We all know the feeling, we wake up after a great night’s sleep, but for some reason our bodies feel tired. We might experience fatigue, aching muscles or tingling in our hands and feet. So why after eight hours of sleep do our bodies feel this way?
Of course, going back to sleep would be lovely and that would solve this problem, right? We want to stop feeling like this and sleep always helps, or so we are told. But what do we do when this happens again and again?
Why Do We Feel Tired?
Sometimes, tiredness can be a warning sign that our bodies are lacking in vitamins, most commonly vitamin B12, C and D. Let's take a closer look at these vitamins, what they do and how they can help prevent us from feeling tired.
Vitamin B12
B12 is vital for the production of your red blood cells and a healthy nervous system. Yet, due to the increasing consumption of gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan diets this vitamin now is often top of the list of the most common deficiencies.
The most common sources of B12 are from animal products. Whilst there are alternative sources such as fortified cereal or marmite, vegetarians, vegans, and people on a gluten free diet are often advised to take a supplement to support their levels.
Vitamin D – The Sunshine Vitamin
During the winter months however, supplements are often needed. Between October to March, the Public Health body of the UK recommends daily supplements of vitamin D.
Vitamin C
Whilst vitamin C deficiency is fairly uncommon in the UK, low levels can cause us to feel tired and lethargic. Vitamin C plays a vital role in several areas of the body, including immune health and collagen function. Vitamin C also promotes iron absorption, another important nutrient for fighting tiredness.
Waking Up Ready For The Day
Following regular and maintained consumption of these vitamins, our red blood cells are abundant, the blood is flowing around our body, oxygen and energy is being supplied to our muscles, and we have no tingling sensations in our hands and feet.
Imagine waking up after a good night’s sleep and feeling energised and ready for the day ahead. Our body is telling us we are in good health and we have vitamins to thank.
- Sizar O, Khare S, Goyal A, Bansal P, Givler A. Vitamin D Deficiency [Internet]. StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2020 [cited 2020 Sep 14]. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30335299
- Khan KM, Jialal I. Folic Acid (Folate) Deficiency [Internet]. StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2020 [cited 2020 Sep 14]. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30570998
- Darnton-Hill I. Public Health Aspects in the Prevention and Control of Vitamin Deficiencies. Curr Dev Nutr [Internet]. 2019 Sep [cited 2020 Sep 14];3(9):nzz075. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31598578
- The vegan diet – NHS [Internet]. [cited 2020 Sep 14]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/the-vegan-diet/
- SACN. Carbohydrates and Health. 2015 [cited 2017 Mar 6]; Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/445503/SACN_Carbohydrates_and_Health.pdf
