Recovering from Energy Crashes: Effective Strategies to Rejuvenate Your Day

Key Takeaways

• Feelings of fatigue are frustrating, but are often related to lifestyle choices, so preventing them is within your control.
• Focusing on things like staying hydrated, getting enough sleep, and eating a balanced diet can prevent energy crashes.

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We’ve all struggled with the mid-afternoon slump at one time or another. Feeling tired and having low energy can impact your mood, mental clarity, and overall well-being. While it’s unrealistic to avoid tiredness altogether, there are many things you can do to give yourself the energy boost you need to get through the day. Whether your cause of fatigue is due to lack of sleep or blood sugar swings, we’re sharing our top tips for recovering from an energy crash. 

Understanding Energy Crashes 

An energy crash can be a sudden feeling of sleepiness, brain fog, lack of focus, and the desire to expend as little energy as possible. These common symptoms can range from mild to extreme depending on the cause. To efficiently make a rebound, it’s important to understand the factors contributing to your energy dip. 

Feeling tired may result from lifestyle habits like not getting enough sleep, not engaging in sufficient physical activity, or it could be caused by more serious health conditions like sleep apnea or hypothyroidism. Experiencing a drop in energy after a big meal is common, but you should talk to your healthcare provider if you’re regularly combating fatigue.

Common Causes of Energy Crashes 

Understanding what causes these frustrating crashes can help you stabilize your energy levels. Below are the top causes of energy crashes:​

Insufficient Sleep 

It’s estimated that more than 35% of US adults are not getting the sleep they need.¹ Poor sleep can result from not getting enough hours of sleep or not getting enough quality sleep. Inadequate sleep can lead to energy crashes the next day, and is associated with more serious health problems. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, people who get less than 7 hours of sleep are at risk for chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.² 

Unbalanced Diet

Your blood sugar levels play a significant role in your overall energy. Consuming too many simple carbs can trigger blood glucose spikes and subsequent crashes, which may leave you feeling weak, fatigued, and unable to focus. Prioritize balanced meals and snacks rich in fiber, protein, and healthy fats to balance your blood sugar and keep you feeling your best throughout the day.

Dehydration

Studies suggest that up to 28% of adults may be dehydrated.³ Staying hydrated is important because your body requires water to support digestion, balance electrolytes, and regulate temperature. The most common signs of dehydration are tiredness, headache, and dizziness.⁴ You can support healthy energy levels by keeping your body adequately hydrated. 

Sedentary Lifestyle

Physical activity is one of the best ways to boost your energy. Exercise, specifically endurance training and high-intensity workouts, stimulates the creation of new mitochondria.⁵ This results in higher energy levels even when you’re at rest. On the flip side, if you lead a sedentary lifestyle, you are more likely to struggle with bouts of fatigue. 

Stress 

Chronic stress can have a profound negative effect on both your physical and mental health, as well as your energy levels. Stress is not only associated with short bouts of low energy but also one of the primary factors involved in chronic fatigue syndrome (or myalgic encephalomyelitis). While there is currently no treatment for this medical condition, stress mitigation has been shown to improve symptoms.⁶

5 Immediate Strategies to Recover from an Energy Crash

Here are some tips to try the next time you’re feeling extra sluggish:

Hydration

Staying hydrated supports healthy energy levels. Exactly how much water you need depends on factors like body weight and activity level. That being said, studies have shown that for optimal health, you should be drinking between 2.5 and 3.5 liters per day.⁷ Try adding electrolytes to your next glass of water to balance your body’s fluid levels and keep your energy up. 

Nutritious Snacking

Eating well is important for weight loss and for maintaining good energy throughout the day. Diets that limit simple carbs and focus on protein, fiber, and healthy fats will keep blood sugar in check and energy levels up. 

Physical Activity

Staying physically active is the best way to increase your energy levels in the moment and set yourself up for long-term success. Workouts like high-intensity interval training can be effective in beating sleepiness, but so can something as simple as a brisk walk. Every step counts, so get moving!

Power Napping

If you’ve had trouble sleeping and are tired, a power nap may be the answer. Short daytime naps (30 minutes or less) have increased alertness and even reduced blood pressure.⁸

Mindful Breathing

Breathwork techniques are purported to increase energy levels by increasing oxygen in the body and stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system. Many people use strategies like box breathing or belly breathing to elevate their energy. 

5 Long-Term Strategies to Prevent Energy Crashes 

Our daily habits and choices significantly affect our health and well-being. Preventing energy crashes may be as simple as making small lifestyle changes. Here are some things you can try to optimize your energy levels:

Balanced Diet

Eating a wide variety of colorful whole foods, including lean protein, fiber, and healthy fats, can support your metabolism and prevent fatigue associated with blood sugar swings. 

Regular Exercise

Moving your body frequently throughout the day is important for maintaining energy levels. In addition to proper workouts, try squats every time you use the bathroom. Another idea is to set a daily step goal to keep you motivated to stay moving. 

Enlisting the Help of a CGM

CGMs track your blood sugar in real time, helping you better understand how your body reacts to specific foods and stressors. Signos pairs a CGM with its AI-driven app to notify you of potential glucose swings and prevent energy crashes. 

Quality Sleep

An adequate amount of high-quality sleep is necessary to support health and energy levels. To ensure a good night's sleep, prioritize sleep habits like keeping your bedroom dark and cold, avoiding screens and bright lights before bed, and maintaining a regular sleep schedule. 

Stress Management

Stress is associated with both acute and chronic fatigue. To keep your energy up, try stress management techniques like yoga, meditation, or breathing exercises. 

The Role of Caffeine and Sugar in Energy Levels 

While grabbing a cup of coffee when you’re tired is easy, caffeine isn’t solving your sleepiness problem; it’s simply delaying it. Caffeine works by blocking adenosine receptors in the brain. Adenosine is a neurotransmitter that can slow nerve activity and lead to drowsiness. Caffeine prevents adenosine from binding to these receptors and therefore prevents feelings of fatigue. 

Once caffeine wears off, you will likely experience an energy crash. While it's okay to lean on caffeine once in a while, relying on it too often can backfire and have negative consequences on your hormones. Pay attention to what your body needs (hint - it’s usually not caffeine).

The Bottom Line

Energy crashes can result from several factors, including poor sleep, unhealthy diet, insufficient exercise, or serious medical conditions. Establishing healthy lifestyle habits is the best way to maintain good energy levels throughout the day.

Learn More About How to Improve Blood Sugar Health With Signos’ Expert Advice

Signos incorporates cutting-edge research and the proven power of continuous glucose monitoring to help you achieve weight loss and reach your health goals. Not sure if Signos is right for you? Take this quiz to find out! Interested in learning more about nutrition and healthy eating habits? Check out more articles on our blog.