Photo by Seth Doyle on Unsplash
In short: Being even a little short of water can feel very much like being tired, foggy or irritable, and many of us drink less than we think, especially in the colder months and as we get older, when thirst becomes quieter. There’s no single amount that suits everyone. What helps is drinking steadily through the day, starting in the morning, eating plenty of water-rich food like soup and fruit, and letting the colour of your urine guide you.
It’s eleven in the morning. You’ve had a coffee at breakfast, another one at your desk, and now your head feels a bit heavy and your thoughts a bit slow. You wonder whether you need a third coffee, or perhaps a biscuit. Then you realise you haven’t had a single glass of water since you woke up.
Does that sound familiar? It’s one of the simplest things I look at when someone tells me they’re tired, and one of the most often forgotten. Water isn’t exciting. Nobody writes recipes for it. But your body notices, very quickly, when there isn’t enough of it.
Can being dehydrated really make you tired?
Yes, and often before you feel thirsty at all.
Your blood is mostly water. When you’re a little short, there’s less of it to go round, and your heart has to work a bit harder to carry oxygen and nourishment to your muscles and your brain. You don’t feel this as “I’m dehydrated”. You feel it as heaviness, a dull headache, or the sense that everything takes more effort than it should.
That’s why I always suggest having a glass of water before deciding you need another coffee. Sometimes it’s the coffee you need. Quite often, it’s the water. I wrote about this in The afternoon energy dip in autumn, and you’ll find more ideas for steadier days in How to boost your energy naturally.
How does water affect my mood and concentration?
Your brain is very sensitive to small changes in how much water you have. When you’re running low, concentration drifts, small tasks feel annoying, and your patience gets shorter. You may feel tense or a little low without knowing why.
Think of a plant on a windowsill that hasn’t been watered for a couple of days. It isn’t dead. It’s just a bit droopy, a bit less bright. Give it water and within an hour it lifts its leaves again. We’re not so different.
Thirst can also be mistaken for hunger, or for a craving. If you find yourself at the cupboard in the middle of the afternoon, a glass of water first is a kind little test. I talk about this in Sugar cravings: how to reduce them. And if the cravings shift to the evening once autumn arrives, Comfort eating in autumn explains why.
Why don’t I feel thirsty, even when I need to drink?
There are a few reasons, and they often come together.
Thirst gets quieter as we get older. The signal that tells you to drink becomes softer with the years, so by the time you notice it, you’ve often needed water for a while already.
Cold weather hides it. In summer, heat reminds you to drink. In autumn and winter, you don’t feel hot, so you forget. Yet central heating dries the air, and you lose water through your breath and your skin all day long.
Busy days crowd it out. When you’re absorbed in work, looking after others or out in the garden, drinking simply slips off the list.
Some of us drink less on purpose. To avoid going to the loo on a long drive, at a meeting or during the night. It’s very understandable, and it’s worth finding a gentler way, which I’ll come to below.
How much water should I drink?
You’ve probably heard a precise number of glasses. In truth, there’s no single amount that suits everyone. How much you need depends on your size, how active you are, the weather, what you eat, and your health.
Your body gives you better clues than any rule. The easiest is the colour of your urine: pale straw is what you’re looking for. Dark yellow usually means you need to drink more. (Some vitamins and foods can change the colour, so look at the general picture over the day.) Other clues are a dry mouth, a headache, dry lips and feeling tired for no clear reason.
You’ll need more on hot days, when you’re active, when you’re unwell with a fever or an upset stomach, and if you have hot flushes or night sweats. I talk about those in my FAQs on nutrition in perimenopause and menopause.
Do tea, coffee and soup count?
Yes, they all count towards what you drink. Tea and coffee contain mostly water. Caffeine makes you go to the loo a little more, but a cup of tea or coffee still adds to your fluid overall. Just be aware that too much caffeine can make you jittery and affect your sleep, especially after lunch.
Herbal teas are wonderful in the colder months: verbena, lime blossom, mint, rooibos or a slice of fresh ginger in hot water. And food matters too. Soup is one of the best ways I know to drink and eat at the same time, and you’ll find a warming one in Eating with the seasons. Fruit, vegetables, yoghurt and stewed apples all bring water with them.
Alcohol is the exception. It makes you lose water, so if you have a glass of wine, have a glass of water alongside it.
How do I drink enough without waking up at night to pee?
Drink more in the first half of the day and less in the evening. Many people do the opposite: very little during a busy day, then a lot in the evening when they finally sit down, and then they wake at night.
So front-load your water. A big glass when you wake up, regular sips through the morning and early afternoon, and then just small amounts after dinner. Sleep and water are closely linked, and I wrote more about sleep in Let’s talk about sleep.
What helps?
Here’s what I suggest when someone tells me they never remember to drink.
1. Start the day with a glass of water
You’ve gone all night without drinking. Before your coffee or tea, have a glass of water, warm or cool, perhaps with a slice of lemon. Put the glass by the kettle the night before so you see it first thing. It’s one of the easiest ways to start a gentle morning, and I share more ideas in Rise and shine: the power of a morning routine.
2. Keep water where you can see it
A jug on the table, a bottle in your bag, a glass beside you while you work. We drink what’s in front of us. If you have to get up and fetch it, you’ll forget.
3. Link drinking to something you already do
A glass when you sit down at your desk, one with each meal, one when you come in from the garden or a walk, one before you put the kettle on in the afternoon. Linking a new habit to an old one is the simplest way I know to make it stay.
4. Eat your water too
Soup at lunch or dinner, fruit as a snack, a big salad, cucumber and tomatoes in summer, stewed apples and pears in winter. Water-rich food is especially helpful if you find drinking plain water a chore.
5. Make it a pleasure
Use a glass you love. Add a few slices of orange, cucumber, mint leaves or a sprig of rosemary to a jug of water. In the colder months, a flask of hot herbal tea on your desk is lovely. Sparkling water is fine too, if you prefer the bubbles.
What doesn’t help?
Drinking a huge amount at once. Your body does better with steady sips through the day than with a big catch-up in the evening.
Waiting until you’re thirsty. Especially as you get older, thirst arrives late.
Forcing down a precise number of litres. Your body and your days are your own; let the signs guide you.
Sweet drinks as your main drink. Fruit juice and fizzy drinks bring a lot of sugar with the water. Enjoy them as a treat.
Try this for one week
For seven days, have a glass of water as soon as you get up, and another before each meal. That’s it.
Each evening, jot down three things in a notebook: your energy in the afternoon, your mood, and whether you had a headache. At the end of the week, read it back. Many people are surprised by how much steadier their afternoons feel from something so simple.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drink too much water?
Yes, although it’s rare. Drinking very large amounts in a short time, especially during long endurance sport, can upset the balance of salt in your blood. For most people, drinking steadily and following the colour of your urine is enough.
Does sparkling water count?
Yes, it hydrates you just like still water. If the bubbles make you feel bloated, choose still water with meals.
Is herbal tea as good as water?
Plain herbal teas count fully towards what you drink and are lovely in the colder months. Some herbs can interact with medicines, so if you take regular medication and drink a lot of one particular herbal tea, ask your pharmacist.
When should I talk to my doctor?
Talk to your doctor if you’re always very thirsty, if you need to pee much more than usual, if you feel dizzy or confused, or if your urine stays dark even when you drink. And if you have a heart or kidney condition, or take water tablets or other regular medicines, ask your doctor how much you should drink before changing anything, because some people need to limit their fluids.
Would you like some help?
Drinking enough is one of those small habits that’s easy to understand and easy to forget. Building simple daily habits like this one, together, is at the heart of my group programmes in nutrition and health, such as Six Tuesdays in Montignac. If you’d like to hear when the next group opens, send me a note at hello@catherinepolet.coach.
If you’d rather look at your energy one to one, wherever you are, I coach online too. Book a free 20-minute call and tell me what your days feel like.
About Catherine
I’m Catherine Polet, a holistic nutrition health coach, yoga and autogenic training teacher for more than 30 years, author and speaker. I help people find a way of eating and living that suits their own body, online in English, French, Spanish and German, and in person in Southwest France.
