The #1 cause of daytime fatigue is a lack of water or dehydration. Not only can insufficient water consumption make us more tired, but it can affect our bodies in several ways. Dehydration is a common, problem around the world, and especially prevalent in modern industrialized cultures. It is estimated that approximately three-quarters of the human population is seriously and chronically dehydrated. Dehydration occurs when the body loses more water than it takes in, which can occur as a result of excessive sweating, lack of water intake or a combination of both among other causes.
Dehydration contributes to daytime fatigue by reducing blood flow to the brain and other vital organs through out the body by slowing them down. Mild dehydration can cause the metabolism to slow by 3%. Just a 2% loss of body water can cause trouble focusing, fuzziness, short term memory loss.
An easy way to tell if you are overly dehydrated is by looking at the color of your urine. If it’s dark yellow that’s a very good sign you are dehydrated.

Take these precautionary measures to avoid dehydration and reduce daytime fatigue:

  1.  Try to schedule physical outdoor activities for the cooler parts of the day.
  2.  Drink plenty of fluids during outdoor activities. Make sure you are taking in more fluid than you are losing.
  3.  Take frequent drink (water) breaks especially on hot days. Water and sports drinks are the drinks of choice; avoid tea, coffee, soda and alcohol as these can lead to dehydration because of the diuretic effect of caffeinated beverages.
  4.  Protect yourself from the sun by wearing a hat, sunglasses and using an umbrella. Wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing in light colors.