Restless days where you constantly feel that your body is exhausted or tired are the worst. Tiredness can be caused by different things such as stress, not enough sleep, poor diet, and other lifestyle factors.

According to Mayo Clinic, fatigue can mostly be traced to one or more of your habits or routines, particularly lack of exercise. It's also commonly related to depression. On occasion, fatigue is a symptom of other underlying conditions that require medical treatment.

Alliance Mujawayezu, a senior physiotherapist at Heroes Day Care Center for children with disabilities, says that if a person has overwhelming fatigue that seems to go nowhere, however much they do everything necessary to relieve it, they might be having an underlying condition that might need attention.

"Sometimes you can do everything necessary to find relief from tiredness, you might sleep, rest or exercise but end up still tired. It happens a lot and many people conclude that they are restless, but that it is a problem to not be overlooked or ignored. Visit your nearest health center and get checked by a doctor for a possible diagnose of chronic tiredness,” she says.

According to an article by Ian Shyaka, a plastic surgeon at Rwanda Military hospital, chronic fatigue syndrome is a disorder that makes one feel very tired all the time. Sometimes the disorder is so bad that it makes it hard for someone to do their normal activities. Although it is not likely to shorten one’s life, chronic fatigue syndrome can have a profound effect on one’s quality of life.

"The causes of chronic fatigue syndrome aren’t well-understood. For this condition to be diagnosed, fatigue should last for at least six months and not be curable with bed rest,” he says.

In the article, he adds that one should have at least four other associated symptoms such as; loss of memory or concentration, feeling unrefreshed after a night’s sleep, chronic insomnia (sleep disturbances), muscle pains, frequent headaches, multi-joint pain without redness or swelling, frequent sore throat, tender and swollen lymph nodes in the neck or armpits.

Mujawayezu, explains that feeling overwhelmed a lot even after doing everything needed does not always mean that you might be having that syndrome, you might be also doing everything wrong.

"If you eat healthy, exercise, and maybe sleep for a few hours, you will still feel tired because you are not allowing your body to rest well, yes you are doing all that but you are not doing it the right way,” she says.

How to fight tiredness

Mujawayezu, suggests that eating often can help a person fight fatigue, "Foods carry a lot of energy and one of the reasons you might feel tired always is maybe because of not eating often, . Avoid skipping meals and eat energetic foods”.

She adds that adding movements to your schedule can be effective in reducing tiredness, because as you move you boost your body with the needed energy so a daily walk of 15 minutes is ideal.

According to better health, a channel that provides medical and health information online, here are some tips to fight tiredness:

Drink plenty of water – sometimes you feel tired simply because you’re mildly dehydrated. A glass of water will help do the trick, especially after exercise.

Be careful with caffeine – anyone feeling tired should cut out caffeine. The best way to do this is to gradually stop having all caffeine drinks (that includes coffee, tea, and cola drinks) over a three-week period. Try to stay off caffeine completely for a month to see if you feel less tired without it.

Eat breakfast – food boosts your metabolism and gives the body energy to burn. The brain relies on glucose for fuel, so choose carbohydrate-rich breakfast foods such as cereals or wholegrain bread.

Don’t overeat – large meals can drain your energy. Instead of eating three big meals per day, try eating six mini-meals to spread your kilojoule intake more evenly. This will result in more constant blood sugar and insulin levels. You’ll also find it easier to lose excess body fat if you eat this way.

Eat iron-rich foods – women, in particular, are prone to iron deficiency (anaemia), which can lead to feeling fatigued. Make sure your diet includes iron-rich foods such as lean red meat.