The truth is that not every day can be great. We’re all going to have bad days every now and then. There could be bad weather on your drive to work or you may not realize you forgot your wallet until you get to the grocery store. However, waking up in a negative or angry mood can have a domino effect on the rest of your day.

Anger doesn’t look the same for everyone, as one person can perceive a situation in a different way than another. But those situations often occur after you get your day started. So why are you waking up mad for no reason? There are some potential explanations.

We’ll talk about the potential reasons you may be waking up angry, as well as the steps you can take to alleviate the negative emotions.

Potential explanations for waking up mad for no reason

While it may sometimes seem like your anger is completely unfounded when you wake up in the morning, there are some possible reasons that are worth considering. While some causes of waking up angry are due to mental health distress, others are due to physical health or habits.

Here are some possible reasons you may be waking up angry:

• Poor sleep schedule — It’s no secret that how you sleep at night plays an important role in how you feel during the day. Sleep helps you to regulate your emotions as well as have the cognitive ability to handle situations that may cause anger. If you’re experiencing sleep deprivation, irregular sleep patterns or poor quality of sleep, you may wake up with heightened irritability.
• Blood sugar changes — Glucose is the main type of sugar in your blood. If your body is having trouble regulating your blood sugar levels, it can lead to mood changes. If you experience a drop in your glucose level overnight, you may wake up feeling mad or irritable.
• Anxiety — Whether you’re experiencing temporary or excessive stress that’s causing anxiety or you’ve been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, you may be waking up angry. If you’re experiencing anxiety when you go to sleep, or there’s been stress weighing on you all day, you may wake up experiencing negative emotions as you try to cope with the circumstances.
• Depression — While depression is characterized as overwhelming sadness, anger or heightened irritability can also be a prevalent symptom of major depressive disorder due to the heightened level of stress hormones. If you’re feeling persistent anger during a depressive episode, it can lead to you waking up feeling mad or easily irritable.

What to do if you’re waking up mad

When you feel angry and you can’t pin down the reason why, it can make you feel frustrated and exacerbate the negative feelings. However, it’s not something that you just have to deal with.

If you find that you’re regularly waking up angry, seemingly without cause, talk to your doctor about your concerns. They can evaluate your physical and mental health to determine if there is a disorder or concern that’s behind your morning anger. They can help you take the proper steps to alleviate the negative emotions, which may include medication or therapy if the anger is due to anxiety or depression.

On top of talking to a health care professional for proper treatment, here are a few habits or lifestyle adjustments that may help:

• Practice breathing exercises  — Relaxation techniques can be an effective way of reducing negative emotions like anger and anxiety. By practicing breathing exercises, such as deep breathing, when you wake up, you’re calming your nervous system, which may be highly stimulated.

• Create a routine — Most people have multiple routines that they complete throughout their day, such as starting their workday by clocking in and checking email. A routine can also improve your mental health and alleviate excessive stress and negative emotions when you wake up. Try to develop a routine that makes you feel calm and relaxed before starting your day. This may involve taking a hot shower, giving yourself time to read or enjoying coffee while you listen to a podcast.
• Regulate your sleep schedule — As we mentioned earlier, getting enough quality sleep can play an essential role in how you feel in the morning. Regulating your sleep pattern can help reduce your morning anger while improving your overall mood regulation, cognitive function and energy level for the next day. Try to start a routine of going to sleep and waking up at the same time, prioritizing at least seven hours of sleep.

At Lightfully Behavioral Health, we can help if you need intensive care for mental health distress or disorders that are causing you to wake up angry. We have four levels of care that can help with depression or anxiety that’s causing heightened irritability: Residential Treatment (RTC), Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program (vIOP), Partial Hospitalization Program and Intensive Outpatient Program.

Change is possible. When you’re ready to take the first step, reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of you.