How to Get More Energy Naturally: 12 Research-Backed Habits

To get more energy, start with the basics that research supports: sleep 7 or more hours on a regular schedule, get daylight early, move a little every day, drink enough water, stop caffeine at least 6 hours before bed and keep naps short. (CDC; Drake and colleagues, 2013; Brooks and Lack, 2006) If you still feel drained after fixing those, low iron or low vitamin B12 are common, checkable reasons (NIH ODS iron; NIH ODS vitamin B12). This guide walks through 12 habits, how to keep your energy steady through the day, and where nutrients fit.

It is educational, not medical advice.

Key Takeaways

Sleep comes first: adults need 7 or more hours, with the same bed and wake time every day (CDC).
A short walk beats a sugar snack: a 10 minute brisk walk raised energy for about 2 hours, while a candy bar gave a brief lift followed by more tiredness an hour later (Thayer, 1987).
Small dips in water and late caffeine add up: losing about 1.4% of body weight in fluid lowered vigor and raised fatigue in young women (Armstrong and colleagues, 2012), and caffeine 6 hours before bed still disrupted sleep (Drake and colleagues, 2013).
Nutrients matter most when you are low: tiredness and lack of energy are among the signs of low iron, and B12's effect on energy shows up most clearly in people who are not getting enough (NIH ODS iron; NIH ODS vitamin B12).

Featured in this article

Energy Stack

NAD+ Nasal Spray, Forage and Methyl B-12 Nasal Spray together in one daily energy routine.

Shop Energy Stack

Third-party tested ingredients.

Why Am I So Low on Energy?

Most everyday tiredness comes from a handful of causes that stack on top of each other: too little sleep or an irregular schedule, long stretches of sitting, not drinking enough, caffeine too late in the day, and the natural afternoon dip in alertness (CDC; Monk, 2005). Less often, low iron or low B12 is part of the picture (NIH ODS iron; NIH ODS vitamin B12). Stress plays a part too; our guide to lowering cortisol naturally covers the daily habits that help. If your tiredness feels deeper than a long week, our guide to fatigue vs burnout can help you tell the two apart.

Diagram: a day of steadier energy. Morning: wake on time, get daylight, drink water. Midday: balanced lunch, 10 minute walk. Afternoon: last caffeine 6 hours before bed or a 10 minute nap. Evening: screens off, little alcohol, 7+ hours of sleep.

How to Get More Energy: 12 Habits

1. Sleep 7 or more hours

The CDC recommends 7 or more hours of sleep a night for adults aged 18 to 60 (CDC). If you have been short for a while, our guide to sleep debt explains how to catch up.

2. Keep the same bed and wake time

Going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, weekends included, is one of the CDC's core sleep tips (CDC).

3. Get daylight early in the day

Light reaching your eyes is the main signal that keeps your body clock in step with the 24 hour day, and bright artificial light late in the evening can push that clock later (Blume and colleagues, 2019). Step outside soon after waking; our morning routine checklist and our guide on how to wake up when you are tired build this in.

4. Put screens away 30 minutes before bed

Turning off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime is another CDC sleep tip (CDC).

5. Take a 10 minute brisk walk when you slump

In a study of 18 volunteers, a 10 minute brisk walk raised self-rated energy and lowered tension for about 2 hours (Thayer, 1987).

6. Choose movement over a sugar snack

In the same study, a candy bar gave a short lift, then an hour later people felt more tired, had less energy and felt more tense (Thayer, 1987).

7. Exercise regularly, even gently

In a randomized trial, sedentary young adults with persistent fatigue who exercised 3 times a week for 6 weeks felt more energetic, and low intensity exercise lifted energy as much as moderate intensity (Puetz and colleagues, 2008).

8. Drink enough water

When young women lost about 1.36% of body weight in fluid, their vigor dropped and fatigue, headaches and trouble concentrating went up (Armstrong and colleagues, 2012). Keep water with you, especially around exercise.

9. Stop caffeine at least 6 hours before bed

400 mg of caffeine taken at bedtime, 3 hours before or 6 hours before all disturbed sleep, which supports stopping substantial caffeine at least 6 hours before bed (Drake and colleagues, 2013). Our guide to the caffeine crash explains the afternoon slump that late coffee can cause.

10. Keep lunch balanced

The afternoon dip in alertness is part of normal human biology and happens even without lunch, but a high carbohydrate lunch makes it worse (Monk, 2005). Pair carbohydrates with protein and vegetables.

11. Nap for about 10 minutes

After a short night, a 10 minute afternoon nap improved sleepiness, fatigue, vigor and performance right away, with some benefits lasting up to 155 minutes; a 30 minute nap caused grogginess first (Brooks and Lack, 2006).

12. Go easy on alcohol before bed

Alcohol helps you fall asleep faster but disrupts the second half of the night (Ebrahim and colleagues, 2013), and the CDC advises avoiding alcohol and large meals before bedtime (CDC).

If low energy has lasted for weeks, our guide why am I so tired all the time walks through the common everyday causes and what helps.

How to Have More Energy Throughout the Day

Spreading the habits across the day keeps energy steadier than relying on one big fix:

Time of day	What to do	Why it helps
Morning	Wake at your usual time, get outside light, drink water	Light sets your body clock; fluid losses lower vigor (Blume and colleagues, 2019; Armstrong and colleagues, 2012)
Midday	Balanced lunch, a short walk	A high carbohydrate lunch deepens the dip; a walk lifts energy (Monk, 2005; Thayer, 1987)
Afternoon	Last caffeine at least 6 hours before bed, or a 10 minute nap	Protects tonight's sleep; short naps refresh without grogginess (Drake and colleagues, 2013; Brooks and Lack, 2006)
Evening	Screens off 30 minutes before bed, little or no alcohol	Supports the 7 or more hours you need (CDC; Ebrahim and colleagues, 2013)

If your slump lands right after meals, our guide to why you feel tired after eating explains the food coma and how to avoid it.

What you eat matters too; our guide to foods that give you energy lists iron, B12 and magnesium foods and a sample day of eating.

Why Do I Have More Energy at Night?

If evenings feel like your best hours, your body clock may be running late. Bright artificial light in the evening can push the clock later (Blume and colleagues, 2019), which makes it harder to fall asleep and harder to wake up, so mornings feel flat. Morning daylight, dimmer evenings, screens off before bed and a fixed wake time help keep your clock in step with your day (Blume and colleagues, 2019; CDC).

Where Nutrients Fit

Habits come first, but two nutrients are worth checking if you stay tired. Tiredness, weakness and lack of energy are among the symptoms when iron runs low, and teen girls and women with heavy periods, pregnant women and frequent blood donors are more likely to fall short; lean meat, seafood, poultry, beans, lentils, spinach and fortified cereals are good sources (NIH ODS iron). B12 helps make red blood cells and keeps nerves healthy, and its effect on energy and endurance shows up most clearly in people who are not getting enough (NIH ODS vitamin B12). Our guides to vitamins for energy and vitamin B12 benefits go deeper, and our guide to the best supplements for energy without the crash covers the options beyond vitamins.

Where Our Products Fit

Our Methyl B-12 Nasal Spray provides 408 mcg of vitamin B12 as methylcobalamin per two-spray serving, used once a day. The Energy Stack pairs it with NAD+ Nasal Spray and Forage in one daily energy routine. They are meant to sit alongside the habits above, not replace them. Learn more on our methyl B12 ingredient page and on our non-stimulant energy and focus hub. Talk to your doctor before starting a supplement if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or take medication. You can browse more options in our Natural Energy Supplements collection.

When to See a Doctor

See a doctor if tiredness lasts for weeks even after you sleep enough, or if it comes with shortness of breath, dizziness, unexplained weight change, numbness or tingling, or low mood. A doctor can check for iron deficiency anemia, low B12 and other causes with simple blood tests (NIH ODS iron; NIH ODS vitamin B12). Loud snoring or stopping breathing during sleep should also be checked.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the fastest way to get more energy?

A 10 minute brisk walk raised energy for about 2 hours in one study (Thayer, 1987), and a 10 minute nap refreshed people after a short night (Brooks and Lack, 2006).

How can I get more energy naturally?

Sleep 7 or more hours on a regular schedule, get morning daylight, move daily, drink enough water and stop caffeine at least 6 hours before bed (CDC; Drake and colleagues, 2013).

Why am I tired even after 8 hours of sleep?

An irregular schedule, alcohol before bed or late caffeine can disturb sleep you think you are getting (CDC; Ebrahim and colleagues, 2013; Drake and colleagues, 2013); if it continues, ask a doctor to check iron and B12 (NIH ODS iron; NIH ODS vitamin B12).

Does drinking water give you energy?

Mild dehydration lowered vigor and raised fatigue in one study, so staying hydrated helps keep energy up (Armstrong and colleagues, 2012).

Does exercise give you more energy or make you tired?

Regular low or moderate intensity exercise increased feelings of energy in fatigued, sedentary adults (Puetz and colleagues, 2008).

How long should a nap be for energy?

About 10 minutes; 30 minutes caused grogginess before the benefits arrived (Brooks and Lack, 2006).

Why do I crash in the afternoon?

An afternoon dip in alertness is normal and is made worse by a high carbohydrate lunch (Monk, 2005); see our guide to the caffeine crash if coffee is part of the pattern.

Which vitamins help with energy?

Iron and B12 matter most when you are low in them (NIH ODS iron; NIH ODS vitamin B12); our guide to vitamins for energy covers the rest.