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Mental Health HomepageConditions LibraryConditions CategoryConditions CategoryWaking Up With Anxiety: Causes & Calming Techniques
Table of Contents:OverviewSymptoms of Waking Up With AnxietyWhy Do I Wake Up With Anxiety?5 Techniques to Avoid Waking Up with AnxietyLearning How to Manage Anxiety Day-to-Day
Anxiety DisorderRead Time: 5 Minutes
Published On: March 15, 2022
Reviewed On: March 15, 2022
Updated On: June 14, 2024
OverviewWaking up with anxietyin theearly morningcan disrupt your day before it even begins. Whether it’s the unsettling feeling in the pit of your stomach or the racing anxious thoughts that won’t let you rest,morning anxietyis a common experience for many. While occasional bouts of anxiety are normal, persistentmorning anxietycan escalate, affecting your ability to function in daily life.In this article, we’ll discuss the symptoms and causes of morning anxiety, exploring why you might be waking up with a sense of dread. We’ll also equip you with practicalrelaxation techniquesto integrate into your morning routine, empowering you to tackle each day with greater calmness and clarity.
Overview
Waking up with anxietyin theearly morningcan disrupt your day before it even begins. Whether it’s the unsettling feeling in the pit of your stomach or the racing anxious thoughts that won’t let you rest,morning anxietyis a common experience for many. While occasional bouts of anxiety are normal, persistentmorning anxietycan escalate, affecting your ability to function in daily life.
In this article, we’ll discuss the symptoms and causes of morning anxiety, exploring why you might be waking up with a sense of dread. We’ll also equip you with practicalrelaxation techniquesto integrate into your morning routine, empowering you to tackle each day with greater calmness and clarity.
Symptoms of Waking Up With AnxietyWaking up with anxiety can put a real strain on your day. Right from the jump, you’re stuck feeling that heavy weight of stress and dread. Some common symptoms of morning anxiety are:Feeling like your day is doomed right from the beginningFeeling fatigued, even though you just woke upFeeling like you just can’t get out of bedDifficulty focusing and concentratingRapid, shallow breathingRapid heartbeatPerspiringSowhat causes anxietyin the morning?
Symptoms of Waking Up With Anxiety
Waking up with anxiety can put a real strain on your day. Right from the jump, you’re stuck feeling that heavy weight of stress and dread. Some common symptoms of morning anxiety are:
Sowhat causes anxietyin the morning?
Why Do I Wake Up With Anxiety?
Below, we’ll dive into each of the possible causes of waking up with anxiety.
The natural response
Waking up with anxiety can be a challenging way to start your day. The feeling of unease or worry in the morning may stem from various factors, including heightened cortisol, often known as the stress hormone. These elevated cortisol levels can be more prevalent in individuals experiencing stress.
When we’re stressed, we release more stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline causes the heart rate to increase, boosts blood pressure, and spikes energy supply. Cortisol is the primary stress hormone in the body. It acts to release more glucose into the blood and enhances the brain’s usage of those sugars to enhance alertness and prepare us to defend ourselves.
Researchhas shown that cortisol levels already surge in the morning for the first 30 – 45 minutes after waking. This is known as Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR) and may increase morning anxiety.
Stress
The common demands of life, like taking care of your family, accomplishing a huge workload, paying the bills, and preparing for the future, are all stressors. The limbic system of your brain perceives stressors as threats, and that can make you feel anxious from the moment you wake up each morning.
Substance abuse
If you’re using or abusing drugs and/or alcohol, waking up with anxiety can be common. While substance abuse may not havedirect links to anxiety, itisknown to increaseanxiety symptoms.
Relationship struggles
Somestudiesshow that the energy in a relationship may affectyoursleep qualityandhowcalm you wake up in the morning.
Physical health problems
If you’re dealing with a chronic health condition, it’s natural to be stressed. Anxiety is common for those who have heart disease, diabetes, cancer, asthma, hypertension, and other serious health-related issues. Waking up with anxiety in the middle of the night or in the morning can be common when you have a serious medical condition.
Financial stress
Worrying about money is a normal stress for many adults. Especially if you’re financially insecure, waking up with anxiety about how or when you’ll be able to pay rent, buy groceries, or cover bills is not unreasonable.
Mental health conditions
Like our physical health, mental health conditions can weigh heavily on our psyches. Living withbipolar disorder,depression, or another mental health disorder can result in heightened anxiety or anxious thoughts at all times of the day, even in theearly morning.
Expert Insight
Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), MA, MScBisma Anwar
5 Techniques to Avoid Waking Up with AnxietyWondering how to stop waking up with anxiety?Fortunately, there are various techniques you can employ, beginning right now, that are known to alleviate morning anxiety symptoms. You can practice these daily upon waking and decrease the frequency and intensity of morning stress.Though you might not be able to totally prevent the feeling of anxiety or panic you experience when you first wake up, you can help lessen the physical symptoms and severity withnatural remedies for anxiety. Try using any or all of these methods right away.
5 Techniques to Avoid Waking Up with Anxiety
Wondering how to stop waking up with anxiety?Fortunately, there are various techniques you can employ, beginning right now, that are known to alleviate morning anxiety symptoms. You can practice these daily upon waking and decrease the frequency and intensity of morning stress.Though you might not be able to totally prevent the feeling of anxiety or panic you experience when you first wake up, you can help lessen the physical symptoms and severity withnatural remedies for anxiety. Try using any or all of these methods right away.
Wondering how to stop waking up with anxiety?Fortunately, there are various techniques you can employ, beginning right now, that are known to alleviate morning anxiety symptoms. You can practice these daily upon waking and decrease the frequency and intensity of morning stress.
Though you might not be able to totally prevent the feeling of anxiety or panic you experience when you first wake up, you can help lessen the physical symptoms and severity withnatural remedies for anxiety. Try using any or all of these methods right away.
1. Change your diet
The foods and beverages we choose to consume have an effect on our mood and functioning. Neurotransmitters, hormones, and other biological chemicals are all synthesized in our bodies based on the nutrients (or lack thereof) we get through our diet.
Studies showcertain foods are associated with anti-anxiety effects. These include:
Consider adding more of these foods in your daily diet to help your anxiety levels.
Also, you might want to watch your intake of caffeine and other stimulating substances. If you’re already prone to anxiety, caffeine might exacerbate those symptoms. A glass of warm lemon water or decaf tea with honey in it may not be as exciting as that strong cup of coffee, but it can definitelyoffer morenatural anxiety relief.
2.Meditation &deep breathingexercises(pranayama)
Mindfulness meditationoffers many benefits to improve emotional and mental health. You can dothisrelaxation techniqueanywhere, without any equipment or memberships. Most communities have group meditation courses and support available. There are several different meditation styles, each having benefits for generalized anxiety disorder. Even just five minutes of meditation or deepbreathing exercises for anxietydaily can have measurable benefits.
3. Leave the television off & opt for music
Repetitive exposure to negative stories like what we see and hear in the mainstream media these days has beenlinked to increased anxiety. If you don’t like the silence in the morning, try putting on some calming music to create a more relaxing environment. Remember, “calming” doesn’t have to be the same for everyone. You might prefer classical music, jazz, acoustic…try whatever is soothing to you.
4. Exercise
There are several various ways that daily exercise helps to alleviate a high anxiety level, including:
5. Journaling
Taking a few minutes each morning or at night just before bed to jot down your anxious feelings or thoughts can help to calm your mind and focus your thoughts. If you’rejournalingfor your mental healthin the morning, try tracking your dreams from the night before.
Solidifying your relationship with yourself is an excellent way to decrease nighttime anxiety. Doing so can help you stay in touch with your goals and aspirations and spot negative emotions creeping up on you as they occur.
Online therapy for anxiety
Learning How to Manage Anxiety Day-to-Day
If you’re waking up with anxiety every morning,cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT),exposure therapy,and othertypes of therapy for anxietycan help. Working with amental health professional, you’ll learn new coping skills forhow to treat anxietythat can work to decrease your morning stress.
You might also consider taking prescriptionmedication for anxietylike benzodiazepines, anti-anxiety drugs, beta-blockers, or antidepressants, but note that these are often associated with adverse side effects and do little to solve the core problem causing your anxiety. If you and your doctordodecide to try medication forgeneralized anxiety disorder, it likely will be a short term solution that’s coupled with effective, proactive strategies like those we’ve discussed here today.
Focusing on holistic approaches like mindfulness meditation, taking a relaxing bath, setting and being committed to goals, and showing gratitude are all simple, effective ways to combat waking up with anxiety every morning.
See ReferencesDaily Life Stress and the Cortisol Awakening Response: Testing the Anticipation HypothesisPowell D, Schlotz W. Daily Life Stress and the Cortisol Awakening Response: Testing the Anticipation Hypothesis. PLoS One. 2012;7(12):e52067. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0052067. Accessed February 13, 2022.Couples’ Nighttime Sleep Efficiency and Concordance: Evidence for Bidirectional Associations with Daytime Relationship FunctioningHasler B, Troxel W. Couples' Nighttime Sleep Efficiency and Concordance: Evidence for Bidirectional Associations With Daytime Relationship Functioning. Psychosom Med. 2010;72(8):794-801. doi:10.1097/psy.0b013e3181ecd08a. Accessed February 13, 2022.Media Exposure and Anxiety during COVID-19: The Mediation Effect of Media Vicarious TraumatizationLiu C, Liu Y. Media Exposure and Anxiety during COVID-19: The Mediation Effect of Media Vicarious Traumatization. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(13):4720. doi:10.3390/ijerph17134720. Accessed February 13, 2022.The exercise–cognition relationship: A virtuous circleAudiffren M, André N. The exercise–cognition relationship: A virtuous circle. J Sport Health Sci. 2019;8(4):339-347. doi:10.1016/j.jshs.2019.03.001. Accessed February 13, 2022.Endocannabinoid and Mood Responses to Exercise in Adults with Varying Activity LevelsBrellenthin A, Crombie K, Hillard C, Koltyn K. Endocannabinoid and Mood Responses to Exercise in Adults with Varying Activity Levels. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2017;49(8):1688-1696. doi:10.1249/mss.0000000000001276. Accessed February 13, 2022.
See References
Powell D, Schlotz W. Daily Life Stress and the Cortisol Awakening Response: Testing the Anticipation Hypothesis. PLoS One. 2012;7(12):e52067. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0052067. Accessed February 13, 2022.
Hasler B, Troxel W. Couples' Nighttime Sleep Efficiency and Concordance: Evidence for Bidirectional Associations With Daytime Relationship Functioning. Psychosom Med. 2010;72(8):794-801. doi:10.1097/psy.0b013e3181ecd08a. Accessed February 13, 2022.
Liu C, Liu Y. Media Exposure and Anxiety during COVID-19: The Mediation Effect of Media Vicarious Traumatization. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(13):4720. doi:10.3390/ijerph17134720. Accessed February 13, 2022.
Audiffren M, André N. The exercise–cognition relationship: A virtuous circle. J Sport Health Sci. 2019;8(4):339-347. doi:10.1016/j.jshs.2019.03.001. Accessed February 13, 2022.
Brellenthin A, Crombie K, Hillard C, Koltyn K. Endocannabinoid and Mood Responses to Exercise in Adults with Varying Activity Levels. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2017;49(8):1688-1696. doi:10.1249/mss.0000000000001276. Accessed February 13, 2022.
Bisma AnwarBisma Anwar is the Team Lead for the Talkspace Council of Mental Health Experts. A major focus in her work has been anxiety management and helping her clients develop healthy coping skills, reduce stress and prevent burnout. She serves on the board of a non-profit organization based in NYC called The Heal Collective which promotes advocacy and awareness of mental health issues in BIPOC communities.
Bisma Anwar is the Team Lead for the Talkspace Council of Mental Health Experts. A major focus in her work has been anxiety management and helping her clients develop healthy coping skills, reduce stress and prevent burnout. She serves on the board of a non-profit organization based in NYC called The Heal Collective which promotes advocacy and awareness of mental health issues in BIPOC communities.
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