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Why do I wake up feeling sad sometimes?

167 Answers
Last Updated: 08/28/2022 at 1:02am
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
Moderated by

Tracy-Kate Teleke, PsyD, M.A., LMFT

Marriage & Family Therapist

I assist adults and couples in CA experiencing relationship challenges and interpersonal struggles including anxiety, depression, and a myriad of other life challenges.

Top Rated Answers
burrows
September 17th, 2016 6:11pm
Sometimes I wake up sad because my dreams are better than my reality, Sometimes I wake up sad because I am not as progressed in my life as I thought I would be. When I was young I imagined big things for myself, and constantly dealing with anxiety and panic disorder, along with depression, can be crippling. I haven't lived up to my expectations and when I wake up, it hits me hard from time to time.
leenqyy
March 2nd, 2015 7:04pm
During sleep we process our day, feelings and memories. If something sad comes up, we might wake up just as we wake up when we dream something scary because our brain works a lot on these things and maybe translates them into dreams who travel into our subconscious mind and affect us even if we sleep. We wake up sad but often can't remember what we dreamt.
llauren90
September 14th, 2016 3:20pm
It happens to everyone, and it's okay to feel sad. Sit with the feeling for a few moments. Feel it as deeply as you can. Then take a few deep breaths and tell yourself that you are going to push it aside and flip your day around. Tell yourself five positive things, jump out of bed, and focus on those things throughout the day. It is okay to feel sadness, but don't let it control you.
Anonymous
May 22nd, 2015 8:03pm
it might be because you are depressed and something is going on in your mind that is troubling you. You are not happy about the way things are going.
starryDreamer93
October 4th, 2016 11:45am
I always wake up feeling sad, but it's because I've had a bad dream or i feel like there's nothing to look forward to for when I wake up.
LilacLillies
May 28th, 2015 12:21am
You have to ask yourself that, why do you wake up feeling sad sometimes? Are you sad? Do you want to stop being sad? That's something I can help you with, If you want to be happy. If you want to be happy, do things that make you happy. Do you have a hobby? Such as painting or singing. Maybe drawing? Do it! Do you prefer playing video games? Cool, do it! Do you like hanging out with your friends? Alright, go party! You aren't in the mood though are you? Get up and dance because it's gonna be okay. Don't wake up being sad anymore, go poke someone in the nose and say have a good day :) or better yet give em a big up (Maybe not strangers though xD)
lorireek321
November 3rd, 2016 4:33pm
I once read that succumbing to depression doesn’t mean you are weak, but that you have been trying to be strong for too long, which is maybe a form of denial. So much of life happens somewhere in between being okay and complete breakdown—that’s where many of us live, and doing so requires strength.”
Anonymous
May 30th, 2015 3:22pm
everyone feels sad time to time the difference is in how we chose to go on with the day by change it
LolaHope
January 25th, 2016 2:34pm
When you wake up, its like your subconscious mind is also waking up and sending you signals. It means that their could be something going on in your life that needs to be taken care of,
BeautifulSouls3
March 3rd, 2015 3:16am
I find I wake up sad because I go to sleep sad, I try to watch something that makes me laugh before falling asleep or having positive thoughts. Your brain still works while asleep and if you are already feeling sad your dreams may reflect that and hence feeling sad once you wake.
coolcalmcollected23
October 18th, 2016 6:53pm
Occasionally I wake up from a perfectly restful night feeling very down. Why does this happen? Why has my day had to start like this? I've realized that the feelings of sadness stem from my anxiety about my future. I am applying to graduate schools and I am very, very nervous about what will happen. Imagining the worse (rejection) makes me very sad. How will I handle that? Right now I don't have the answer but what I do know is that I can't let the fear of possible rejection prevent me from putting my best application forward no matter the outcome.
Naiawalker
July 5th, 2018 12:58am
Sometimes you just feel sad because you don’t have a good rest or sometimes there’s lots of things going on your life and sometimes you just don’t know what they are but they’re in your mind and you think about them and you just feel sad and you just don’t like your life and that’s not good and we need to
IntuitiveDrops
May 27th, 2015 1:03pm
The morning is an indicator for how our past has been. So if you lost something, or find yourself solving a certain life question, that can make you sad. We, as humans, are designed to feel all colours of emotions, not just those we perceive as "good". If you find yourself sad, you could try to find out why, but even if you don´t, trust yourself in finding the answer once you accept this feeling. Best of luck to you.
fallbeauty
October 15th, 2016 11:11am
Sometimes life can be tiring and emotionally draining, and it's okay to feel sad. Waking up every day is a fresh start to a new day.
CalmingSunshine08
September 22nd, 2016 12:00am
Feeling sad upon waking up can be caused by a variety of things, it can be a symptom of depression or many other mental illnesses as well. Or it can just happen randomly. Don't stress over why you're feeling sad, make yourself happy by eating your favorite food or listening to your favorite music.
Anonymous
October 28th, 2016 3:41pm
Life is hard, and it's not made of happiness, we have to create it. Sad is something that we can go over, sometime, when i walk, talk, sleep or even talk I remeber something that makes me sad. But you know what is making me smiling right now? Everything good that I have, everything and if you say that you have nothing, you're wrong, just think. There's always someting that will make you smile again.
AureliusHeir
October 9th, 2016 3:54am
You feel sad because you are sad. Emotions are valid things, and they don't always need a cause. Sadness can be part of a healthy range of emotions. However, if it is impeding your ability to function then you may want to seek out a therapist who can provide you with help dealing with the underlying causes of your sadness.
Anonymous
April 7th, 2015 1:15pm
The reason behind feeling sad or bereft sometimes upon waking up, is due to having gone to bed the night before with only negative thoughts.
Anonymous
August 1st, 2016 7:29am
A dream could trigger you feeling sad, even though you might not remember it. Or just a recent event
Anonymous
February 8th, 2016 6:05am
Depression doesn't just stop overnight. Depression can last weeks even months before getting better.
LeGhost223
October 20th, 2016 1:28pm
Sometimes, people just wake up sad. It could be because of what you thought of the night before. I wake up sad when I feel like there won't be anything good about the day.
LoveAll425
September 11th, 2016 5:38am
During sleep we process our day, feelings and memories. If something sad comes up, we might wake up just as we wake up when we dream something scary because our brain works a lot on these things and maybe translates them into dreams who travel into our subconscious mind and affect us even if we sleep. We wake up sad but often can't remember what we dreamt.
AlwayshereAllie
March 30th, 2018 10:21am
Everyone has a different reason for being sad, sadness comes in many forms. So I don’t know why you wake up feeling sad, but I think it’d be a dramatic difference if you made a conscious effect to remember that you’re in control of your emotions. Planning a fun activity to look forward to when you wake up is a great way to beat that sadness. Wake up and journal, make tea or coffee, etc.
Anonymous
January 12th, 2016 4:50pm
Because something causes you to be sad. An event, brainjuice or whatever. It does implicate that you haven a sad attitude to begin with.
platanitofrit0
November 3rd, 2016 9:36am
Sometimes when you wake up, all the thoughts of what has to be done that day or things that must be delt with later on influnce what you think the day will be like, resulting in a day you might not be looking forward to.
Anonymous
June 13th, 2016 10:34pm
It could be due to a chemical unbalance in the brain, or even due to having a bad dream and your body isnt fully awake
Anonymous
September 17th, 2016 5:36am
Well, that's obvious! Because I woke up, duh! Maybe I didn't get enough sleep. Maybe I didn't have a good day before hand. I guess there are many factors.
WGlasser
April 16th, 2017 8:02pm
Consider experimenting with gratitude journal - 5 things your thankful for before you sleep and possibly upon awakening. We feel the way we think. What suboptimal thoughts might be promoting inappropriate sadness?
Anonymous
October 1st, 2016 12:54am
There could be any number of reasons, but a big cause of morning sadness is often broken sleep; you can avoid this by practising good sleep hygiene. Establish a bedtime routine, try to avoid caffeine after 6PM, and try not to use any devices or watch TV in the hour before bed. If you wake and find yourself unable to settle, get up and do something mundane - folding laundry is a good one! - for about 10 minutes, then return to bed and try to sleep again.
Dev216
October 2nd, 2016 4:18am
Maybe tou had a bad dream? Don't let it keep you down. Just keep your head up and start off positively.