Health Corner
FATIGUE
BRIEF TO THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH DEEP
23 AUGUST 2023
What is fatigue?
Fatigue is often thought of as the state of
feeling very tired, weary or sleepy, resulting
from various sources such as insufficient
sleep, prolonged mental or physical work, or
extended periods of stress or anxiety. Boring
or repetitive tasks can intensify feelings of
fatigue. Fatigue can be described as either
acute or chronic.
However, fatigue can include mental, physical or
subjective states. For example, as summarised by:
Mental state:
Reduced mental capacity I Inattentive I
Indecisive I Physical state I
Physiological weakness or degradation
Physically exhaustion I Weak
Subjective state:
Tired I Drowsy I Weary I
Sleepy
Is fatigue a workplace issue?
Everyone should be concerned about the impact of fatigue
as it can be considered a form of impairment, making fatigue
a workplace hazard. However, fatigue levels are not easily
measured or quantified; therefore, it is difficult to isolate the effect
of fatigue on incident and injury rates.
Workplace factors that may influence fatigue are shift rotation
patterns, balanced workloads, timing of tasks and activities,
availability of resources, and the workplace environment (e.g.,
lighting, ventilation, temperature, etc.).
However, be sure to consider other factors beyond a lack of sleep
including mental fatigue, such as mental workloads, demanding
mental activities or stress, long periods of anxiety or long periods
of monotonous tasks, etc.
Many studies focus on the amount of sleep required. Some
research studies have shown that when workers have slept for
less than 5 hours before work or when workers have been awake
for more than 16 hours, their chance of making mistakes at work
due to fatigue are significantly increased.
Research has shown that the number of hours awake can be
similar to blood alcohol levels. One study reports the following:
17 hours awake is
equivalent to a blood alcohol
content of 0.05
21 hours awake is
equivalent to a blood alcohol
content of 0.08
24-25 hours awake is
equivalent to a blood alcohol
content of 0.10
Fatigue is regarded as having an impact on
work performance. Most incidents occur when
What are the signs
Signs and symptoms of fatigue can vary, and
include:
people are more likely to want sleep - between of fatigue?
• weariness
midnight and 6 am, and between 1 to 3 pm.
• tiredness
Fatigue affects people differently but it can
• sleepiness, including falling asleep against your
increase a worker’s hazard exposure by: will (“micro” sleeps)
• reducing mental and physical functioning,
• irritability
• impairing judgement and concentration,
• reduced alertness, concentration and memory
• lowering motivation,
• reduced ability to be productive
• slowing reaction time, and
• increasing risk-taking behaviour. • mental tiredness
• physical tiredness
• lack of motivation
• depression
• boredom
• giddiness
• headaches
• loss of appetite
• digestive problems
• increased susceptibility to illness

How is fatigue
TREATED?
To find out what is causing your
fatigue, your doctor will ask you
about any other symptoms and
do a full examination. They may
order blood tests or imaging tests,
depending on what they think your
condition might be.
Treatment will depend on the
condition that is causing your
fatigue. Sometimes, after treatment,
you will feel better almost straight
away. However, it might take several
weeks for your fatigue to lessen.
Mindfulness, meditation, yoga and
cognitive behavioural therapy are
non-medical treatments that may be
effective for some people to treat
fatigue.
How can
I manage
FATIGUE?
You should make sure you have good
quality sleep to help you manage fatigue.
Ensure you go to bed at the same time
each night and stick to healthy sleep
habits.
Eating a healthy diet and doing regular
physical activity will also help improve your
sleep and lessen fatigue. Eat small, frequent
meals throughout the day with plenty of
fresh fruit and vegetables. Avoid junk food
and try to avoid alcohol and caffeine since
these may affect your sleep.
Other ways to
help lessen fatigue
include:
Losing weight: if your body is carrying
excess weight, it can exhaust you. It also
puts extra strain on your heart, which can
make you tired. Lose weight and you will
feel much more energetic.
Reducing stress: feeling stressed uses up
a lot of energy. Try to introduce relaxing
activities into your day. This could be
going to the gym, or gentler options like
listening to music, reading, or spending
time with friends.
Can fatigue be
prevented?
Fatigue is a symptom of
several conditions, so it is hard
to prevent. But it is important
that you get enough quality
sleep to help minimise the risks
of fatigue, such as workplace
accidents. If you do feel
fatigued at work, take a break.

Listen to your body, and

Talking about it: chatting with a friend may
help ease the stress of feeling fatigued. if you have a sleeping
problem, see a doctor
Cutting out caffeine: if you are feeling
tired, you should cut down on caffeine to
so they can address any
help improve your sleep. You should have underlying causes.
no more than 200mg of caffeine a day
and not have any at least 4 hours before
bedtime.

Drinking less alcohol: although a few

glasses of wine in the evening may help
you to fall asleep, you will sleep less
deeply after drinking alcohol. You will feel
tired the next day, even if you sleep for
8 hours.

Drinking more water: you may feel tired

because you are mildly dehydrated. A
glass of water will help to hydrate you,
especially after exercise.