Why is my anxiety worse in the morning?
Morning anxiety happens when your natural waking cortisol rise meets a body already holding alert mode. That normal hormone surge, which helps you get up and going, can then feel like dread, a racing heart, or a churning stomach.
Try the practice nowWhat happens when you wake
Cortisol is a hormone that helps you get up and going. It rises sharply in the first 30 to 45 minutes after you wake. This is called the cortisol awakening response, and it happens to most people.
After weeks of anxiety, your body can stop switching between rest mode and alert mode and stay in alert mode. On top of a body already holding alert mode, that morning cortisol rise can feel like dread, a racing heart, a churning stomach, or a mind listing worries before you are out of bed.
Alert mode is built for running from a threat, so it drops what does not help you run, including calm digestion. That is why your stomach can churn as soon as you wake.
Why it feels so sudden
The same sensations labeled anxiety can also be read as excitement or anticipation. Because your body holds alert mode, symptoms can show up on days you do not feel anxious. You can wake with physical symptoms before you have thought about the day ahead.
For many people, the feeling is worst in the first minutes after waking and eases as the morning goes on.
Why it keeps coming back
The morning cortisol rise tends to be bigger on days you expect to be demanding. Reaching for your phone in the first minutes hands the alarm system news, messages, and emails to react to before your body has settled.
Getting up, daylight, a glass of water, and a small breakfast help steady your body. Putting your attention on a pleasant sensation, like daylight on your face, is the opposite of a panic spiral. This state is trainable with daily practice.
Try a Physiological Sigh now
- Sit on the edge of your bed or wherever you are, and take a full breath in through your nose into the back of your chest and ribcage.
- When it feels full, top up with an extra sip of air through your nose.
- Let it all go in a completely relaxed exhale, with an audible sigh if you like.
- Do three in a row, pausing for a moment after each to let it settle.
When to check with a doctor
- You wake with chest pain, or a racing or irregular heartbeat that does not settle (call emergency services for chest pain).
- You wake feeling low most mornings or have lost interest in things you used to enjoy (if you have thoughts of harming yourself, in the US call or text 988, in the UK and Ireland call Samaritans on 116 123).
- You drink alcohol most evenings and wake shaky or anxious.
- You snore loudly, gasp in your sleep or wake with headaches (signs of sleep apnea).
- You have diabetes and wake shaky, sweaty or confused (signs of low blood sugar).
- It happens most mornings for weeks and gets in the way of work or life.
Practice with the Stateshift app
Common questions
Does coffee make morning anxiety worse?
Coffee on an empty stomach adds to the jitters.