Beyond 'not a morning person'

[Moxie]

Is there some hormone that is low in the morning? No matter what I do or how I start my day, I'm in a terrible mood until about 10 AM. I snap at the kids, get angry at the way the house looks, basically I just really am not happy with life. By the afternoon I feel like everything is okay and I regret being such a grouch all morning. Any ideas?

[Findley2]

:iagree:

[elegantlion]

Not a morning person here. Thankfully neither is ds. We don't start school until 10:30. Until then we seldom do more than give a morning hug and I remind him to eat breakfast.

 

Couple of ideas. Straighten the house a little before you go to bed. It's easier to not wake up to a mess.

 

Have quiet time in the morning, everyone read, watches something educational.

 

Do you cook breakfast everyday? I don't. Mainly because I have to eat when I get up, ds eats right before school, and dh is usually gone by the time I'm sucking down the coffee.

 

Do you have sleep issues? Are you getting enough? Worried about stuff?

 

Perhaps examine why you are grumpy in the morning. Is it the greater life situation, is it the expectations everyone has of you in morning? Are there health related issues? Are you really angry in the mornings? Or just need more time alone to wake up?

 

After years of revelation I realized, I need 9 hours of real sleep. I rarely get that. My morning guidelines include, don't talk to me about bills or money before I've had my 2nd or 3rd cup of coffee. Don't ask me what's for breakfast or dinner either. I will feed the dog and cat, but I need about an hour before I'm good for conversing. If you need something in that meantime, if you are able to to do it yourself, please do so.

 

There's nothing wrong with not being a morning person, if that's all there is. But if you wake up angst ridden everyday I might take some time to examine the underlying issues. :grouphug:

[LG Gone Wild]

That's me. Get to bed earlier, make sure you house is put in order the night before, have your kids bring you stimulants before you crack open an eyelid, everyone get in your bed for a morning prayer (their teeth brushed first of course).

[Mommamia]

Ditto. I'm just getting my energy (and it's 11am). I went to bed early and got up at 8am. Feel like a slug.

 

Have you tried vit. D?

[CanaryMelody]

Is there some hormone that is low in the morning? No matter what I do or how I start my day, I'm in a terrible mood until about 10 AM. I snap at the kids, get angry at the way the house looks, basically I just really am not happy with life. By the afternoon I feel like everything is okay and I regret being such a grouch all morning. Any ideas?

 

:iagree:

 

And I have been this way my entire life. Even as a kid I was a grouchy morning person. When I became an adult, I went into the military and always was on the evening or midnight shifts. I did this for 6 years. It was perfect for me.

 

Of course now I HAVE to function at some level in the mornings. So it is tough for me.

[Spryte]

Have you had your adrenals checked? What about your thyroid?

 

I have low thyroid, and getting that addressed helped to an extent. But the real solution, for me, was learning that my adrenals don't function properly.

 

In a normal person, adrenals get to work in the early morning, producing cortisol. In some people, the schedule is off. They might produce more in the afternoon or evening. In the evening is particularly problematic - as it interferes with sleep.

 

A doc can test your am/pm cortisol. Or, even better, you can do an all day saliva test from a lab like Diagnos-Techs (there are others, but that's the one my doc uses).

 

The good news... Once we addressed my adrenal issues... No more morning misery here. :)

Edited April 18, 2011 by Spryte
Typos... Typing from a phone is not my strong point!

[Impish]

Low blood sugar can be a major culprit as well.

[Denisemomof4]

I hate mornings. HATE them!!! I absolutely need my home to be quiet in the morning and I don't allow a lot of chatter between the girls. I sip on tea for at least an hour before I get going. I don't eat until very late morning.

 

It drives me crazy to wake up to a messy house so I try to make sure it's picked up the day before. I often times have the larger dinner pots/pans to wash in the morning but that doesn't bother me at all.

 

I also gave up coffee while on the Candida diet. Some days I just HAVE to have some, but for the most part, I feel more energetic drinking green tea. Go figure!

 

I notice a HUGE difference when I'm taking Navitas Naturals pure, raw cacao. It definitely helps with energy! I have it every day after breakfast.

[Moxie]

Have you had your adrenals checked? What about your thyroid?

 

I have low thyroid, and getting that addressed helped to an extent. But the real solution, for me, was learning that my adrenals don't function properly.

 

In a normal person, adrenals get to work in the early morning, producing cortisol. In some people, the schedule is off. They might produce more in the afternoon or evening. In the evening is particularly problematic - as it interferes with sleep.

 

A doc can test your am/pm cortisol. Or, even better, you can do an all day saliva test from a lab like Diagnos-Techs (there are others, but that's the one my doc uses).

 

The good news... Once we addressed my adrenal issues... No more morning misery here. :)

 

So, what is the treatment for adrenal issues? I'm already on a low-carb, sugar-free diet (still drink coffee and diet soda though). My thyroid is borderline but 6 months of thyroid meds did nothing so I stopped taking them. I eat first thing. I exercise. I still have such a hard time waking up and I'm REALLY irrational in the morning. Tiny, tiny things just set me off.

[Spryte]

If you try all the great ideas already listed, and are still having issues... There are natural adrenal support measures. You could google them - I'm not familiar with them all. Or if you were to get tested, you might find that a prescription med (or two) helps. Personally, I'd opt for testing first to get a baseline, then natural treatments, then meds.

 

I am on Cortef (low dose oral hydrocortisone) and Florinef (low dose fludricortisone). But my adrenal issues are severe - I actually have Addison's Disease, which is when the adrenals stop working altogether. But this was preceded by a long period of "adrenal fatigue." My adrenal issues came about as a result of undiagnosed infection. But there can be other causes.

 

I take my meds first thing in the morning, and the difference in our mornings is simply astounding. Finding out about my adrenals changed all of our lives!

 

Hoping you find answers... Those slow-moving mornings can be rough. Don't hesitate to ask, if I can help in any way.