Understanding Morning Depression

It’s not like you asked for it. It’s not like you ordered it. It just sort of showed up. Right? I can understand waking up depressed if I went to bed depressed but, I have an a hard time dealing with depression that comes out of seemingly nowhere. I finally understood that it can happen as a result of chemical imbalances. Ok. But, what about when I wake up and it’s already a battle before I can even pray? Before I start my morning routine? Why am I wrestling with thoughts and feelings as soon as I gain my focus of the room? I don’t feel like battling for my peace. I haven’t had coffee yet.

Morning depression is something that doesn’t happen to me often out of the blue and it always catches me off guard. Like, why are you here? I don’t want to feel this way. I like logic. So, I went on the hunt for answers about morning depression I didn’t ask for. Or did I?

What Are The Symptoms Of Morning Depression?

Morning depressives have worse general depression symptoms. Morning depression symptoms and intensity vary. However, certain symptoms are significantly elevated:

• hypersomnia (excessive sleepiness or oversleeping)
• trouble waking up
• fatigue
• Low energy or mental fog
• Disinterest in morning activities
• A sense of profound melancholy, emptiness, or despair
• Emotional irritation, crankiness, or frustration

Morning depression may make getting out of bed, making coffee, and eating breakfast seem difficult. Things you used to like might now be boring or frustrating. Mood symptoms like profound melancholy might overwhelm. -blackdoctors.org

I felt melancholy, despair, a frown on my face, irritated, cranky and frustrated because of what???? I couldn’t think of anything. But here is where I found my answers.

What’s Behind Morning Depression?

Current medical knowledge links morning depression and diurnal mood variations to circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm is your 24-hour sleep-wake cycle. It controls your sleep and waking times. Your circadian rhythm is affected by:

• Light and darkness instruct your brain when to wake up and sleep, which sends messages to your body.
• Hormones, like cortisol and melatonin: Your body creates more cortisol in the morning to wake you up. Your body creates more melatonin at night, which induces sleep.

Work or school hours, stress, anxiety, and exercise affect your circadian rhythm. In addition to sleeping and waking, the circadian rhythm affects:

• body temperature
• metabolism
• hunger
• physical healing
• memory consolidation
• mood
• emotional coping

Disrupting your circadian rhythm disrupts your sleep-wake cycle. This may cause sleeplessness, weariness, brain fog, mood changes, and mental health difficulties. -blackdoctors.org

Specifically, last night I was up way past my bedtime because I did something I don’t normally do. I was up planning my today. I was up thinking and writing some goals. I was up scrolling into oblivion prior to that. My mind was in overdrive about all sorts of things. Finally, I began to get sleepy but, then I felt hungry. My sugar (insulin level) was dropping. I needed to get up to have a snack. After the snack, I felt nauseated. I listened to a sleep talk down and finally fell asleep. But I began to get hot and woke up this morning to a funk. And I woke up past my natural alarm clock. I did this. I created the perfect storm for morning depression.

The first part of this morning I have avoided and explained to those in close proximity that I am not myself and I need some time to get it together. I drank water to hydrate my brain and body. Dragged myself to make coffee, throw a load in the laundry. And then I researched this morning depression mood and decided to write about it. It’s late morning. Almost lunch time. I need to eat. I need to move my body. I am feeling less Incredible Hulk and more David Banner. Let’s all thank God for that. 😀

~Nikki