Why you’re so tired all the time (& no, it’s not just motherhood)
There’s a kind of tired that sleep doesn’t fix.. If you’re a mum, or someone who’s constantly busy & overwhelmed, chances are you know exactly what I'm talking about.
You wake up and instantly need a cup of coffee before you can function (and then another one by 2pm). You drag yourself through the day, only to crash in the afternoon. Or maybe you’re dealing with persistent brain fog.
Yet for some reason, when it comes time to lay down and go to sleep, you feel wired.. Great!
For a lot of us mums and busy women, this just becomes our new “normal”. You assume it’s part of the juggle. Work, kids, mental load, broken sleep. Of course you’re tired.. right?
But ongoing fatigue usually means there’s more going on underneath, so it’s definitely worth paying attention to.
At The Equilibrium Hub, this is something we see all the time. Women who are doing their best to eat well and look after themselves, yet still feel flat. When we zoom out, there are usually a few key pieces missing.
So, let’s go through them.
1. You’re not fuelling yourself properly (or enough). Even if you’re eating “healthy”
This one catches a lot of women off guard!
You might be eating whole foods or cooking at home, and making generally good choices.
Yet these things alone don’t make up the full picture.
If meals are low in nutrients, or you’re going long stretches without eating, your body still ends up underfuelled.
This can lead to:
Energy dips
Feeling shaky, irritable, or foggy
Cravings for sugar or caffeine
That “I just can’t think straight” feeling
Let’s look at protein for example.
Protein plays a key role in satiety, blood sugar regulation, and neurotransmitter production. All of which influence how steady and clear your energy feels across the day! Higher protein intake has been shown to support appetite regulation and more stable blood glucose responses, which can reduce energy dips.
Many women aren’t meeting optimal protein needs, especially during physically and mentally demanding life stages (AKA stress, motherhood, or postpartum..).
So how do we meet our protein needs?
We always recommend starting with breakfast, as this is where so many women go wrong.
Quick options like toast or cereal are convenient, but they don’t offer much in terms of sustained energy. And let’s not even talk about those of us who skip breakfast.
Without enough protein, blood sugar tends to rise quickly and then drop, which is where that mid-morning slump often appears.
Meals that include protein alongside carbs & healthy fats have been shown to produce a more stable glucose response and improve satiety.
Great breakfast options include;
Eggs & avo on sourdough toast. Top with seeds for an extra protein boost!
Overnight oats or chia pudding with a good quality protein or collagen powder
Greek yoghurt with berries, nut butter, and a sprinkle of granola
Leftovers from dinner (underrated, but honestly one of the easiest ways to get a proper meal in)
Boiled eggs with fruit and a handful of nuts
2. Your blood sugar is on a rollercoaster (not the fun kind)
When meals are low in protein or you’re skipping them altogether, blood sugar tends to spike and crash.
The crash is where the fatigue hits.
You might notice:
A slump around 10 - 11am
Sugar cravings
Feeling energised after eating, then suddenly flat again
Over time, this pattern wears your system down and you end up relying on quick fixes just to get through the day.
Balancing meals with protein, fats, and carbohydrates helps to iron this out.
3. You’re not getting morning light
This one is simple, but oh so important.
Getting natural light early in the day can set your body clock by regulating your circadian rhythm, which influences sleep, hormone production, and daytime alertness. In fact, morning light exposure has been shown to improve alertness and support better sleep!
So if your mornings are spent indoors under artificial light, or by jumping straight onto your phone, that signal gets missed.
Even a short walk outside in the morning can help!
4. Sleep isn’t just about hours
You can be in bed for 8 hours and still wake up exhausted.
Sleep quality is shaped by a few things including blood sugar stability overnight, stress levels, screen use before bed, and even how consistent your sleep routine is.
If your nervous system is still in “go mode” at night, your body doesn’t fully switch into deep, restorative sleep.
And for a lot of mums, sleep is already interrupted. Which makes quality even more important.
Here’s a few ways to support your sleep:
Eat enough during the day
Have a proper dinner (girl dinner doesn’t count)
Consider using a red light or red bulb in the evening to support your wind-down
Try not to be on your phone (or screens) too close to bed
& if you do need to be on your phone, switch it to night shift mode to reduce blue light exposure.
You can also explore blue light blocking options here: https://www.blockbluelight.com.au/
Personally, I try to put my phone on sleep mode around 7 - 7:30pm to limit any mindless scrolling. Occasionally I’ll watch a show, but most nights I’m doing things like colouring in, a word search, reading, or just chatting with my partner. Nothing fancy, yet it gives my body a proper chance to switch off.
5. You’re running on adrenaline
When you’re constantly busy, your body leans on stress hormones such as cortisol to keep you going.
You might feel tired but unable to switch off. Or get a second wind at night!
It works in the short term. But it’s certainly not sustainable.
In fact, chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels are associated with fatigue, sleep disruption, and reduced resilience over time.
This is often where that “tired but wired” feeling comes from.
6. Nutrient deficiencies
Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of nutrient deficiencies.
Iron deficiency, even without anaemia, can significantly impact energy, cognitive function, and overall wellbeing. Other nutrients like vitamin B12 and magnesium play key roles in energy production and nervous system function too.
It’s usually a combination of multiple things..
Fatigue is rarely caused by a single issue. More often than not, it’s a combination of the above!
Each one on its own might not feel like a big deal though together, they quickly add up.
So, where do you start?
You don’t need to fix everything at once. Keep it simple and start small. In fact, I encourage you to pick just one from the list below and start there:
Add protein to your breakfast
Eat more consistently
Get outside in the morning
Stay off screens at night
If you’re still feeling stuck
And of course if you’re doing what you can and still feel exhausted, it might be time to look a bit deeper.
At The Equilibrium Hub, everything is approached as a whole. Nutrition, hormones, digestion, lifestyle. In a way that actually fits into your real life.
If you want personalised, practical support, you can book a consultation and start getting some clarity around what’s actually going on.
References
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