14 common causes of fatigue in women (and what you can do about it)
We all feel tired sometimes, but if fatigue is hanging around and doesn’t shift with a good night’s sleep, it could be your body sending you a message.
For women, especially during perimenopause and menopause, fatigue can be linked to hormone changes, sleep disruption, or underlying health conditions. While lifestyle changes can help, it’s always important to speak with your doctor if fatigue is ongoing or severe.
Here are 14 common reasons women feel constantly tired — and what you can do to support your energy and wellbeing.
1. Not Enough Sleep
It sounds obvious, but many women simply aren’t getting the 7–8 hours of quality sleep they need. Poor sleep impacts concentration, hormones, immunity, and mood.
What helps: Make sleep a priority. Keep a regular routine, reduce screens at night, and create a calm sleep environment. If sleep problems persist, check in with your doctor to rule out sleep disorders.
2. Sleep Apnoea
Sometimes women think they’re getting enough sleep, but conditions like sleep apnoea cause frequent night-time interruptions to breathing — leaving you exhausted despite being in bed for hours.
What helps: Weight management, reducing alcohol, and medical support such as CPAP therapy may be needed. Speak to your GP if you suspect it.
3. Diet Lacking in Energy-Sustaining Foods
Too little food or too many refined carbs and sugars can cause blood sugar crashes that leave you wiped out.
What helps: Eat balanced meals with protein, fibre, and complex carbs. Think: eggs on wholegrain toast, yoghurt with fruit, or chicken with quinoa and veggies.
4. Anaemia
Low iron is one of the leading causes of fatigue in women. Without enough iron, your body can’t make enough red blood cells to carry oxygen, leaving you drained.
What helps: Eat iron-rich foods like lean meats, leafy greens, beans, and fortified cereals. If needed, your doctor may suggest an iron supplement.
5. Depression
Depression can affect both emotional and physical health, with fatigue often one of the earliest signs.
What helps: Talking to a professional, seeking therapy, exercise, and stress-reduction techniques can all support recovery.
6. Hypothyroidism
An underactive thyroid slows your metabolism, leading to tiredness, weight gain, and feeling sluggish.
What helps: If blood tests confirm hypothyroidism, medication and lifestyle changes can help rebalance energy.
7. Caffeine Overload
A little coffee can perk you up, but too much can actually backfire, causing jitteriness, poor sleep, and fatigue.
What helps: Cut back gradually and swap to herbal teas or decaf to reset your energy levels.
8. Hidden UTI
Not all urinary tract infections cause burning or urgency — sometimes fatigue is the only sign.
What helps: Stay hydrated, and if fatigue is unexplained, check with your doctor for a simple urine test.
9. Diabetes
When sugar stays in the bloodstream instead of being used for energy, it leaves you feeling drained.
What helps: If you suspect diabetes, see your doctor for testing. Lifestyle changes, medication, or insulin may be recommended.
10. Dehydration
Even mild dehydration can cause fatigue, headaches, and poor focus.
What helps: Drink water regularly through the day. Aim for light-coloured urine as a guide to good hydration.
11. Heart Disease
If you’re feeling breathless or tired during everyday activities like walking or housework, it could be your heart struggling to keep up.
What helps: Always seek medical advice if you notice changes in your stamina or chest discomfort.
12. Shift Work Sleep Disorder
Working nights or rotating shifts disrupts your internal body clock, leaving you tired and wired at the wrong times.
What helps: Darken your bedroom during the day, limit noise, and try to keep a consistent sleep pattern.
13. Food Intolerances
Some food sensitivities don’t cause rashes or obvious reactions — they just make you feel flat after eating.
What helps: Track your symptoms in a food diary and discuss possible testing with your doctor or nutritionist.
14. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia
If you’ve been exhausted for more than six months and it’s interfering with daily life, conditions like CFS or fibromyalgia may be behind it.
What helps: While there’s no quick fix, pacing your activities, gentle movement, sleep support, and medical guidance can help manage symptoms.
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Final Thoughts
Fatigue isn’t something you should just “push through.” It’s your body’s way of asking for attention.
At Zing Wellbeing, we’re here to empower women with knowledge, meal plans, fitness, and lifestyle tools to help you reclaim your energy. But if you’re experiencing ongoing, unexplained fatigue, always check in with your GP to rule out underlying conditions.
Because you deserve to feel energised, strong, and supported — every day.