The time of the day when you feel tired tells a story. Read on to find out what your tiredness means and what you can do to recharge your batteries.

Wake up tired

Do you wake up feeling like you’ve hardly slept a wink, hit the snooze button seven times and then only start functioning once you’ve had your first coffee? Assuming it’s not something simple like not getting to bed early enough or being woken by external factors (kids, pets, noisy neighbors, etc.), then your tiredness is likely due to the poor quality of your sleep.

To wake refreshed from sleep requires you to be able to access deep states of rest for around 2 hours a night. If you’re a ‘light sleeper’, meaning your nervous system stays in a state of relative alertness, then you’re missing out on this crucial element of rest. It’s why those suffering from post-viral fatigue, such as long Covid or chronic fatigue, can sleep ten-plus hours a night and still be exhausted.

Solution: Try doing a guided relaxation in bed as you go to sleep, you’ll wind down and enjoy a better quality of sleep.

3pm crash

If you feel your energy fading around mid-afternoon, then you are experiencing the dreaded 3pm crash. What did you have for lunch? The 3pm crash is sometimes known as the ‘food coma’, especially relevant if you’ve had a lunch heavy on carbs. When we eat refined carbs, we get a blood sugar spike to which our body responds with a burst of insulin that can bring us crashing back down to earth.

Solution: If you’re prone to energy crashes, try swapping some carbs (pasta, bread, cakes) for some quality protein in your breakfast, lunch and snacks.

Tired but wired

It’s late, you’re exhausted but you can’t switch off. You’re stuck doomscrolling social media, or glued to the couch watching something you’re only slightly interested in. Being tired but wired is where you’re stuck in state of low-level agitation that prevents you from winding down and getting to sleep.

Solution: Give your mind something that’s just stimulating enough to engage it, but that also requires some effort like reading a book, listening to music, writing in your journal or even doing some colouring in. Once you wind down a bit, the exhaustion will kick in and allow you to drift off to sleep.

Asleep But Snoring?

If you snore and wake up exhausted, it’s likely you have some degree of sleep apnoea.

In sleep apnoea, your breathing stops and starts throughout the night, triggering your nervous system to be alerted and waking you up enough to restore breathing. As you can imagine, it doesn’t make for a restful night.

Solution: Discuss this with your GP, they may refer you for a sleep study.

Editor’s note: This wellbeing column provides information that is general in nature. Please always refer to your preferred health professional for advice suited to your personal healthcare requirements.