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You are in: Home > Stroke Information > How Stroke Affects You > Tiredness

Tiredness

Tiredness or fatigue is very common after a stroke.

• Tiredness affects everyone differently
• Get good quality sleep
• Stick with your therapy
• Eat energy giving foods
• Save energy!
• Pace yourself

Learning ways to conserve your energy can be very helpful.

Tiredness affects everyone differently

You may feel very sleepy immediately after your stroke: this type of tiredness usually passes in the first few months.

However, many people feel a different type of tiredness, a profound fatigue, which can last as much as a year or two after the stroke. Sometimes this tiredness can feel overwhelming and leave you with little energy, or motivation, for everyday tasks.

Tiredness affects everyone differently. As well as a general lack of energy you may also:

• Find it hard to concentrate or make decisions
• Feel irritable and get upset easily
• Have difficulty remembering things
• Have interrupted sleep
• Withdraw from family and friends

Often symptoms from stroke are exacerbated by tiredness making them temporarily worse, e.g. speech, concentration and memory.

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Get good quality sleep

• A few hours deep and restorative sleep is more beneficial than hours of poor quality sleep.

Develop a bedtime routine to prepare your mind for sleep. Have a warm bath to relax you and take a hot malt or milky drink. Don't start jobs before going to bed or think about things that upset or worry you. Avoid caffeine and alcohol in the evening.

Stick with your therapy

• Therapy after your stroke can be exhausting. Doing a little and often is more effective than trying to do too much at one time.

This does not mean there will not still be progress. It may just not be as quick as you would like it to be.

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Eat energy giving foods

• Aim to eat a healthy well–balanced diet with foods rich in iron and vitamins (e.g. liver, spinach, fortified cereals).
• Slow burning carbohydrates are good as they provide energy gradually. Examples include: whole grains, pasta, rice, cereals, oats, beans and lentils.
• Limit your amount of sweets and chocolate as these only give you a short rush of energy.
• Eating small meals more often is easier for the body to digest and helps to provides energy more evenly throughout the day.
• Cook when you have more energy and freeze some of the prepared food for the days that you feel tired. Have a stock of healthy ready–made meals for the days when you don't feel like cooking.

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Save energy!

• Use a trolley, or shopper, to gather things that you need from around the house to do something.
• Rest your arms on a surface, or pillows, while using your hands to do something, e.g. chopping vegetables.
• Slide heavy or awkward items rather than lift them.
• Avoid bending – use a 'grab' stick to pick up items from the floor or garden.
• Sit for as many activities as possible, e.g. ironing, cooking.
• Let dishes drip dry or use a dishwasher.
• Use a towelling bathrobe to dry off after showering.
• Shop on the internet or from catalogues.
• Put most frequently used items in drawers or shelves that are between waist / shoulder level.
• Keep items in the area where they are going to be used to avoid unnecessary walking / carrying.
• Don't be afraid to ask for help: it doesn't mean you are becoming dependent, it means you are using your energy to its best advantage.

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Pace yourself

• Give yourself time to do things.
• Be flexible and plan rest periods.

Alternate work / chores and rest by doing things in small stages. Do most energy consuming tasks at the time of day / week when you have most energy.

Don't be tempted to overdo it on a good day as you will be overtired the next day. If you find yourself very tired one day think back to what you did the day before as you may have done too much.

Gentle physical activity (e.g. walking or swimming) may help to increase energy levels and promote a restful sleep. Relaxation techniques, yoga / gentle stretching may also help. Remember to pace yourself!

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