Morning Anxiety
AnneGenevieveS
Posts: 441 Member
Are you someone who wakes up feeling fresh, rested, and ready for the day?
Or do you wake up with crippling anxiety?
I am the latter. I always figured it was the hardships of my life that created this lingering dread of having to face another day. I've rarely, if ever, experienced the feeling of "You'll feel better after a good night's rest." If I go to bed worried, I'll wake up worried.
My husband recently pointed out this trend of morning anxiety in me, and when I woke up horribly anxious today, I realized he was right.
But apparently I'm not alone:
"Morning anxiety is a reaction to excess stress and worries... The 'stress hormone' cortisol is released by the adrenal glands in response to fear or stress. Researchers have studied the cortisol awakening response (CAR) and have found that cortisol is highest in the first hour of waking for people with an increased level of stress. This helps explain why you may experience an increase in anxiety in the morning."
"What you eat and drink first thing in the morning can also contribute to higher levels of anxiety in the early hours of the day... low blood sugar due to a lack of food can make anxiety symptoms worse." (https://www.healthline.com/health/morning-anxiety, and others)
So I'm an anxious person with a rush of morning cortisol, and I'm on a diet.
I'm sharing this for all the others who may be experiencing the same thing. Perhaps this can help me remember that everything is okay. It's just a chemical response. Nothing is actually wrong. I am strong enough to face this day. My body has been trained to worry for far too long, but I don't have to feel this way anymore. I'm strong, and I am safe.
Or do you wake up with crippling anxiety?
I am the latter. I always figured it was the hardships of my life that created this lingering dread of having to face another day. I've rarely, if ever, experienced the feeling of "You'll feel better after a good night's rest." If I go to bed worried, I'll wake up worried.
My husband recently pointed out this trend of morning anxiety in me, and when I woke up horribly anxious today, I realized he was right.
But apparently I'm not alone:
"Morning anxiety is a reaction to excess stress and worries... The 'stress hormone' cortisol is released by the adrenal glands in response to fear or stress. Researchers have studied the cortisol awakening response (CAR) and have found that cortisol is highest in the first hour of waking for people with an increased level of stress. This helps explain why you may experience an increase in anxiety in the morning."
"What you eat and drink first thing in the morning can also contribute to higher levels of anxiety in the early hours of the day... low blood sugar due to a lack of food can make anxiety symptoms worse." (https://www.healthline.com/health/morning-anxiety, and others)
So I'm an anxious person with a rush of morning cortisol, and I'm on a diet.
I'm sharing this for all the others who may be experiencing the same thing. Perhaps this can help me remember that everything is okay. It's just a chemical response. Nothing is actually wrong. I am strong enough to face this day. My body has been trained to worry for far too long, but I don't have to feel this way anymore. I'm strong, and I am safe.
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Replies
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I don't think I wake up with anxiety but I usually feel like I have just run a half marathon ... exhausted, achy, and slightly nauseated.1
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Thank you for this post, this is me to a T!0
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I usually wake up excited for the day. My outlook is usually one of optimism for myself each day. I do workout each morning pretty early and fast till 12pm. Lol, maybe I'm always happy because I eat late into the night.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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I usually wake up excited for the day. My outlook is usually one of optimism for myself each day. I do workout each morning pretty early and fast till 12pm. Lol, maybe I'm always happy because I eat late into the night.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Niner--I'm not sure, but I think this is more of a female thing. I get anxiety too once in a while starting around 5 am usually. It worsened after menopause. I just get up and start exercising because then it will go away.6 -
I don’t wake up with anxiety, but almost without fail I wake up cold, hungry, and mean. For the sake of my sanity and personal relationships, I drink a cup of juice as soon as I get up which helps tremendously. I usually go to bed right after dinner, but strive for 8.5 - 9 hours of sleep so I suppose a blood sugar drop isn’t out of the question. Mostly though, it’s just how my body happens to work.2
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Coffee withdrawals, low blood sugar and bacteria in your mouth are the cause. Also mold and dust in your house.0
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It could be low blood sugar in the moring.. and if you drink coffee it can esculate the anxiety. I've battled anxiety on and off my entire adult life. For sure.. it is linked to what i eat. I was drinking a new coffee recently .... and i grind my own beans.. The caffine content of those beans triggerd low blood sugar and anxiety like crazy. I switched.. and it all went away.3
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I only ever felt rotten in the morning, like described by others, during that period when I was unhappy with something in my 'life' that I could not change and thus felt unhappy with my circumstances. Like dreading to go to a job that I needed to get out of, or a relationship was souring or had 'gone bad'.2
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This is very relatable for me. I was recently diagnosed with Chronic Stress Reaction. My body is staying in a constant state of fight or flight.2
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AnneGenevieveS wrote: »
Could be!1 -
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I felt extreme morning anxiety during my time in a very toxic work environment. Mornings were the worst time. It went away once I removed myself from the environment. Other than that I tend to feel a bit restless in the morning on weekends because I’m used to leaving for work early in the morning and it’s out of normal routine to be at home in the morning.2
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I'm really rubbish at waking. I was wondering if I produced too much melatonin, but I can't find anything on the internet about too much melatonin only not enough and people taking suppliments. Wish I could wake up in the mornings1
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sophoria4001 wrote: »This is very relatable for me. I was recently diagnosed with Chronic Stress Reaction. My body is staying in a constant state of fight or flight.
After a very stressful move, I was having difficulty sleeping in the new place. I would wake up several times a night with anxiety. I am now taking Buspirone and sleeping much better. My anxiety is much less and it does not prevent me from falling back asleep, probably because I am a little doped up. My doctor wanted me to take one during the day, but it makes me too sleepy, and the one at night turned out to be all I needed.
For years, I've sometimes felt a little anxiety in the AM, but I find it helpful to propel me out of bed and get my day started. It goes away as soon as my feet hit the floor.1 -
I have to do 40 minutes of so of gentle stretching a few hours before bed or I have bad back pain in the AM.0 -
Re: low blood sugar, my last snack is 30 minutes before I brush my teeth, which is immediately before bed.1
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This fluctuates for me. When I am in a pattern of waking up anxious, I get out of bed immediately and start my day. Trying to rest more makes the anxiety rise.0
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WoW morning anxiety, beyond imagination. Lucky me, mornings are my best.0
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I don't know your life. If you are in a job or relationship or situaiton that is toxic. Change your life. If your personal and work life are great and this is happening.. it could be something physical.. like low blood sugar in the morning triggering anxiety. Or if you drink coffee.. if can trigger it also. i know i was getting anxiety and linked it to the new coffee beans i had purchased. I stopped using those and it went away.0
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Wow, a lot of people with anxiety in the morning. I guess it doesn't affect me because I really do love my job (I don't consider it a job but a contribution to improving people's health), I don't have stress and am practically debt free. That's not to say I don't have some unhappiness in my life (I'm divorced now), but I do take that opportunity to try to find happiness.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Definitely get your thyroid checked and make sure you're not hyperthyroid.
I'm usually an anxious person, eh' I think that's my disposition at this point.
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