How to stop feeling tired: practical steps to try

To stop feeling tired, start by asking whether this is a short-lived dip or a pattern that keeps returning. For today, pause, drink some water if you may be thirsty, eat if you have missed a meal, and take a brief walk or rest somewhere safe. For tiredness that lasts, track sleep, energy, meals, activity, mood, and medicines for a week, then discuss the pattern with your doctor. Persistent fatigue can have sleep, emotional, medication-related, or medical causes, so supplements and “instant” tricks are not a reliable substitute for finding the reason. This page is the practical plan; to work out what may be behind ongoing tiredness, see why am I always tired?.

First, know when tiredness needs prompt care

Get medical help promptly for fatigue with chest pain, shortness of breath, fever, or unexplained weight loss. Loud snoring with pauses in breathing or gasping deserves medical evaluation, as does repeatedly falling asleep while driving. If low mood includes thoughts of self-harm, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the United States, or seek emergency help now. New or worsening symptoms deserve medical care.

Persistent fatigue is a common reason to speak with a primary care clinician. A review of fatigue as a presenting complaint describes sleep disorders, breathing-related sleep disorders, depression, and excessive psychosocial stress among common causes. It also emphasizes a history and examination, with testing guided by the person’s other symptoms and findings. That is a reason to get checked, not a way to diagnose yourself from a list. (Maisel et al., 2021)

What does feeling tired mean?

People use “tired” to describe several different experiences: sleepiness, low energy, physical weakness, trouble concentrating, or feeling worn out by ordinary tasks. These do not always point to the same cause. In adults 65 and older, a review found that research definitions of fatigue varied, but often included lack of energy, impaired daily activities, and a subjective, multidimensional experience. (Su et al., 2022)

Try to describe your version precisely. Do you feel you could fall asleep, or do you feel drained while still alert? Does it happen on waking, after lunch, after exertion, or after an emotionally difficult event such as crying? Does rest help? These details can help a clinician distinguish sleepiness from low stamina or a broader change in health.

Aging can change routines, sleep, activity, and health, but ongoing exhaustion should not be dismissed as “just getting older.” Fatigue research among older adults connects it with biological, psychological, social, and behavioral factors. A diary can show whether one pattern stands out and give you something concrete to bring to an appointment. (Su et al., 2022)

Try these practical steps before supplements

1. Protect a steady sleep opportunity

For one week, keep your wake time fairly consistent and leave enough time for a full night of sleep. Note late caffeine, alcohol, overnight awakenings, naps, and whether you wake refreshed. If sleep is repeatedly broken, look for the reason rather than only trying to sleep longer. Frequent waking, trouble falling asleep, or waking unrefreshed may be worth discussing with your clinician. See our guides to sleep hygiene for men over 50 and sleep inertia.

If someone tells you that you snore loudly, stop breathing, or gasp during sleep, mention it. That pattern merits evaluation, particularly when daytime sleepiness is affecting safety. Don’t drive when you are struggling to stay awake.

2. Match the fix to the moment

If you feel tired in the afternoon, first check the basics: Was last night short or interrupted? Have you been sitting for hours? Did you skip lunch, or eat more than usual? A short walk, a change of task, and a regular meal may be more useful than chasing a sudden energy boost. If a brief rest helps, keep it early enough that it does not crowd out nighttime sleep. A nap is not a safe fix for drowsy driving; stop somewhere safe and arrange another way to travel.

Feeling tired after crying can happen after an emotionally intense episode, but one episode does not identify a medical cause. Take a quiet pause, drink if thirsty, and return to ordinary activities gently. If low mood or distress is persistent, interfering with daily life, or accompanied by thoughts of self-harm, contact a health professional promptly. A fatigue review identifies psychological and social factors alongside physical and behavioral ones, supporting a broad, nonjudgmental conversation about what has been going on. (Su et al., 2022)

3. Break up long stretches of sitting

Try a few minutes of comfortable movement, then build a repeatable routine that fits your health and current fitness. Start modestly if you have been inactive, and ask your clinician what is appropriate if you have a health condition, pain, balance problems, or a recent change in stamina. An individualized program is more sensible than forcing a demanding workout when you already feel depleted.

In a randomized trial of 184 frail older adults, an individualized exercise program combined with behavior-change support reduced measured fatigue more than health education alone, with differences still present at follow-up through 12 months. Exercise training without that added support did not differ significantly from the control group. The result is specific to this study group and program, but it supports choosing practical, tailored movement and support rather than expecting a single hard workout to solve fatigue. (Liu et al., 2023)

4. Eat and drink regularly enough for your day

Notice whether tired spells follow skipped meals, long gaps without food, or not drinking when thirsty. A steady pattern of meals and fluids may make your day easier to manage, though it cannot address every cause of fatigue. If tiredness reliably follows meals, see our article on feeling tired after eating. Avoid treating a particular food, sweet drink, or caffeine as an instant fix for an ongoing problem.

5. Review medicines and the timeline

Write down when the tiredness began and whether it changed after an illness, a major stressor, a sleep disruption, or a medicine change. Bring a list of prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, and supplements to your appointment. Some medicines can contribute to fatigue, but do not stop, skip, or change a prescribed medicine on your own. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to review it, especially if you take multiple medicines.

Can you stop feeling tired instantly?

Usually, no dependable trick can instantly remove the cause of fatigue. Light movement, a drink when thirsty, a meal after a missed meal, or a short rest may help with a temporary dip, but the effect varies and does not replace sleep or medical evaluation. Caffeine can make a person feel more alert for a time, but it can also interfere with later sleep, and it is not a safe answer to dangerous sleepiness.

A small randomized study tested a 30-minute nap and coffee during nighttime highway driving among 24 participants aged 20 to 50. Both reduced lane-crossing errors compared with decaffeinated coffee, but nap effects were weaker in the middle-aged group, and subjective sleepiness and fatigue did not improve in the same way as driving performance. This narrow study does not establish a general instant energy remedy, and it certainly does not make driving while drowsy safe. (Sagaspe et al., 2007)

What about supplements?

Supplements are a later consideration, not the first step. A product is unlikely to address fatigue caused by interrupted sleep, a medication effect, low mood, or another health issue. Evidence for magnesium as a sleep or energy solution is not established by the fatigue studies cited here. If you are considering it, talk to your doctor, especially with medications or kidney problems, and do not treat it as a substitute for care.

Our scores are strict: they compare labels with available human research and do not show that a product will improve how you feel. You can see the method and label comparisons in our sleep and energy supplements guide and our Magnesium Breakthrough review. Results vary; talk to your doctor, especially with medications.

Next step

For a practical plan to improve the routines that can affect rest, read our sleep hygiene guide for men over 50. If fatigue continues, is new or worsening, or comes with chest pain, shortness of breath, fever, unexplained weight loss, loud snoring with breathing pauses, or falling asleep while driving, arrange prompt medical care and bring your notes. Low mood with thoughts of self-harm needs immediate support; call or text 988 in the United States.

Frequently asked questions

Why am I feeling tired all the time?

Ongoing fatigue can relate to sleep, breathing during sleep, mood, stress, medicines, or other health factors. A clinician can use your history and symptoms to decide what evaluation makes sense. Don’t assume a single cause or begin a supplement in place of that conversation. (Maisel et al., 2021)

How do I stop feeling tired in the afternoon?

Check whether you slept poorly, missed a meal, or have been inactive for a long stretch. Try a brief walk or a quiet rest if safe, and keep track of whether the pattern repeats. Persistent afternoon sleepiness, especially with snoring or breathing pauses at night, deserves discussion with a clinician.

How do I stop feeling tired after crying?

Give yourself time to settle, drink if thirsty, and take a gentle break. If emotional distress is frequent or affecting your daily life, talk with a health professional. Thoughts of self-harm need prompt support; call or text 988 in the United States.

Can I stop feeling tired instantly?

There is no dependable instant fix for ongoing fatigue. A brief break or movement may help a temporary slump, but do not drive or operate equipment if you are struggling to stay awake. Look for a recurring cause if the tiredness persists.

Is feeling tired always a sign of illness?

No. Tiredness can follow a poor night, a demanding day, or stress. But new, persistent, or worsening fatigue, or fatigue with warning signs, deserves medical attention. Results vary, and a clinician can help decide what needs checking.

What should I tell my doctor?

Describe when the tiredness began, what time of day it occurs, how sleep is going, whether activity or meals change it, and any accompanying symptoms. Bring a list of medicines and supplements. This helps your doctor decide what questions, examination, or tests are appropriate.