Morning Anxiety

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AnneGenevieveS
AnneGenevieveS Posts: 469 Member
edited May 2023 in Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
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.
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  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,860 Member
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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.
  • AnneGenevieveS
    AnneGenevieveS Posts: 469 Member
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    Machka9 wrote: »
    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.

    That doesn't sound pleasant at all! I wonder if it's a similar morning chemical thing?
  • aurelia_lea
    aurelia_lea Posts: 2 Member
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    Thank you for this post, this is me to a T!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,521 Member
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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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  • COGypsy
    COGypsy Posts: 1,165 Member
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    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.
  • hoarc1987
    hoarc1987 Posts: 52 Member
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    Coffee withdrawals, low blood sugar and bacteria in your mouth are the cause. Also mold and dust in your house.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,287 Member
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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.
  • nsk1951
    nsk1951 Posts: 1,295 Member
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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'.
  • sophoria4001
    sophoria4001 Posts: 1 Member
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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.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,860 Member
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    AnneGenevieveS wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    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.

    That doesn't sound pleasant at all! I wonder if it's a similar morning chemical thing?

    Could be!
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,860 Member
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    Machka9 wrote: »
    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.

    I refrain from exercising in the morning (except for my commute walk) because I usually feel too stiff and sore to do anything.
  • DeniseMRussell
    DeniseMRussell Posts: 14 Member
    edited June 2023
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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.
  • sarahjane4007
    sarahjane4007 Posts: 1 Member
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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 mornings
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
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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.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
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    Machka9 wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    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.

    I refrain from exercising in the morning (except for my commute walk) because I usually feel too stiff and sore to do anything.

    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.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
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    Re: low blood sugar, my last snack is 30 minutes before I brush my teeth, which is immediately before bed.
  • csplatt
    csplatt Posts: 1,011 Member
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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.
  • rjmcintosh1597
    rjmcintosh1597 Posts: 3 Member
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    WoW morning anxiety, beyond imagination. Lucky me, mornings are my best.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,287 Member
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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.

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