Don’t Make This Mistake When You Are Exhausted
It is the end of a long and stressful day and you finally flop down on the couch.
Your brain is buzzing.
Thoughts are scattered and random. Your joints are aching and your body feels relieved to finally be resting. You announce to your spouse or your housemate (or your pet), "I'm EXHAUSTED!"
Then you think, "well, maybe I should get to bed". You haven't gotten enough sleep recently so this seems like a perfect time to catch up.
Not so fast. Are you actually sleepy? Or are you fatigued? We often use the word "tired" to mean either of these two states and don't differentiate between the two.
But they actually feel different. And your body is telling you different things.
Fatigue is low energy. Sleepy is needing sleep.
The scenario described above is a classic example of fatigue, as in “drained”. When you are fatigued, you are not operating at optimum, mentally or physically. Mentally, fatigue means difficulty concentrating, scattered thinking, and low motivation. Physically, your energy is low and your body doesn’t want to do much.
The feeling of sleepiness manifests as wanting to fall asleep.
For example, I used to have a hard time staying awake after lunch during weekend-long meditation sessions. After lunch I'd find myself almost falling off the cushion multiple times. My head would nod, my body slump and, whoops!, I'd wake up just before slipping off.
I was sleepy. (At that time I hadn't yet discovered why I felt sleepy during the day).
When you are sleepy, you find it hard to keep your eyes open. You are drowsy. You might find yourself "nodding off" as you watch TV or read your book.
Each state requires a different response.
If you are sleepy, you need sleep.
If you are fatigued, you may need any of the following:
More water
Less stress
More downtime (i.e. fun, relaxation, rest)
Exercise
A change in diet (especially less sugar)
Constant fatigue is a sign that something is wrong.
Your battery is running down. Over time, this can lead to poor health and disease. It is important to listen to fatigue. It's your body telling you that you need the basics: ample water, enough sleep and rest, good nutrition, and some exercise.
If you feel fatigued often, you also need more, better quality sleep. You need this as a consistent, ongoing every-night practice. Not a hit-and-miss response to an immediate in-the-moment feeling.
When you are fatigued, sleep is not the immediate solution. Your body will not sleep unless it feels sleepy. In fact, going to bed when fatigued and not drowsy can result in insomnia over time. You are likely to get frustrated with yourself for not sleeping and lose confidence in your ability to sleep.
If you are feeling fatigued but not sleepy in the evening, you need rest. You need to wind down. You need to allow your body to transition from the daytime energy of a busy mind and active body to the nighttime energy of surrender. Here’s how to wind down from a stressful day and get to sleep.
Later, when you feel sleepy, this is your body telling you that it is now ready to go to sleep.