Sleep/morning anxiety...why!?

[cwright]

Here is my question of the day:wacko:
I seem to start getting bad anxiety sometime in the early hours of the morning...and am wide awake with it by five or six. I don't understand how this works. Supposedly, you are relaxed and sleeping....and your brain is turned off. How can it be having these reactions during sleep? I feel like I need to understand the science behind this for some reason.
It just seems to me like sleep is the perfect excuse to ignore, or avoid, or however you want to put it...your anxiety...but that is when it starts up, or gets worse for me.
??
Cindy

[valleybear]

I was like this for a long time. Think your subconscious mind is still trying to solve problems! Also sometimes when we are very anxious we awake and the very natural adrenalin to help us start the day is magnified many times. I had this for many months, wakening in the night or early hours. As you get better
it will pass. Take care
Xxx

[Abi-Skinner]

I had a little look in to this, as it happens to me also.
I read somewhere that when you are tired and go to bed, your body creates a chemical which makes you sleep, however it's effects ware off after around 4/5 hours and the adrenaline starts taking back over and that's when you wake up suddenly feeling anxious.

[cwright]

Thanks for that abi. It seems strange...but it does tell us that something is seriously OFF with our adrenaline responses!!! I just hate this feeling. I am going to experiment for A few days with natural supplements and see if anything makes a difference.

[MrAndy]

Magnesium is great for a good nights sleep

[JoeNoir]

Magnesium is great for a good nights sleep

I've been using magnesium to try iron out the frequent heart thumps I get when I worry or think about work.

[aprilmoon]

I did read somewhere on the web that explained why early morning waking is a classic sign of depression and why it happens,I'll go see if I can find it.

[Veebear]

I too wake up feeling like this, it's exhausting as you don't feel rested at all!
Lavender oil can help, my therapist says that the best thing to do is get up and try to distract yourself, I sometimes do knitting, or read a book, or have a cup of tea; whatever works for you! It's not a solution, but it might help calm you down a little...
Only issue is I spend my life feeling totally shattered!
*hug*

[Tanner40]

Our cortisol levels are at their highest peak in the early morning hours. In an already anxious person, this can kick in the fight or flight syndrome that starts panic and anxiety. Early morning waking is quite normal in depresses and/or anxious people. Much of it is what do we think about the anxiety when we wake. Don't give it the power by adding fearful, irrational thoughts, which will only exacerbate the cycle of anxiety. I found that using CBT techniques helped me to put and end to that morning cycle.

[cwright]

Thank you everyone. Tanner that is some great advice...I'm glad it has helped you. Any time I hear things that have helped someone, I actually have hope.
Cindy