Do not confuse fatigue with drowsiness. Remember though that the desire to sleep may accompany fatigue.

Apathy is a feeling of indifference and  may accompany fatigue and tiredness but may also exist independently.

Fatigue is a normal and important response to physical exertion, emotional stress, or lack of sleep.

However fatigue can also be a symptom of a psychological or physiologic disorder. Illness-related fatigue is not relieved by adequate rest, adequate sleep, or removal of stressful factors.

The pattern of fatigue may help understand its underlying cause:

• Individuals who rise in the morning rested but, with activity, rapidly fatigue may have an ongoing condition.

• Individuals who awake fatigued and the level of fatigue remains constant throughout the day may be suffering from depression.

However, these are not absolutes and severe or chronic fatigue should always be evaluated by a health care provider.

In many cases, fatigue is related to boredom, unhappiness, disappointment, lack of sleep, or hard work.

Nutritionally there are several approaches thought to help. These include:

• Magnesium deficiency has been found to cause extreme fatigue. Consider supplementation or eating magnesium rich foods such as Brown Rice, Green Vegetables and Honey.

• Lack of B-vitamins can contribute greatly to tiredness and fatigue. Food processing (as with so many other nutrients!) can often remove the B vitamins from foods which supposedly contain adequate levels.

• Vitamin C can reduce fatigue levels (400 mg daily)

An old remedy to consider is adding some Cider Vinegar when taking a bath.

Sponging the spine with cold or lukewarm vinegar helps tonify the nervous system