anxiety worse in the mornings, why?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 6:19 am

Hmmm...I'm certainly going to try the green tea. I've had 2 sleepless nights this week and have been a weepy mess. I do love the sticky note on the cat it made me smile. The gratitude list has worked wonders as well. The one part I really struggly with is that I don't know what triggers these sleepless episodes so it's hard to battle them. Stay strong everyone. Sleepless glad to hear you're doing well

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 2:41 pm

mine is ALWAYS worse in the mornings! I need at least 20min to get in the flow of things before it begins to fade. It suchs. I unfortunately have no helpful words. Just sharing.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 5:58 am

Yes but that trivial of caffeine will not increase or even effect anxiety levels... As for restless nights, what's bizarre is, I get great sleep... Sometimes I don't, but i reinforce myself that, "It's ok to have a bad day or bad night of sleep." Everyone does from time to time... Ummmmm.... What I find helps with sleep is exercise... Research clearly shows for anxiety, aerobic exercise of moderate intensity is best.. But what I know is that, if you are serious about attacking anxiety, I have sound a more advanced tactic.. It's important you have experience before trying this, or perhaps hiring a personal trainer would help get you on the right foot...

Listening to music during exercise for me, tremendously helps with my anxiety.. I am so exhausted after the workout that I feel so good.. The load is off my shoulders and mind and I can finally think right and concise... I get great sleep as well...

Try interval cardio, high intensity followed by low.. It will be hard at first, but get through it, tell yourself you need this and that you want to feel better... Also, the health benefits are so wonderful... Circuit resistance training is great too.. Set goals and take them one day, week, year, lifetime at a time... Enjoy the ride and it will take you places you never imagined... Let the chips fall where they may, but be organized about your approach and have purpose, you will forget you even have anxiety, and when you remember you do, you will think to yourself, this is me, i'm just uncomfortable about certain things, but im a positive optimistic person, it always gets better, life is a journey, and i love life, b/c it gives you 2nd, 3rd, 4th and infinite chances... Get back up and keep moving forward.. It's admirable and you will be happy you did it.. You are all strong for being here and I wouldn't be here if i didn't believe this..

sgt monette · Post by **sgt monette** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 6:04 am

Oh also, remember in tape 1, how Lucinda says you are strong above average intelligent person?? she said to turn that outward where it belongs, but we internalize it and it gets the best of us?

She is right!! Bottomline: all of you have probably accomplished great things... I'm sure most of your coworkers, family, friends know how incredibly intelligent and unique you are.. you have a lot to offer to the table... I know this b/c i myself have accomplished a lot... And im not even close to being done yet.. I have so many more goals in mind.. but i need to step back a lot of the time and just take it one step at a time... You are all wonderful human beings.... Getting better is fun... Being cured, I dont like to think in those terms.. Just getting better, or getting there is good enough for me... So just continue "Getting there."

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 6:15 am

Ivan,
I completely understand what you're saying about exercise. But I do. I work out everyday!! Last night I was at the gym for 2 hours and rode over six miles on a stationary bike. I eat healthy, and I don't use caffeine at all. Although, I had no trouble going to sleep, I woke up at 3 am as I sometimes do and my mind started racing with thoughts. I put the relaxation cd in and sometimes it works but at other times i'm a wreck. I get angry because I know I should be asleep and I will be miserable the next day. Then I get frustrated from trying so hard to get back to sleep. So I usually just get up! ARGH!!!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 2:24 am

jugray: I feel your pain, and have been there SOOO many times. I did all the right things too: no caffeine, exercise, consistent bedtime and up at the same time each morning, on and on. I came to realize that these sleeping tips work for a lot of people, but for me it was my all the time anxiety during the day that was also popping to the surface at night and waking me up. In this book I just finished (A Time to Sleep), there is one quote that stuck with me. Something like "Progress is measured by attitude, not by amount of sleep." I know the end result we all desire is zzzzz's, and more and more of them, but she says that won't come right away. Maybe it would help to work on positive self-talk the next time you cannot get back to sleep. Being tired, exhausted, is really hard, believe me I know, but it is not written in stone that you will be miserable the next day. Even if it happened that way in the past, it doesn't mean it HAS to happen that way tomorrow. You could try journaling in the night with comforting thoughts. I used: "Just because I have a bad night, doesn't mean I'll have a bad day." It is OK to be tired. It is OK to be up in the middle of the night. (Not desirable, necessarily, but OK!) Recovery is a process, I will try to rest here quietly on the couch and write and be peaceful even though I am not asleep. It will take time as I am working on my anxiety for my body to sleep well again.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 9:50 am

Mom,
That's a good point you make. I am so busy and fretting about being awake that it is increasing my anxiety. I will take my journal to bed with me and use it if I wake up in the middle of the night (please dear god don't let me wake up)

. Thanks again.