cut back on booze to see if you notice a difference.
MOODY MORNINGS
Woken up on the wrong side of the bed? You might be short-tempered and frustrated, despite going to bed on time. Dr Brewer says that this could be sleep inertia, or “sleep drunkenness”.
“This can happen if you’ve had more than eight hours or are woken from deep sleep,” she explains.
“You may feel confused and stroppy, and this can last anywhere from a few minutes to an hour.”
If you do take an afternoon kip, make sure it’s no longer than 30 minutes, she adds.
Chronic stress and anxiety can also cause morning irritability because high levels of the hormone cortisol upon waking can negatively impact your mood, Rob says.
“Low blood sugar when you wake up is also likely to result in tetchiness, so eat breakfast before you leave the house and opt for something high in protein and fibre,” he adds.
This could be Greek yoghurt with berries and muesli or eggs on wholemeal toast.
MID-MORNING H-ANGER
If you’re feeling tired and grouchy by 11am but you’ve only had a coffee, your bad mood shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.
“Drinking coffee on an empty stomach can give you a quick burst of energy, but it can also lead to a mid-morning energy crash,” says Rob.
“Caffeine temporarily increases adrenaline and dopamine, which gives you the feeling of alertness, but once it wears off, you’re left depleted.
“Skipping breakfast only makes this worse, as low blood sugar makes it harder to focus and retain a good mood.”
Hydrate with a glass of water before you caffeinate, and eat a protein and fibre-based breakfast for steadier, long-term energy.
GROUCHY AFTER LUNCH
It’s common to feel dozy in the afternoon. In fact, Rob says that around 2pm is when the body naturally has a dip in alertness as part of its circadian rhythm.
This is the 24-hour internal clock in our brain that regulates cycles of alertness and sleepiness. He says: “It’s normal to have a decrease in energy, but you may feel it more if you’re not sleeping well or have an unbalanced diet.”
Rob explains that a large lunch of predominantly simple carbohydrates (think fruit, white bread and pasta) causes a more exaggerated spike in blood sugar followed by a larger drop, leaving you feeling sluggish.
“Plan your lunch around protein with complex carbs to help maintain steady energy levels throughout the afternoon,” he adds.
Try chicken, salmon, tofu or eggs with brown rice or wholegrain pasta.
CAN’T MAKE IT PAST 8pm
Struggling to stay awake in the evening? “This could be because you’ve had limited exposure to natural light during the day,” explains Rob.
“Getting as much light as you can, especially in the morning, can help to regulate your sleep-wake cycle.
“Try spending more time outdoors, and avoid using bright screens before you hit the hay — so no watching Netflix in bed!”
In autumn and winter, when we have less light, it’s normal to feel tired earlier.
Dr Brewer adds: “Lower light levels are a strong cue for sleep as the sun goes down, when natural light loses its blue tones after sunset.”
She explains that while blue light from screens suppresses melatonin secretion (our natural sleep hormone), exposure to red light — such as from a Twilight Red Light Bulb (£19.95) — increases it, leading to better, longer sleep.
Feeling tired early in the evening could also be physical fatigue from a busy or stressful lifestyle, suggests Rob.
TIRED ALL THE TIME
Sometimes, it can feel as though no matter what you do, you’re just constantly tired.
Dr Patterson says that fatigue is an incredibly common complaint in modern society.
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“For a lot of people, stress and lifestyle factors are big contributors. But if your symptoms are persistent, are not in keeping with your ‘normal’, or are associated with other changes (like weight loss, shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pain or bowel changes), it’s important to see your GP,” he says.
There are many health problems that cause fatigue, including thyroid disorders, anaemia, diabetes, and cancers, he adds.