An inability to maintain mental clarity can be caused by many mental health or medical conditions. Several of those issues may be intertwined.

Lack of Sleep

This is a common cause of brain fog.

Sleep deprivation is often linked to a decreased quality of life, and one of the most common symptoms is a decline in focus and cognitive performance.

Many people never realize that they’re not getting enough sleep and may feel fine physically. They might be sticking to the “guideline” of 7-8 hours of sleep per night that they’ve heard repeatedly from parents, teachers and healthcare professionals.

Here’s the truth. Getting less than seven hours per night can indeed impact physical health, but the amount of sleep that people need varies considerably. The optimal amount depends on factors like age, physical fitness, and health and medical conditions. Many people can get away with fewer than eight hours; others may need nine or ten.

Most importantly, studies have found that sleep deprivation leads to lower levels of concentration, alertness and memory function.

Stress

Chronic stress can wreak havoc on the body and brain.

Comprehensive reviews of the scientific literature have found that high levels of stress can hurt immune system function and cause poorer cardiovascular health, gastrointestinal issues, problems with hormone production, and depression.

Stress can also have negative effects on the nervous system and brain health, causing problems that range from memory and cognitive difficulties, to structural changes in the brain’s anatomy.

And when people constantly worry about the issues causing their stress, that’s an enormous distraction that can lead to mental exhaustion.

Hormones

We’ve briefly mentioned hormones, but they factor into this discussion for another reason: naturally occurring changes in hormone levels may also lead to brain fogginess.

The drop in estrogen levels that accompanies menopause has been shown to have little-known side effects like memory problems, a decreased ability to concentrate, and lower cognitive function. Similar problems can be caused by changes in estrogen and progesterone levels during pregnancy.

Nutritional Deficiencies

Several dietary factors can contribute to brain fog.

• Vitamin B-12 is essential for proper brain function, and B-12 deficiency has been shown to cause cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative disease.
• Diets high in refined carbohydrates (so-called “bad carbs” like white bread, flour, pasta, rice, and bakery treats) have been linked to neurocognitive issues.
• Sensitivities or allergies to some foods, including dairy products, peanuts, and the artificial sweetener aspartame, may cause brain inflammation and cognitive problems in addition to the more familiar physical symptoms.
• Consumption of gluten by patients with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity has been shown to cause brain fog.

Medical and Pharmaceutical Issues

Many health conditions may cause issues with mental clarity. They include autoimmune disorders like chronic fatigue syndrome and diabetes, fibromyalgia, diabetes, anemia, migraines, hypothyroidism, obesity, and even simple dehydration. Depression may also be to blame for some cases of brain fog.

A lack of focus and optimal brain function can be caused by some medications, and a common side effect of chemotherapy is a brain fog that’s often called “chemo fog.”

Many approaches may help relieve problems with focus, cognition, and brain fog. Seeing a doctor is often the first step.

Treating Medical Causes of Poor Mental Clarity

Anyone with existing medical or mental health issues should first consult with the doctor or health professional treating those conditions, to ask if their brain fog could be caused by their medical condition.

That’s not just a perfunctory suggestion. Many inflammatory and immune conditions, for example, can cause inflammation in the brain or spinal cord that affects concentration, memory or cognitive function. Treatment with steroids may be able to relieve the brain fog fairly rapidly.

A number of the other physical (or mental/emotional) conditions which could be causing poor brain performance can also be treated. Iron supplements can treat anemia-related declines in mental clarity, and therapy or psych medications are often able to help patients with brain fog caused by depression or anxiety.

A medical consultation should also be the first step for those who regularly take medications and are suffering from poor mental clarity. Their doses or prescriptions may need to be changed.

New or worsening physical or mental issues should be discussed with a medical professional as well. They might have implications for cognitive function that would never occur to most people. Doctors can also check for issues like hormone imbalances or gluten sensitivity which can affect mental clarity.

Treating General Health or Wellness Issues

Changes in daily routines may be all that’s needed to clear troublesome brain fog. Some people can restore mental clarity by removing potential distractions and focusing on their well-being.

For others, it’s more complicated. We’ve mentioned health and wellness issues that can impact mental clarity, and the solutions for many of them are fairly obvious.

More Sleep

Ensuring that you regularly get eight-to-nine hours of sleep per night is a good place to start.

You may even be one of the people who need more than nine hours. A little experimentation should make that clear – since if you get more sleep and then wake up in a better mental state of mind, you’ll have your answer.

Getting enough sleep should also boost your energy levels and overall well-being. Just don’t overdo it; too much sleep can also cause low energy and brain fog. Find your sweet sleep spot and see if it helps.

Easing Stress

We know, this is easier said than done.

However, stress is perhaps the number one problem that affects mental clarity. Anything you can do to figure out and relieve the root causes of your stress will help both your mind and body.

• Job burnout? Explore alternatives with your employer, a career counselor, or friends.
• Money problems? Consulting with family members or a financial counselor may help you find solutions.
• Personal or family issues? Frank discussions with those causing the stress, or discussions with a psychologist or family therapist, can be enormously helpful.
• Poor life balance? Try to find more time for activities that you enjoy.

The more stress you can eliminate from your life, the better your mental clarity will likely be.

Nutrition and Lifestyle

We’ve mentioned that brain fog can be caused by a vitamin B-12 deficiency or food allergies. Those issues can easily be dealt with by taking vitamin B supplements and/or making dietary changes.

But simply living a healthier lifestyle and following a healthy diet can maximize energy levels, physical fitness – and mental clarity. In fact, diets designed to improve brain function focus on eating healthy, whole foods like lean protein, healthy fats (like foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids), and colorful vegetables (which are rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatories).

Add to that the obvious health benefits of eating a healthier diet (and of course, avoiding tobacco and limiting alcohol consumption), and you have a sensible initial approach to a lack of mental clarity.

Popular diets may also provide brain-boosting power. A good example is the keto diet.

Ketogenic eating deprives the body of the carbohydrates normally used to produce glucose, the fuel that the body and brain depend on. That forces the body to produce molecules called ketones to be used as a substitute energy source. The body burns stored body fat to make ketones, which is why keto leads to weight loss.

And not only can the brain function just fine on ketones, but they’re actually a better fuel source than glucose. Studies show that some cases of cognitive impairment may be caused by the brain’s reduced ability to use glucose.

In short, the ketones generated on low-carb diets can help the brain function better and potentially reverse a loss of mental clarity.

Some common dietary supplements have been shown to provide benefits for those who are dealing with brain fog or cognitive difficulties.

Ginseng

The roots of this plant have been used in Eastern medicine for centuries. It’s said to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, support the immune system, control glucose levels and boost energy.

Ginseng also appears to be able to improve memory performance and reduce the stress that can impair mental clarity.

Ginkgo Biloba

Another common Eastern medicine supplement, ginkgo biloba, supposedly helps with respiratory problems and problems with the circulatory system.

Ginkgo biloba extract is also used by some people who claim it eases their age-related cognitive impairment. And studies show the reason why it may help: ginkgo biloba appears to improve working memory performance and cognitive processing.

Bacopa Monnieri

Ayurvedic medicine practitioners use this herb as a treatment for chronic pain, depression, ADHD, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia.

Several studies have researched the benefits of bacopa and found that it also has some brain-boosting benefits. It acts as an antioxidant to provide neuroprotection, increases blood flow in the brain, and modulates brain activity. The studies found that bacopa shows promise for the treatment of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases and epilepsy as well.

In modern Western culture, patients often seek out prescriptions or supplement pills instead of making lifestyle adjustments or trying natural remedies.

The two options many people choose for issues with mental clarity are nootropic medications and over-the-counter supplements.

Nootropics

Nootropics, or “smart drugs,” were all the rage a few years ago. They’re still around, but the buzz around them has died down a little.

A nootropic is a substance that theoretically improves cognitive function. We discussed several of them in the last section, and others that purportedly boost focus or mental performance include fish oils, L-theanine, rhodiola rosea, and lion’s mane mushrooms.

The nootropics that received all the publicity, however, were prescription medications commonly used to treat ADHD, narcolepsy, or Alzheimer’s disease. These medications like modafinil, Ritalin and Adderall are only prescribed off-label for problems like brain fog.

Do they work? Some small studies imply that they might, and many users swear by them. Unfortunately, these medications come with a wealth of potentially hazardous side effects like high blood pressure, vision problems, racing heartbeat, and insomnia – and since they’re stimulants, there’s a high risk of addiction.

For those reasons, the prescription meds that some people take as nootropics should only be used for their designed purposes.

“Brain Health” Supplements

It’s difficult to watch TV for more than a couple of hours without seeing commercials for products claiming to improve memory and support brain function.

Unfortunately, there’s no rigorous medical research showing that those “brain health” supplements work any better than the natural nootropics we’ve mentioned. In fact, many of the commercially-available supplements contain some of those natural substances along with coffee fruit extract, which is believed to provide neuroprotective benefits.

Some also contain a substance called apoaequorin, a protein found in some jellyfish. Manufacturers base their claims of effectiveness on a small study that they conducted themselves. They say that some participants showed very slight improvements on cognitive tests that the manufacturers administered.

However, evidence suggests that apoaequorin is broken down in the stomach before it ever has the opportunity to reach the brain and provide any benefits.

Bottom line: no shortcut helps you achieve mental clarity. The suggestions we’ve laid out are a better road map for those who need to eliminate brain fog and become more focused and productive.