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Brain fog: what causes it, and how to clear your head

You walk into a room and forget why. You read the same email three times. The word you want is right there, and then it isn't. If that sounds like your week, you're in good company: healthdirect says more than 1 in 4 of us will have brain fog at some stage.

Here is what brain fog is, what tends to cause it, what helps you think more clearly, when to talk to your GP, and how the Thrive Health Band and the Thrive by Optihealth app can help you spot what comes before your foggy days.

What is brain fog?

Brain fog is an everyday term for trouble with thinking and memory. It isn't a health condition on its own, though it can come with one. Healthdirect lists the usual signs:

  • forgetting things like names or dates
  • finding it hard to follow a conversation or concentrate
  • not finding the exact word you want
  • struggling to do more than one thing at a time
  • finding new information, like directions, harder to take in
  • finding it harder to plan or solve problems

It usually comes and goes. That's frustrating, but it's also a clue, because it means something is shifting from one day to the next.

What causes brain fog?

Healthdirect lists a handful of everyday causes, and they often overlap.

  • Not enough sleep. A short or broken night leaves your brain without the rest it needs. Even a few late nights in a row can add up. Here's how much sleep adults need.
  • Stress. A busy stretch at work or at home can make it hard to hold a thought. Our piece on work stress and sleep covers how the two feed each other.
  • Hormone changes. Perimenopause and menopause can bring brain fog, linked to changing oestrogen levels. See our article on perimenopause, sleep and mood.
  • Food, water and movement. Not exercising enough and eating without a good range of nutrients are both on healthdirect's list, and drinking plenty of water is among the habits that help.
  • Medicines and health conditions. Some medicines can play a part, as can conditions such as long COVID, chronic pain, depression and anxiety, diabetes, anaemia and insomnia. If you've started a new medicine, talk to your pharmacist or GP rather than stopping it yourself.

Sometimes the cause isn't clear, and that's normal too.

How to clear brain fog

There's no single fix, but healthdirect points to habits that help, whatever the cause:

  1. Look after your sleep. Keep phones and screens away close to bedtime.
  2. Move regularly. A walk counts.
  3. Eat a varied diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables.
  4. Drink plenty of water through the day.
  5. Ease stress with breathing, mindfulness, relaxation or yoga. Box breathing is an easy one to try.
  6. Keep your brain busy with puzzles or a new skill.
  7. Spend time with people.

And on foggy days, make thinking easier:

  • Do one thing at a time instead of multitasking.
  • Find a quiet spot and put your phone away when you need to focus.
  • Break big jobs into smaller steps.
  • Do your hardest thinking early in the day.
  • Use your phone's calendar and reminders, and keep your keys in one spot.
  • If you're stuck, take a break and come back to it.

Spot your foggy-day patterns with Thrive

Brain fog is something you feel, and the Band doesn't measure your thinking. But the things that tend to come before a foggy day, like a short night, a stressful week or a skipped lunch, are things Thrive can help you see.

  • Log it when it happens. Brain fog is one of the common symptoms on Thrive's Log symptom screen, so it takes a couple of taps.
  • Add the context. In your Daily Check-In you can rate your energy, stress and mood, and tag your day with things like Mental overload, Work stress, Coffee, Alcohol, Hydration, Nap or Travel.
  • See your nights clearly. Wear the Thrive Health Band to bed. It has no screen and up to 14 days of battery. Thrive shows your hours slept along with Quality, Quantity, Regularity and Timing, so you can tell a short night from a late or irregular one.
  • Check in each morning. Today's Vitality includes a Sleep and Recovery driver and a Mind and Mood driver. A lower score isn't a judgement. It's information.

Over time, Thrive learns what's usual for you right across your health, from sleep, heart, temperature and activity to mood, energy, stress, meals, medications and your cycle. Then you can ask Ask Thrive things like:

  • "Do my foggy days tend to follow nights under seven hours?"
  • "What else was going on the last three times I logged brain fog?"
  • "Is my energy lower in the week before my period?"

When to talk to your GP

Healthdirect suggests seeing your GP if brain fog happens often, gets in the way of work or daily life, or is getting worse. There's no single test for it. Your GP will ask how it's affecting you and may suggest checks for things like anaemia.

Call triple zero (000) straight away if someone suddenly becomes confused and their face droops, they can't lift both arms or their speech is slurred.

You don't need to remember every foggy day for your appointment. Your symptom logs, sleep and stress trends are in Thrive, Ask Thrive can help you pull together what changed and when, and you can show your Thrive trends to your GP.

Before you buy

Thrive Health Band: A$589 for the first year (Band plus 12 months of the Thrive plan), paid upfront.

Free Australia-wide shipping (usually A$14.99). No automatic renewal.

At renewal: a new band plus 12 more months for A$589.

Or keep your band and renew the plan for A$240 a year.

Or A$29 a month with no lock-in.

One size, IP68, up to 14 days battery, 12-month warranty, not a medical device, no Apple Health sync. The app is Thrive by Optihealth on iPhone and Android.

See today's price and buy at thrivehealthband.com/get.

Consumer guarantees under Australian Consumer Law always apply. See Returns if something is wrong with your purchase.

Common questions

Can lack of sleep cause brain fog?

Yes. Not getting enough sleep is one of the causes healthdirect lists, and insomnia can leave your brain without enough rest to work well.

Can dehydration cause brain fog?

Not drinking enough can leave you with a headache and feeling dizzy or light-headed, says healthdirect, and drinking plenty of water is one of the habits it suggests for brain fog. Here's how much water you need.

How long does brain fog last?

It often comes and goes. It may ease with time, for example after menopause, or once an underlying cause is sorted. If it isn't improving, see your GP.

For more answers, see Questions.