So sick of morning anxiety!

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Sorry, I have to vent. I am so tired of waking up anxious and ruminating! I'm fine throughout the day but the mornings really suck. i try stretching, listening to the radio. Maybe I need to get out of bed when I wake up rather than laying in bed? It's so hard because the bed is so cosy. I've read the pinned post on morning anxiety and try techniques but still suffer mild anxiety most mornings.

 

I'm wondering if I should brew chamomile tea the night before so I can sip in bed in the morning. Anyone tried this?

 

I had a depressing couple of days and this morning I woke at 4am with overwhelming anxiety. I tried some meditation and that helped a bit, focusing on my breathing, drifting in and out of sleep. But it just lingers there. Once I was out of bed at 8am I felt better, wrote in my journal, drank some green tea. Now I'm at work and feel fine with a cup of chamomile tea.

 

It's so annoying!

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Things are still mildly bad in the mornings. For the past couple days I've tried making a cup of camomile tea in the evening, drinking about 1/2 of it, then sipping it a little when I wake up in the morning. It helps a little bit but I still feel this lingering anxiety in the pit of my stomach.

[[me...]]

Do you have a morning routine to look forward to? I used to dread morning also (now I'm just awake for several hours in middle of night  ). Now I really look forward to sitting with a cup of decaf coffee, reading the paper, and playing with the dog. Having a husband who gets up early helps a lot. Maybe you could figure out something to look forward to, so you can bounce out of bed faster?

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Thanks for the suggestion. I do look forward to a shower and cup of green tea when I get up. It's a little routine and does motivate me to get up and get moving. I do stretches and a little yoga after my shower and that usually sets me straight. I try to listen to NPR and it helps to hear people talking. I'm divorced and single so I don't have companionship to look forward to unfortunately.

[[Ch...]]

Much as laying in bed in the morning is cozy, I think I'd be inclined to get up as soon as you notice anxiety.  Anxiety kind of negates the coziness anyway, at least for me.

 

Cortisol is at its highest in the early morning, starting to rise around 4 a.m., even in people who have never taken a benzodiazepine.  We are more susceptible to feeling it due to our fragile nervous systems.

 

Another possibility is to keep your phone or laptop by the bed and when you are awake and uncomfortable with anxiety, play a mindless game.  That's what I've done with good success.  It redirects the anxiety.

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This is a great suggestion and something I've been wondering if I could push myself to do. I struggle with getting up when I wake, rather than lying in bed. You're right, it's the comfort of the cozy bed and my body just not wanting to move, but my mind being awake. And yes, the anxiety negates the coziness unless I manage to drift into unconsciousness again.

 

I will sometimes go onto the internet on my phone and the distraction gives some relief. I will also write in my journal, which is a double benefit; it's a distraction and also a way to work out the anxious issues. I think I may assign myself some relaxing craft work to do in the morning, like drawing, to give me something to look forward to getting out of bed for.

[[2t...]]

Much as laying in bed in the morning is cozy, I think I'd be inclined to get up as soon as you notice anxiety.  Anxiety kind of negates the coziness anyway, at least for me.

 

Cortisol is at its highest in the early morning, starting to rise around 4 a.m., even in people who have never taken a benzodiazepine.  We are more susceptible to feeling it due to our fragile nervous systems.

 

Another possibility is to keep your phone or laptop by the bed and when you are awake and uncomfortable with anxiety, play a mindless game.  That's what I've done with good success.  It redirects the anxiety.

 

This helps for me also. I have to play a game that uses both my mind and hands, just watching tv is not much help.

[[An...]]

This is so interesting to me. I have noticed my own anxiety being worst in the morning and then slowing down once I've gotten my day going. I went online and I got this projector of ocean aves, https://www.amazon.com/Matney-Ocean-Light-Projector-Multicolor/dp/B009CMH7ZI/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1482814514&sr=8-4&keywords=ocean+projector. I've been using this to watch before bed and to help with some guided imagery and that has helped.

 

Other things I've tried that seem to help

 

~Having a drink I like ready for myself for morning

 

~Having a plan written out for my day

 

~Giving myself as much time as possible to get to work

 

~Giving myself a specific time to 'worry' and then writing out the best I  can of a plan for my worries during that time

 

~Guided imagery (I like oceans if you can't tell )

 

~Doing my best to get a good night's sleep (not always in my control)

 

~Journaling in the evening

 

~Reminding myself that this will likely get better as the day goes on

 

Oh, and your idea about tea---I love it--I am going to try this also..

 

Wishing you the best. Anxiety sucks. But it is nowhere near as powerful as it pretend to be. Sending you the best

[Guest [su...]]

Much as laying in bed in the morning is cozy, I think I'd be inclined to get up as soon as you notice anxiety.  Anxiety kind of negates the coziness anyway, at least for me.

 

Cortisol is at its highest in the early morning, starting to rise around 4 a.m., even in people who have never taken a benzodiazepine.  We are more susceptible to feeling it due to our fragile nervous systems.

 

Another possibility is to keep your phone or laptop by the bed and when you are awake and uncomfortable with anxiety, play a mindless game.  That's what I've done with good success.  It redirects the anxiety.

 

I totally agree with you about go up from the bed. But my anxiety wakes me up at 1:00 -2:00 am. So I go up and now I have been up since  1:00.am and it is soon 1 pm here in Sweden. I don't feel good today. Lack of sleep is the problem.

It feels almost like abstinence today but it is the stress from no sleep. Pounding heart. Have you felt rebound w/d around week 3 after last cut? My sleep is worse than ever.

The anxiety vanishes after a few hours.  I need to do something like go out with my dog. But I live on the countryside and it is dark and I am so afraid of the dark in the middle of the night and my husband need to sleep so I can't start to clean the house either 😉...

Well any other strategies? Maybe I will try meditation to night 

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After two months I FINALLY tried just getting out of bed when I woke up, rather than laying in bed trying to feel better. Luckily I woke up at 6AM, not 4AM. I don't really need to get out of bed until 7:30 but this morning I just got up and did some drawing for 45 minutes or so and listened to the radio. I'm feeling a bit better and didn't suffer from anxiety and ruminations all morning. It was a good distraction.

 

One of the reasons I finally tried this is because I was reading Claire Weekes "Hope and Help for Your Nerves" and it was the solution she outlined for morning anxiety. It worked pretty well today and I'm going to continue with it as long as I can.

[[Fi...]]

After two months I FINALLY tried just getting out of bed when I woke up, rather than laying in bed trying to feel better. Luckily I woke up at 6AM, not 4AM. I don't really need to get out of bed until 7:30 but this morning I just got up and did some drawing for 45 minutes or so and listened to the radio. I'm feeling a bit better and didn't suffer from anxiety and ruminations all morning. It was a good distraction.

 

One of the reasons I finally tried this is because I was reading Claire Weekes "Hope and Help for Your Nerves" and it was the solution she outlined for morning anxiety. It worked pretty well today and I'm going to continue with it as long as I can.

 

When do you last eat (something 'proper') the night before?

 

All of this morning anxiety (as well as the wake-ups) stopped for me shortly after I began having a small pre-bed snack (milk & banana).

 

Hard to believe that "blood-sugar" issues cause morning 'anxiety' which can be averted by timing your intake - but they can and it can.

 

[[Tr...]]

I think I last ate at 8PM and went to bed at 11:30. I may try having a snack before bed, thanks. I've also heard people recommend eating when you wake in the middle of the night but I'm never in the mood!

[[Fi...]]

I think I last ate at 8PM and went to bed at 11:30. I may try having a snack before bed, thanks. I've also heard people recommend eating when you wake in the middle of the night but I'm never in the mood!

 

That's at least 10 hours without food - probably never a good thing

 

I understand the 'being in the mood' thing too. I had to 'force it'.

 

One of my better moves in all of this.

 

 

[[Tr...]]

Probably doesn't help that the last things I eat before bed are usually something sugary, like chocolate chip cookies!

[[Fi...]]

Probably doesn't help that the last things I eat before bed are usually something sugary, like chocolate chip cookies!

 

Oooooooh! Ouch!

 

Are you sure you're not asking for it?!  :D

 

 

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Update: I've been taking 250mg of magnesium every other evening with dinner and it seems to be working. I still wake up too early but I don't have the anxiety or depression I used have. No more 5AM cortisol rushes!