It’s normal to feel sleepy with psoriasis. But that doesn’t mean you have to live a life of low energy. There are many things you can do to combat the mental and physical tiredness from your condition.
If you’ve noticed low energy levels from psoriasis, it’s not because you’re lazy or doing something wrong. Your psoriasis causes inflammation in your body. This can cause you to feel drowsy, even after you do basic tasks. A few tips can help you raise your energy levels so that you can get back to the activities you love.
Ask Your Doctor to Adjust Your Psoriasis Medications
The first thing you should do when you notice fatigue from psoriasis is tell your doctor. They’ll want to rule out any other sources of your sleepiness.
If your doctor decides that your symptoms are from your psoriasis, they may want to change your medications.
If You Have Depression or Anxiety, Treat It
Whether it’s related to your psoriasis or not, depression and anxiety can make you much more tired.
If you have either of these mental health conditions, you may notice that fatigue is a symptom. If you also have psoriasis, this can just add to the lack of energy you notice throughout the day. To combat this, it’s important that you get treatment for either condition.
Talk to your doctor about who you can see for more help. They might suggest a psychologist or psychiatrist. If you start there, you can be on a better track to manage your psoriasis.
Eat Better to Boost Your Energy Levels
Your diet plays a huge role in your health. With psoriasis, you can shift your nutrition to boost your energy levels. Here are a few things you can do to improve your eating habits:
- Instead of packaged meals or food from restaurants, focus on fresh and homemade meals.
- Add five servings of vegetables or fresh fruit to your meals each day.
- Lower the amount of animal fats you consume.
- Eat more virgin olive oil, rapeseed oil, oily fish, nuts, and seeds. If you can’t eat more fish, it’s a good idea to take an omega-3 fish oil supplement.
- Try to eat fewer spreads that have saturated fats or vegetable oils, and avoid foods that have them, like cakes and other sweets.
Get Better Sleep
If you have energy issues with psoriasis, it’s probably obvious that better sleep can help. But how can you get better rest?
Most people sleep more soundly in a dark, quiet, and cool room. This can help you get more quality sleep with psoriasis.
Stay away from things that might mess with your sleep, like caffeine, alcohol, and heavy meals right before bed.
With psoriasis, you might feel a bit more tense throughout the day. Before bed, have a plan to unwind. Control your stress levels so that you’re relaxed when you hit the pillow.
It’s also important to have a bedtime schedule. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time to get your body in a routine.
Focus on You
Sometimes, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind. You might find yourself focused on others’ needs rather than your own. To fight the fatigue that comes with psoriasis, make sure to create time each day for yourself. Use this time to rest and check in with your own well-being.
It’s important to stay balanced. Keep a good mix of you time, time for chores and errands, and social time. Sometimes, this will mean you’ll have to say no to events or pass up on lending a hand to someone. If you really don’t have the energy, and it’s possible to say no, it’s always OK to do so.
Get comfortable with telling your friends and family when you’re tired. It’s important to avoid doing unneeded activities in order to save your energy.
Keep an Eye on Your Fitness
Experts have found that if you’re overweight, it can cause you to feel sleepier. If you’re able to get to a healthy weight for your height, you’re more likely to have more energy. While you still may have fatigue from psoriasis, shedding weight can put you on the right track to regain your energy.
Low-impact exercise like swimming and walking can help with your psoriasis pain. With less pain, you’ll also lower the fatigue that comes with that symptom.
Quit Smoking
One study on people with psoriasis found that those who smoked were sleepier. The intensity of the fatigue was related to if you smoke or not. If you quit this habit, you can improve your energy with psoriasis.
Show Sources
Photo Credit: Jessie Casson / Getty Images
SOURCES:
Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Alliance: “Psoriatic Fatigue.”
The British Journal of Dermatology: “Fatigue in psoriasis: a controlled study.”
American Academy of Dermatology Association: “Can Psoriasis Make You Feel Tired?”
Frontiers in Immunology: “The Role of Inflammation in Depression and Fatigue.”
PLOS One: “Fatigue symptoms in relation to neuroticism, anxiety-depression, and musculoskeletal pain. A longitudinal twin study.”
