By admin 
Waking up with anxiety is brutal proof that your brain knows no bounds: Even when your head is still on your pillow, and nothing has happened yet, that uneasy feeling can rush in. “This contrast between your surroundings and internal state can be super disconcerting,” says Elisabeth Morray, PhD, a Boston-based licensed psychologist and vice president of clinical for online therapist directory Alma. “On the one hand, this is the time when you’re literally the safest, and on the other, you can feel very unsafe mentally.”
To be sure, not everyone who experiences anxiety will get a hit of it first thing; it’s also plenty common for it to strike at night and send you into an overthinking spiral that strips you of restful sleep. But for those who deal with the morning variety, a few particular factors are often to blame. Read on to learn why you might be waking up with anxiety already brewing and how to both squash it in the moment and keep it from coming back.
Why you may be waking up with anxiety:
It’s a rare time when you’re alone with your thoughts
Chances are, the moment that your brain snaps into consciousness, there isn’t much else going on around you. At least compared to other points in the day (during which you might be in meetings, fielding requests from friends or family, or commuting), when you’re still lying in bed, you’re less occupied. And in the absence of all that external buzz, your internal thoughts and feelings can be a lot louder. “It may be that the anxiety is always there, but you’re more aware of or attuned to it when you don’t have all the normal daytime distractions,” says Dr. Morray.
You had a rough night of sleep
It’s no secret that poor sleep can leave you grumpy and ready to flip out at even the most minor inconvenience. The reason for that? “Lack of shut-eye limits your brain’s ability to control its emotion processing and regulating centre, which leaves you less tolerant of stressors,” says Shelby Harris, PsyD, a sleep psychologist, the director of NY Sleep and Psychology, and the author of The Women’s Guide to Overcoming Insomnia. That includes any flustering news, pings or emails you might encounter first thing.
Making things worse, a night of crappy sleep can increase the amount of cortisol, a stress hormone, pumping through your blood. “While cortisol levels naturally peak in the morning to help you get up and at ’em, some research suggests that missing out on sleep could make that early spike (called the cortisol awakening response) bigger than usual—leaving you primed for a more anxious start to the day,” Dr. Harris says. It’s no wonder research has also found a direct link between shortened sleep and higher morning anxiety levels in people with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), a condition marked by persistent and excessive worry (at any hour).
You’re dreading the demands of the day ahead
If your day is a mountain of to-dos you have to climb, morning is basically the equivalent of standing at the base—daunting as hell. “It’s easy to get caught up worrying about stressful situations that you expect will cause you discomfort later on, or tasks you’ve been avoiding,” Dr. Morray explains.