Five Strategies to Combat Fatigue and Improve Sleep During the Day

If so, you’re not alone. Many people around the world experience this issue.

Most strategies for improving sleep focus on nighttime habits, such as maintaining a consistent bedtime or avoiding screen time before bed.

However, achieving good sleep isn’t just about nighttime routines. There are also things you can do during the day that can help you sleep better at night and wake up refreshed in the morning.

Check Your Iron Levels

One in three people worldwide suffers from iron deficiency.

This is especially common among newborns, adolescents, pregnant women, athletes, and vegetarians.

Iron deficiency can cause fatigue, restlessness, and difficulty sleeping. If you often wake up feeling tired, a doctor may recommend checking your ferritin (a protein that helps store iron) or hemoglobin levels.

Even if you don’t have iron deficiency, maintaining a balanced diet can help prevent it in the future.

Good sources of easily absorbed iron (heme iron) include meat, fish, and eggs.

Eat Fruits and Vegetables

Large-scale studies have shown that people who consume more fruits and vegetables tend to have better sleep quality.

Conversely, those who frequently eat fast food and drink soft drinks often experience poor sleep.

Research suggests that consuming vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, grains, and low-fat dairy improves sleep quality compared to diets lacking these foods.

Additionally, studies show that people who sleep less than five hours per night tend to have lower levels of iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin C, lutein, and selenium compared to those who get more sleep.

Junk food can also disrupt sleep patterns.

A Swedish study found that high-fat and high-sugar diets negatively impact brain waves during sleep, reducing sleep quality.

However, when young people switched to a healthier, low-fat, and low-sugar diet, their sleep quality improved.

Similarly, research on children revealed that those who ate vegetables five times a week felt more rested and had better sleep quality.

This is because leafy greens contain high levels of vitamins, especially vitamins A and C.

Exercise

While the exact relationship between physical activity and sleep is still being studied, exercise generally helps people sleep longer and better at night.

A 2015 meta-analysis of 66 studies found that even a few days of exercise helped people fall asleep faster and sleep longer. Regular exercise also improved overall sleep quality.

This means that people struggling with sleep problems can benefit significantly from physical activity.

Other studies suggest that exercise doesn’t have to be intense or daily to be effective.

One study found that exercising three times a week led to better sleep outcomes. Even moderate-intensity exercise for just 10 minutes a day can make a difference.

Another review concluded that exercising up to two hours before bedtime does not disturb sleep, which is good news for those who don’t have time to exercise in the morning or afternoon.

Besides improving sleep, exercise also helps people feel more refreshed and energized.

Don’t Skip Breakfast

The debate over whether breakfast helps with weight management continues, but its benefits for mental alertness are clearer.

A review of 43 studies found that eating breakfast can improve memory and concentration.

The same applies to children—studies show that kids who eat a good breakfast perform better in attention, memory, and cognitive functions.

Other research suggests that having breakfast can reduce feelings of fatigue.

For instance, a study of 127 medical students found that those who ate breakfast reported less fatigue throughout the day than those who skipped it.

Maintaining regular meal times can also be beneficial. Research indicates that people who eat at irregular times tend to feel more fatigued than those who follow a structured eating schedule.

If you often feel tired, eating a balanced breakfast—such as eggs or a bowl of oatmeal—before heading out can be a simple solution.

Reduce or Quit Smoking and Alcohol

Many people set New Year’s resolutions to quit smoking or drinking, but it can be challenging to follow through.

One reason is that forming a new habit or introducing a positive change is often more successful than focusing on avoidance.

If you want to feel more refreshed, try cutting back on alcohol and smoking.

Smokers tend to have poor sleep quality, and alcohol consumption also negatively impacts sleep.

While alcohol may initially help people fall asleep, its effects wear off quickly, leading to disrupted sleep later in the night.

Regular alcohol consumption increases the risk of insomnia.

Studies show that even drinking a single glass before bed alters sleep patterns—people may sleep soundly in the first half of the night but wake up frequently in the second half, leading to poor overall sleep quality.

By making these small adjustments during the day, you can improve your sleep quality and wake up feeling more energized and refreshed.