Woke Up Nauseous Here’s What Your Body Is Trying To Tell You
Establishing a morning routine is a great way to set up your day for success. But waking up nauseous each morning has the potential to derail your plan for healthy habits.
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If you feel sick when you wake up, your nighttime eating habits, stress levels or medications may be to blame for your early morning nausea.
Read on to learn why exactly you might be waking up nauseous and how to fix your symptoms.
Minimize Daily Stressors Assertively
Its a simple fact that youre more likely to worry and feel anxious if youre stressed. And that means that youre more likely to stay stuck in the cycle of waking up with anxiety if youre chronically stressed.
Now, most people struggle with chronic stress because of one big mistake:
They try to manage their stress instead of managing their stressors.
Stress is how you feel after being exposed to a stressor. The key to having less stress in your lifeand minimizing the morning anxiety that comes with itis to manage your stressors so that they dont lead you to getting stressed out in the first place.
For example:
- Getting stressed about having to do extra work on the weekends isnt the real problem. The real problem is that your manager keeps assigning you work and youre too afraid to set boundaries and say no.
- Feeling resentful and stressed out because your spouse is not being more affectionate isnt the real problem. The real problem is that youre afraid to ask for what you want directly.
When youre chronically stressed, youre much more vulnerable to waking up with anxiety. But managing your stress is just a Band-Aid. To really be less stressed, you need to manage your stressorsthe things causing the stress in the first place. And to do that, you need to be more assertive.
Start Your Day By Doing Something That Makes You Feel Good
This relates to the previous tip. You do not have to start off just to get ready to go to work. Your job should NOT be the reason you wake up in the morning.
A while ago, when I experienced depression in the morning, I developed a new habit I biked to the lake every day and wrote a journal.
People dont even know how therapeutic writing can be. Every time I did it, I felt centered and balanced. Writing focused my thoughts and gave me clarity about many things. It also greatly lessened my morning depression until it vanished entirely.
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You Have Generalized Anxiety Disorder
If you have a big day coming up, like a job interview, you can understand why you might wake up with anxiety. But if you arise with anxiety about nothing in particular on a regular basis, it could be a sign of something bigger. Celebrity doctor Andrew Weil, M.D. wrote that if you wake up with anxiety consistently, the cause may be that you have generalized anxiety disorder . People who have GAD cant seem to shake their concerns, even though they usually realize that their anxiety is more intense than the situation warrants, Dr. Weil writes. See a medical professional, like your family doctor or a therapist, if you think you have GAD so you can be diagnosed and start learning ways to manage it.
If You’re Feeling Tense And Anxious As Soon As You Wake Up Each Morning Your Blood Sugar Levels May Be To Blame
Your blood sugar drops overnight while you sleep, which may cause feelings of anxiety in the morning before you’ve had a chance to eat breakfast. Having a snack immediately before bed could help to remedy this, or making a point to eat something in the morning before you start to worry about your anxiety.
Another cause of a.m. anxiety could have something to do with your caffeine intake. If you’re a coffee junkie like myself, you could be mildly addicted to caffeine without even realizing it, and as a result, you feel anxious in the minutes or hours before you’ve had a chance to sip on your daily cup of jet fuel.
If you think your morning anxiety might be due to any of these diet-related activities, it’ll be easier to locate the problem: All you have to do is see how you feel after that first cup of coffee or first bite of your breakfast. If your anxiety seems to diminish after that, the two are probably connected. If not, it might be something harder to diagnose, at least on your own.
Now, if none of these things seem to explain why you feel so crummy every morning, you might want to ask yourself if something has happened in your past that’s causing you to associate mornings with negative emotions.
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Leanne 36 Marketing Executive And Blogger
“I was diagnosed with depression when I was 19 and suffered with my mental health in my twenties, even overdosing after a difficult break-up.
My anxiety manifests itself as a feeling in my tummy that just wont go away. It isnt hunger, or being poorly. Its like a deep pit in my stomach. I also feel like my chest is tight and get short of breath. Sleeping is always an issue as my brain goes into relentless mode. Even the smallest of things can tip me over the edge and make me feel powerless. My menstrual cycle also drains me and makes my outlook on life change quite dramatically for a few days each month. Money is probably my biggest stress: I never feel like I have enough and, in turn, tell myself that my XX kids don’t have enough either.
My anxiety is worst on Mondays. I reflect on the weekend and make myself feel guilty for eating or drinking the ‘wrong’ things, not being more productive, and not exercising as much as I ‘should’ have. It’s when I feel most overwhelmed by everything I need to do throughout the week for my blog, part-time job and family. As soon as I get out of bed, I feel like I’m on a treadmill without a ‘stop’ button.
“As soon as I get out of bed, I feel like I’m on a treadmill without a ‘stop’ button”
I have three sons, age 14, 12, and four. My eldest son is autistic and if I know he has something going on at school or in his social life that will affect him, it’ll get to me in the mornings and I’ll worry about it all day.
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Reflect On What Youre Looking Forward To
During an anxiety peak, it may be difficult to think about anything other than feeling anxious or stressed. However, it can also be helpful to think about something youre looking forward to time with your child or partner, meeting up with a friend for a walk, or devoting time to a hobby of yours. In thinking this way, you give anxiety less of a hold over your life and you get to take front and center on the stage.
What Are The Morning Anxiety Signs To Look Out For
Number one on the list of symptoms: racing thoughts. Mentally, youll feel as if there are problems you need to solve or that you cant possibly solve, and your mind will try to create solutions, Wallace says.
The anxiety these racing thoughts create can also lead to physical symptoms including:
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Tense muscles
While it may feel as if the physical symptoms start first , thats not the case, Wallace says.
In addition to racing thoughts, if youre regularly experiencing any of the following emotions or behaviors when you wake up, theres a chance you have generalized anxiety disorder that’s presenting in the morning:
- Overthinking worst-case outcomes constantly
- Worrying about things that are out of your control
- Blowing a scenario out of proportion with reality
- You’re terrified of making the wrong decisions
- You’re unable to let go of a worry
With generalized anxiety, your thoughts are racing, and you’re trying to come up with solutions to problems that may not be realistic or might even be catastrophic, she says. And then those physical symptoms can come upheart racing or fatigue, for example. When all of this is going on in your body, you’re exhausted.
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Calming Techniques To Avoid Waking Up With Anxiety
Wondering how to stop waking up with anxiety? Youre not alone. Lets review some techniques that have been found to help many people wake up more confidently, calm, and energetic, ready to face their day.
Though you might not be able to totally prevent the feeling of anxiety you experience when you first wake up, you can help lessen the symptoms and severity with natural remedies for anxiety. Try using any or all of these methods right away.
There are many ways to help calm your anxiety. You can do a guided meditation, do yoga or a workout, engage in a deep breathing exercise, have a healthy breakfast, listen to relaxing music, take a walk, or write a journal.
What Is Morning Anxiety
Although not a medical term, morning anxiety refers to waking up with feelings of stress and worry. If you are dealing with excessive anxiety, worry, and stress in the morning, theres a good chance you may also have generalized anxiety.
Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by excessive and uncontrolled worry that pervades daily life and occurs frequently for at least six months. People with GAD typically worry about everyday actives such as work, money, family, and health.
The symptoms of morning anxiety often mimic those of generalized anxiety disorder. If you are struggling with anxiety upon waking, you may be experiencing:
- feeling restless, on-edge, or wound up
- irritability
Morning anxiety can be caused by many factors that may also contribute to an anxiety disorder. Since morning anxiety is a reaction to excess stress and worries, there are several potential causes that may contribute to your symptoms.
The stress hormone cortisol is released by the adrenal glands in response to fear or stress. Researchers have studied the cortisol awakening response and have found that cortisol is highest in the first hour of waking for people with an increased level of stress in their lives. This helps explain why you may experience an increase in anxiety in the morning.
If you go to bed worrying or wake up during the night with anxious thoughts, you are likely to feel anxious and concerned about your day in the morning.
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Why Is This Blog About Waking Up With Anxiety Attack Important
Waking up with anxiety attacks is nor pleasant or ideal but it is something that could happen and for some, most common than you might think.
As we have discussed, there are some things we could do such as checking our sleeping habits, implementing positive thinking, identifying those stressors, or triggers that may be causing our anxiety to get worse or even reviewing our current diet.
However, remember how you may be energized after the episode and what you could do to try to go back to sleep as soon as possible but if you have tried everything already and nothing seems to work, then we recommend going to seek professional advice to get a better diagnosis and understanding of what is happening.
Please feel free to leave any comments or thoughts about the content of this article!
Side Note: I have tried and tested various products and services to help with my anxiety and depression. See my top recommendations here, as well as a full list of all products and services our team has tested for various mental health conditions and general wellness.
Dont Check Your Email And Socials Immediately After You Wake Up
The sheer volume of emails, social updates, and notifications we receive can be overwhelming. The 24/7 streams of disasters can make your anxiety worse.
Consumption of negative media hijacks your adrenaline glands leaving you at the mercy of your screen. The fact that you can do nothing to resolve the disasters leaves you feeling vulnerable and exposed.
Its up to you to decide what you want the tone of your day to be. I can bet that youd like your day to be calm, joyful, upbeat and productive. Youd want your evenings to be filled with energy and a sense of achievement.
This in no way means burying your head in the sand and ignoring life around you. Be proactive about how you consume media. Prepare your mind to ignore unnecessary information. When you organize your day with these principles in mind, you will likely decrease the anxiety you feel.
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Waking Up With Anxiety: Why Do I Feel Anxious In The Morning
Many people know what it feels like to wake up and immediately feel stressed, worried, or nervous about the day ahead. Usually, anxiety is limited to stressful situations like a job interview or an important presentation. However, if you regularly feel anxious as soon as you wake up, its important to understand why.
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Dread for the upcoming day
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Trouble going back to sleep
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Difficulty concentrating
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Feeling on edge, jittery, or irritable
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Feeling fatigued, despite having a full sleep
This is sometimes referred to as morning anxiety. It can be challenging to manage if it is there before you can even try any calming strategies. It is not a diagnosable condition in itself, but it may be a sign you are also suffering from an underlying anxiety disorder.
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Why Do I Wake Up With Anxiety
Waking up with anxiety can put a real strain on your day. Right from the jump, youre 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 beginning
- Feeling fatigued, even though you just woke up
- Feeling like you just cant get out of bed
- Difficulty focusing and concentrating
So what causes the morning anxiety?
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You Ate Certain Foods Too Close To Bedtime
The foods you eat before bed can play a big role in how your body feels the following morning, says gastroenterologist Niket Sonpal, MD. Eating a heavy meal late in the evening can cause digestive unrest, causing nausea in the a.m.
This is especially true if you struggle with food allergies or sensitivities, like lactose intolerance, Dr. Sonpal says. Even if your food sensitivities don’t necessarily cause nausea during the day, your stomach may not be able to process your meal while you’re sleeping, wreaking havoc the next morning.
âThe fix:â Give your body a break from digestion while you sleep. Try to eat your last meal about three hours before bedtime, per the Mayo Clinic. And you might try your best to avoid any hard-to-digest foods in the evening, too, so your body doesn’t need to break them down overnight. Fried or fatty foods, dairy products and spicy foods are common culprits of indigestion.
“If a person finds themself nauseous in the mornings, they should stick to light and plain meals for dinner and snacks prior to going to bed,” Dr. Sonpal says.
Also, avoid drinking alcohol several hours before bed, too, per the Mayo Clinic. This can not only cause nausea but may even disrupt your sleep.
Though it may seem obvious, always check the expiration date of your foods, Dr. Sonpal suggests. Eating expired foods may not necessarily cause you to vomit but can lead to nausea.
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You Have Higher Amounts Of Stress Hormones In The Morning
“There’s actually a physiological reason why some people experience anxiety in the mornings,” Dr. Saltz says. “For one, it’s when cortisol levels are naturally at their highest.” She explains that cortisol is often called “the stress hormone” because high levels of it can lead to feeling stressed.
“There’s nothing you can do from stopping cortisol from raising slightly in the morningthat’s biologically what happensbut there are steps you can take to lower your cortisol overall so that it doesn’t peak as high,” Dr. Saltz says.
2. Coffee can lead to feeling anxious.
What you eat or drink in the morning can also lead to increased feelings of anxiety, according to Dr. Saltz. “The first thing many people do in the morning is drink a cup of coffee. Caffeine, particularly for people who already have anxiety, can definitely worsen the symptoms of that.” She explains that caffeine can lead to feeling jittery and having an increased heart rate. “Then our brain tries to come up with a reason to explain why we feel that way: I’m feeling jittery. I must be worried about X.” Dr. Saltz says this happens so quickly that it can feel like we have the thought first and then the physiological reaction, but it’s actually the other way around.
3. Sugar is another culprit.
4. Morning anxiety could also be a sign of having general anxiety disorder.
5. You’re chronically stressed.
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