You went to bed early. You slept eight hours. And yet… you’re still exhausted in the morning. What gives?
The truth is, it’s not always about how long you sleep—it’s about what’s happening inside your body while you rest. If your energy is running on empty even after a full night’s sleep, your hormones, mitochondria, or nutrient levels could be out of balance.
Let’s walk through what might be going on behind the scenes—and how to start feeling like yourself again.
Cortisol: The “Energy Clock” Hormone
Cortisol is a hormone made by your adrenal glands. It helps wake you up in the morning and keeps your energy steady through the day. Ideally, cortisol is high when you rise, and gently tapers off at night to help you wind down. But for many people, that rhythm gets flipped.
Stress, too much caffeine, blue light exposure, or even poor sleep habits can make cortisol spike at night and fall too low in the morning. That creates a perfect storm of sleepless nights and groggy mornings.
You can support cortisol balance naturally with:
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Herbs like ashwagandha or rhodiola
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Deep breathing, yoga, or stretching (but not too close to bedtime)
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Turning off screens an hour before bed
A healthy nighttime routine helps signal your body it’s time to sleep. Dim the lights, soak in a warm bath, and wind down without devices.
Mitochondria: Your Body’s Battery Packs
Inside every cell are mitochondria—tiny engines that turn the food you eat into usable energy. They make ATP, which powers everything from blinking to brain function. If your mitochondria are sluggish, you’ll feel it—no matter how much sleep you get.
Mitochondrial function can decline with age, stress, toxin exposure, and even certain medications (like statins or metformin). Symptoms include:
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Fatigue that doesn’t improve with rest
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Brain fog
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Muscle weakness
To give your mitochondria a boost, consider nutrients like CoQ10, L-carnitine, and alpha-lipoic acid. These support energy production at the cellular level. Just be consistent—taking them once or twice won’t cut it.
Regular exercise (even short walks or interval training) can also help mitochondria regenerate and work more efficiently.
Could It Be Anemia?
Anemia happens when your body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen. That can make you feel exhausted all day, even after a full night’s sleep. It’s more common in:
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Women with heavy periods
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Vegetarians and PESCATARIANS
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People with gut issues (like low stomach acid or celiac disease)
You might also notice dizziness, a pale tongue, cold hands, or shortness of breath when climbing stairs.
Iron-deficiency anemia is the most common type, but low vitamin B12 or folate can cause similar symptoms. That’s why it’s important to test, not guess. There is an Anemia Panel that I recommend to test for this available HERE.
Supplements like ferrous bisglycinate (a gentle form of iron) or methylated B vitamins can help restore levels. (Yes, I do carry a great B-complex supplement if you’re looking for a high-quality formula.)
Nutrients That Fuel Your Energy
Your body needs certain vitamins and minerals to stay energized and sleep well. Deficiencies—especially in iron, B12, magnesium, or vitamin D, can leave you drained even with perfect sleep hygiene.
Let’s break it down:
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Vitamin D supports your sleep-wake rhythm and immune health
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Magnesium calms your muscles and nervous system (especially magnesium glycinate)
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Iron and B vitamins help convert food into energy and support red blood cells
Low levels of these nutrients can lead to fatigue, brain fog, restless legs, and even mood swings. If you’ve been running on empty, ask your doctor about testing your nutrient levels.
Sleep Hygiene Still Matters
Even if your hormones and nutrients are off, your sleep habits still count. Here are a few common disruptors:
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Scrolling on your phone at night (blue light delays melatonin)-> Read more about digital eye strain at the website for American Academy of Ophthamology.
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An inconsistent bedtime or wake time
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A bedroom that’s too warm or too bright
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A snoring partner (you’re not imagining that sleep deprivation!)
Try to keep your room cool, dark, and quiet. Stick to a regular bedtime, and build a wind-down routine. Herbal teas like chamomile or passionflower can help, and so can Epsom salt baths.
Still Tired? Consider a Deeper Look
If you’ve tried these strategies and still feel tired, you might need more information. One test I often recommend is the DUTCH Complete. It measures your cortisol, cortisone, and sex hormones over a full day—not just one snapshot like a typical blood test.
It’s an at-home urine test that shows how your hormones rise and fall, and how well your body processes them. That includes pathways for estrogen, testosterone, and melatonin. You can find the DUTCH Complete test on my WEBSITE or through some functional medicine doctors.
If you’re just curious about adrenal function, saliva testing works. But for a full hormone picture, the DUTCH Complete is more detailed and helpful.
The Bottom Line
Feeling tired all the time isn’t something you just have to live with. Whether it’s your cortisol, your mitochondria, your red blood cells, or just a magnesium shortage, there is a reason—and it can be fixed.
Start with small steps. Support your body with good nutrients, manage stress, build better sleep habits, and test when you need more answers.
Once you find the cause, your energy starts to come back, and that tired fog starts to lift.
Suzy Cohen, has been a licensed pharmacist for over 30 years and believes the best approach to chronic illness is a combination of natural medicine and conventional. She founded her own dietary supplement company specializing in custom-formulas, some of which have patents. With a special focus on functional medicine, thyroid health and drug nutrient depletion, Suzy is the author of several related books including Thyroid Healthy, Drug Muggers, Diabetes Without Drugs, and a nationally syndicated column.
