7 signs you could have extreme fatigue (and how to treat it)
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, MBA
Feeling exhausted no matter how much sleep you get? You could be dealing with extreme fatigue. Explore what it is, the symptoms plus how to prevent and treat it.
Is there anything better than that feeling of accomplishment you get at the end of a day when you’ve managed to eat right, squeeze in a moderate workout, and even go to bed at a regular time? Maybe you crushed it yesterday but from the second you open your eyes after a full night's rest, every single task you do feels enormously hard and tiring. And as the day goes on, you only get more tired and you think, “I did everything right! What gives?”
Well, what you might be experiencing in these moments is extreme fatigue — a deep, unrelenting exhaustion that doesn’t go away, no matter how much rest you get. This feeling can be extremely worrying and frustrating as it can make it hard for you to focus, zap your motivation, and affect your mood.
But extreme fatigue can be far less scary if you understand what it is. Let’s dive in, and uncover what might be causing it, spot some of its signs, and look into some practical tips to help you if you’re experiencing it.
What is extreme fatigue?
You know when you were a kid and you’d stay up all night at a sleepover and then the next morning, you’d be so tired that you couldn’t form sentences? Well, picture that feeling but after a full night’s rest. This is extreme fatigue and it can be pretty upsetting.
This sort of exhaustion can leave you feeling like you’re slogging through mud. The worst part is it’s not just physical — it also affects your focus, your emotional balance, and your overall sense of wellbeing.
What’s the difference between normal tiredness and extreme fatigue?
So many chats we have with our friends include how tired we feel and are often met with an emphatic, “Me too!” So, how do we tell the difference between all of us just being regular tired vs extreme fatigue?
Typically, you feel normal tiredness when you stay up late, work long hours, or workout too hard. And it usually goes away after a good night’s rest. But extreme fatigue is persistent and typically you still feel exhausted even after you get good sleep.
If you don’t know if you’re feeling normal tired or experiencing extreme fatigue, pay attention to how long it lasts as this could mean you have an underlying health issue, or the need to make a lifestyle change.
7 signs and symptoms of extreme fatigue
When we’re feeling really tired, it can be tempting to say that we have extreme fatigue. But with extreme fatigue, you feel it in your entire body. It goes beyond tiredness. It affects your energy, focus, and mood.
If you’re experiencing extreme fatigue for more than a few weeks, this could be your body's way of telling you that something’s wrong. So, here are seven signs to keep an eye out for:
Constant tiredness that doesn’t go away after sleep or some rest.
Difficulty concentrating or frequent brain fog that affects your productivity.
Feeling weak or feeling a heavy, sluggish sensation in your muscles.
Feeling irritable or experiencing mood swings.
Experiencing headaches, joint pain, or muscle pain.
Sleeping issues, like insomnia or waking up feeling not refreshed.
Loss of motivation or the inability to complete normal tasks.
What causes extreme fatigue?
It’d be so nice if the causes for extreme fatigue were always the same and easy to point out. But unfortunately, the causes can come from many different sources like your lifestyle habits, an underlying medical condition, or maybe even a mixture of both.
Treatment for extreme fatigue really depends on the cause. If it’s lifestyle-related, improving your sleep habits or your diet can really help to give you more energy. If the cause is a medical condition, seeing a doctor and getting a proper diagnosis may be the only way to start feeling like yourself again.
Common lifestyle-related causes
Sometimes we’re our own worst enemy. We know we shouldn’t do something and yet we still do it. Here are some lifestyle related factors that can cause extreme fatigue:
Poor sleep habits: When you don’t get enough sleep or have irregular bedtimes, this can lead to you not getting the deep, restorative rest your body needs.
Stress and anxiety: When you’re constantly worrying, overthinking, or dealing with big life changes, this can leave you mentally and physically exhausted.
Dietary imbalances: When you don’t eat a balanced diet, you might not be giving your body the nutrients it needs to create energy. If you skip meals, rely on junk food, or don’t get enough iron, B vitamins, or protein, this can make you feel really fatigued.
Dehydration: If you don’t drink water regularly, this can make you sluggish and make it hard for you to focus. Drinking water helps your body to produce the energy it needs.
Sedentary lifestyle: When you’re not active, oxygen and nutrients don’t move through your body as well. This can make you feel tired as your brain and muscles don’t get the elements it needs to function.
Medical causes of extreme fatigue
If you’ve changed all your bad lifestyle habits and you’re still feeling totally exhausted, it’s possible an underlying condition is behind your extreme fatigue. Here are some of the most common medical causes:
Chronic illnesses: Conditions like fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) can cause you to feel prolonged exhaustion, muscle pain and even brain fog.
Anemia: When your body doesn’t have enough red blood cells, your muscles and brain may not get the oxygen it needs. This can make you feel fatigued.
Thyroid issues: An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) slows down your metabolism and makes you feel tired, while an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) can drain you of all your energy.
Diabetes: If your blood sugar levels are too high (hyperglycemia) or too low (hypoglycemia), this can leave you feeling tired.
Sleep disorders: Conditions like sleep apnea, insomnia, or restless legs syndrome disrupt your sleep, and make it hard for you to feel rested even if you got a full night in bed.
POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome): This condition affects your blood circulation, and can cause dizziness, fatigue, and weakness, especially when you stand up.
Mental health conditions: Depression and anxiety can drain your energy and make it hard for you to rest and fully recover.
How to treat (and prevent) extreme fatigue: 8 tips to help you deal
When you’re exhausted, trying to do anything to get you out of that exhaustion sounds well… exhausting. But if you focus on small, consistent changes and take everything one step at a time, slowly you might begin to feel a little more like yourself.
Here are eight tips that might help to give you a little more pep in your step.
1. Work on your sleep habits
Creating a consistent and calming bedtime routine can help fight off extreme fatigue. Try to:
Stick to a consistent sleep schedule, going to bed and waking up at the same time every day — even on weekends. This will help train your body to fall asleep and wake up at the same time.
Create a soothing routine that helps you wind down. Reading, meditating, or gentle stretching are great activities to help make you sleepy. (Check out these nine tips for building your own bedtime routine.)
Try to avoid screens an hour before bed since the blue light they emit can keep you up.
Make your bedroom comfy and sleep-friendly by keeping it cool, quiet, and dark.
💙 To help you doze off, try listening to our Gallery of Dreams Sleep Story narrated by Sheryl Lee Ralph.
2. Eat for energy
Focus on eating meals that will give you steady energy like a mixture of protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates. Eggs, leafy greens, and whole grains also can help to give you the energy boost you need. If you have anemia, foods high in iron, like spinach, lentils, or lean meats are great sources of energy.
Try not to skip meals, have too many sugary snacks, or overdose on coffee. These factors can all make you feel tired and sluggish later on. Some great snack options that’ll give you energy are nuts, fruit, and yogurt.
3. Stay hydrated
Your body needs water to work properly. If you’re even a little dehydrated, you can feel tired and foggy. To stay hydrated, aim to drink water regularly throughout the day. If you’re constantly forgetting, keep a reusable water bottle nearby. And if plain water feels boring, try carbonated water or add a slice of lemon or few sprigs of fresh mint.
If you’re super active, be sure to drink electrolytes when you sweat. This will help restore the lost essential minerals in your body.
4. Incorporate gentle movement
When you exercise regularly, it improves your circulation and increases your energy levels.
Without pushing yourself too hard, try to go on an easy 10–minute walk or gently stretch your body. Focus on doing whatever movements feel good to you. You can gradually increase your activities as your energy comes back.
💙 If a gentle walk sounds nice to you, try listening to a Mindful Walking meditation with Tamara Levitt.
5. Manage stress and emotional well-being
Stress can really drain your energy, so if you constantly feel tired from stress, try talking to a friend, family member, or therapist. (Here are seven ways to help you reduce your stress and find some relief.)
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, try breaking down your tasks into smaller, more manageable steps. Set realistic goals and don’t overload yourself.
Also to recharge a little, try deep breathing, practicing mindfulness, or doing progressive muscle relaxation.
6. Address underlying health concerns
If you feel like you’ve tried everything and you still feel exhausted, reach out to your doctor. They can recommend tests and check for common issues like anemia, thyroid disorders, or nutrient deficiencies.
If you’re diagnosed with a specific condition, make sure to follow the treatment plan that your doctor recommends.
7. Prevent future fatigue
Listen to your body and rest when you need it. If you push through exhaustion, you can easily burnout.
When you make changes, try to make smaller ones like improving your diet or getting regular exercise so that it’s easy for you to stick to your new plan. Some good balanced routines to start are making sure to eat nourishing meals, keeping up regular light exercise, and maintaining consistent sleep.
💙 Get some Stress and Burnout Support by listening to this series with stress expert Dr. Aditi Nerurkar.
8. Be patient with yourself
We don’t need to tell you this, but extreme fatigue is tiring. So be patient with yourself as you recover as it will take some time. If you struggle with patience (we get it), here are seven ways to cultivate it.
Some days it’s going to feel easier than others, and that’s okay. Celebrate small wins — like going on a short walk or sleeping a little bit better one night. Give yourself credit for the progress you’re making.
Extreme fatigue FAQs
What is extreme fatigue a symptom of?
Extreme fatigue symptoms really run the gamut. But they usually come from a few lifestyle factors or certain medical conditions.
Here some common medical causes to look out for:
Anemia
Thyroid disorders
Diabetes
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)
Fibromyalgia
Autoimmune diseases
Depression and anxiety
Here are some lifestyle factors to keep an eye out for:
Poor sleep quality
Stress
Inadequate nutrition
Dehydration
If you've been feeling constant fatigue for weeks or months and changing your lifestyle hasn’t been helping, talk to a doctor to see if they can help you treat it.
Can diet help with extreme fatigue?
Yes, if you keep a well-rounded diet and eat at consistent meal times, this can help to regulate your energy and reduce your fatigue.
Eating leafy greens, whole grains, nuts, and lean proteins can help give you the energy boost your body needs. Make sure to consume foods high in iron, B vitamins, and magnesium as these can particularly help with reducing fatigue. Also if you focus on staying hydrated and don’t have too much sugar or caffeine, this can help you avoid energy dips.
How long does it take to recover from extreme fatigue?
There’s no one quick fix for extreme fatigue recovery. It all depends on the underlying cause. If you’re experiencing extreme fatigue because of poor sleep habits, stress, or bad nutrition, you could see improvements within a few weeks after you change your lifestyle.
But if the fatigue is because of a medical condition, like hypothyroidism or chronic fatigue syndrome, recovery may take longer and requires ongoing treatment and management a lot of the time.
Recovering will be different for everyone, so be kind with yourself and try to be consistent with your efforts. If self-kindness can be hard for you, here are 10 ways to be nicer to yourself to help get you started.
Can drinking too little water cause fatigue?
Yes, your body needs water to properly function, as it helps deliver nutrients to your cells, supports brain activity, and maintains blood circulation. So if you don’t drink enough water or are even mildly dehydrated, your body will struggle to perform and you can feel tired, sluggish, and can have trouble focusing.
To maintain your energy, aim to drink water consistently throughout the day.
Why do I feel tired and have no energy?
It can be really worrying when you feel tired and you have no idea why. So to help you, here’s six common lifestyle factors that may explain why you’re experiencing low energy:
Poor sleep
High stress levels
Inadequate nutrition
Dehydration
Lack of physical activity
Excessive reliance on sugar and caffeine
You could also be feeling extremely fatigued because you have underlying medical conditions like:
Anemia
Thyroid issues
Diabetes
Depression
If your fatigue continues even after making positive lifestyle changes, talk with your doctor to see if they can help diagnose your condition.
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