The Dangers of Overlooked Fatigue on Your Sleep and Ways to Combat It

You’ve probably experienced this scenario before: after a long day, feeling mentally and physically drained, all you want to do is crawl into bed and sleep.

However, your brain, the most powerful biological supercomputer in the universe, decides to play tricks on you. Instead of allowing you to rest, it keeps you wide awake, with thoughts racing through your mind at lightning speed.

So why does this happen? Why does it prevent us from sleeping when we need it the most? The answer is simple: when you’re too tired, your brain overrides the signals for sleep and keeps you awake.

If you’ve heard of being “over-fatigued” before, it’s often used to describe babies who become agitated and unsettled from being awake too long, leading to sleep disturbances and stress.

Similarly, adults can experience the same issues when unaddressed emotions interfere with the body’s natural sleep processes. The longer you stay fatigued, the more challenging it becomes to fall asleep.

Fortunately, there are ways to break this cycle. In the sections below, we’ll explore what causes excessive fatigue and share three scientifically proven steps to combat it for good.

Excessive fatigue impacts your sleep quality

Being overly tired is a paradoxical situation. When you’re physically and mentally drained, your brain is actually overstimulated and in a state of hyperarousal, making it difficult to transition to sleep.

This hyperarousal state affects essential functions that promote sleep, particularly hindering the buildup of sleep pressure in the brain.

Sleep pressure refers to the buildup of neurochemicals and hormones that increase throughout the day, signaling your body’s need for rest.

“Interestingly, as sleep pressure rises, the brain can become more excitable,” explains Professor Matt Jones, a Neuroscientist at the University of Bristol. “The neurons in the cerebral cortex tend to fire more frequently as wakefulness increases.”

“The primary theory is that sleep helps reset sleep pressure, preventing the brain from becoming overly excited and metaphorically ‘exploding!'”

When you’re vigilant and overwhelmed by racing thoughts, this process of resetting the brain for sleep is disrupted, particularly impacting the locus ceruleus area in the brainstem.

“In times of hyperarousal, the activity in this brain region remains high, impeding the transition to sleep and resisting mechanisms that facilitate falling asleep,” Jones clarifies.

Furthermore, persistent fatigue and sleep deprivation can exacerbate troubling thoughts, making it harder to sleep the following night.

“A study in 2019 found that individuals with insomnia were more likely to ruminate about recent embarrassing events and have disrupted sleep compared to healthy sleepers,” he explains.

“Insomniacs might even become hypersensitive to their heartbeat, showing how an unrested brain struggles to ignore irrelevant stimuli,” Jones adds.

“A well-rested brain can filter out unnecessary information, but insomnia disrupts this process, leading to increased mental strain,” he concludes.

Strategies to prevent excessive fatigue

When you’re too tired and key brain regions remain hyperaroused while trying to sleep, essential processes for rest are disrupted.

Dr. Alex Scott, a Psychology lecturer at Keele University, explains that in today’s society, people struggle to regulate their emotions and process daily experiences effectively due to various distractions.

“At the end of the day, we are less inclined to deal positively with our emotions, often exaggerating worries and ruminating in bed,” he shares.

Scott suggests that when fatigued, individuals tend to use unhealthy coping mechanisms, like rumination and blame-shifting.

If rumination proves ineffective for alleviating fatigue, Scott recommends the following three strategies:

1. Avoid counting sheep

Paradoxically, trying too hard to fall asleep can make it even harder. Instead of using traditional methods like counting sheep, Scott encourages individuals to understand that sleep is an automated process that cannot be forced.

“Focus on processing your emotions through exercises like a worry journal,” Scott advises.

2. Maintain a worry diary

Although it may seem tedious, journaling your worries can significantly improve sleep quality for those with sleep issues, according to Scott.

Before bedtime, write down all your concerns in a journal, allowing you to acknowledge them and develop strategies to address them the next day.

“The act of writing down your worries may help you rationalize them and temporarily set them aside, promoting better sleep,” Scott explains.

3. Establish a bedtime routine

Creating a relaxation routine before bed, ideally starting an hour before sleep, can help alleviate mental fatigue and prepare your mind for rest.

“Engage in activities like reading, mindfulness, or journaling during this time to unwind and avoid associating your bed with worries,” Scott suggests.