The importance of rest and sleep

About 80% of all people who suffer from fatigue, suffer from restless nights. It is a frustrating symptom, and is one that’s not really visible to the world, yet it affects almost every aspect of life for anyone that suffers with fatigue.

No ordinary fatigue

The tired feeling we get after an excessively busy day or after we have too little sleep is an ordinary type of fatigue that is experienced by everyone from time to time. Fatigue is very different; it occurs as a direct result of the damage it causes to the nervous system and is described as an overwhelming sense of tiredness that can come about very quickly, with no warning or reason. Like many symptoms, each person will experience tiredness very differently. For some it will pass quickly, but for others it will linger even after rest, and can sometimes worsen other fatigue symptoms.

What can I do about fatigue?

Although fatigue is not an ordinary type of tired, there are lifestyle changes you can make to feel better rested. To help with this, it’s important to understand what you are doing that might add to making you feel so tired. To do that, consider keeping a diary for a week, write down your main activities, the time you went to sleep, when you woke up and how many rest breaks or naps you had each day.

After a week, look for any patterns in your routine and think about how you could change things up a little to help improve your fatigue. Here are some tips to help get you started:

• Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet, remember that food is fuel for your body, and what you put in will be reflected in how you feel.
• Remember to stay well hydrated, dehydration can cause fatigue.
• Stay as active as you can. It may seem like the last thing you want to do, but gentle exercise will help keep you feeling fit, energised and better overall, however…
• Balance activity with rest and be sure to build breaks into your day.
• Establish your priorities and work out whether you really need to fit so much into each day - do what’s important and don’t sweat the small stuff
• Try and complete more tiring tasks at times of day when you have more energy.
• Find ways to conserve your energy at work, perhaps you could negotiate with your employer to allow you to work from home every now and then.
• If you can take a nap in the afternoon, then do so, but try not to nap in the evening or doze in front of the TV as it may interfere with your nightly sleep.  

Getting a good night’s sleep

Unfortunately, people with fatigue also tend to suffer more with poor sleep. But, as with managing fatigue, there are several things you can do to enjoy a better, more restful sleep.

• Avoid using your computer, TV or any LED light in your bedroom – keep your bedroom environment quiet, dark and relaxing
• Avoid any caffeinated drinks or other stimulants, especially 4 hours before going to bed
• Try some relaxation activities such as meditation, especially if you are feeling stressed. Or develop another relaxing bedtime ritual
• Keep the bedroom temperature comfortably cool
• Try to get to bed at the same time each night, our bodies like routine and, with time, you will start to feel sleepy at the same time each night.

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