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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
BetterHalf
August 16th, 2016 4:06pm
it usually happens if you had a bad dream, you slept in a uncomfortable place or if somehow you didn't had enough sleep.
onedirection1213
November 3rd, 2016 6:38pm
Maybe its because of your thoughts, or something sad that you think about in your life. or a bad dream, it can be any reason.
Anonymous
June 16th, 2018 6:17pm
It can be because you are worried about something ( that happened or anxious that it will happen) . You can try starting your day by saying " you are the best" and whatever that'll make you feel energized
Anonymous
November 11th, 2016 6:02pm
Depression can effect how you sleep and with sleep can bring forth many thoughts. In a way, sleep is a "distraction" because your mind shuts down for the day but the thoughts still exist in your subconscious.
Anonymous
May 10th, 2018 9:24am
Sometimes it can depend on your sleep hours or what you ate or did before going to sleep? Maybe take a look at your sleep routine? sometimes oversleeping or watching something unusual can cause one to wake up unhappy. Also, try to remember if you had any dreams, that could also be another precipitating factor.
AubriePevensie
March 25th, 2018 3:03pm
That's because we all have good days and bad days. On the better days we wake up feeling refreshed, however it's not the case for every day. Sometimes we wake up and we just don't feel it and it's okay to feel that way. Just don't forget to really wake up and do things that might turn the day around.
A1b1c2d2
March 23rd, 2018 1:02pm
Sometimes you just have bad nights. It could have to do with how you slept, your dreams, or something that happened before you went to bed. If this is a consistent problem then it is recommended that you talk to a professional about the issue.
departedspirits1
April 27th, 2018 9:26am
Waking up sad is.. in a simple way we can put it like this. the ultimate achievement of a human being is to make their life better, so we strive for happiness in our lifes, most of the times we get a lot of opposition and we do fail or break during those big battles we have in our lifes, so Faith in oneself plays a big role.. and positivity is a key factor, but I know that its easier said than done. Of course, this is just a small part of the many other psychological issues out there.
IKIGAI2020
August 27th, 2021 3:14pm
I wake up feeling sad on multiple occasions. Many people say it's often because of a lack of goal-setting , but I don't agree with it. I am someone who is constantly looking for change. I don't like my any one day being the same as another. And it's often difficult to have something new to do everyday, especially during the pandemic. I generally believe that it's best not to let yourself be overpowered by emotions and focus on getting trough the day, no matter how sad you are feeling. Personally, any moment of sadness at the beginning of the day can easily spiral into a black hole of helplessness and depression, so I don't allow myself to reach that point. I try to dance and it generally makes me feel upbeat. If you are going to office, take a different route instead. Set up a networking session with someone you have never met in the morning. Or join someone over a coffee chat. Anything new is often a positive stimuli to get rid of morning blues.
MarissaHope
October 20th, 2020 1:41pm
Sometimes we wake up and reality hits quickly. We have good day’s and we have bad days. If you wake up and your sad maybe, you forgot that you had a test that Day, and it will make you sad. Everyone deserves to wake up and have a wonderful day. Even depression can cause us to wake up sad out of no were, and causes us to just feel down. Depression takes a toll on us and that’s a big effect on us waking up sad. Another reason is anxiety can cause that too. Mental health is a big cause of this all.
Giveysomehope
November 16th, 2019 1:46pm
You know there’s this kind of strange feeling that sometimes fill our heart the morning, and especially the morning. Like, you know there’s this whole big day that is waiting for you and sometimes this feeling without a reason will be around you this morning. Can we do something about it ? I guess not, or maybe we should trying to fill our heart with a lot of love, and maybe a lot of kindness with ourselves. There are ups and downs in life guys and so does our little heart! yes sometimes it really sucks especially WHEN this SADNESS is waiting for you the morning.
Anonymous
July 15th, 2018 5:46am
Not getting enough sleep can be a result of your energy being low and your energy being low can be a result of feeling sad.
katawosuu
June 13th, 2018 1:17am
I find that sometimes feelings just are. We don't quite know the how or why they just are. And that is perfectly fine. Acknowledging what you are feeling is helpful in understanding them better, though!
Blaise23
May 19th, 2018 2:00pm
It's like same as sometimes we feel happy after getting up and also sometimes we feel energetic after sleep. Similarly, sometimes we feel sad. It's quite natural.
Nasrz8
April 28th, 2018 8:44am
Could be many reasons: 1) You're alone. no partners or living alone. 2) You've remembered or experienced something bad and keep thinking about it. 3) There is something out there that make you feel stressed, like financial issue or fear of failure. 4) You're focusing on the negative part of your life and not the positive one.
ImyourHope127
April 1st, 2018 8:24am
Maybe of what you dreams or how you felt but you don't know what is it and how to express it. Sometimes it's maybe you're lonely or feeling down. Anxiety can make you sad but every problems has it ways to solve.
SteadfastStatue
February 1st, 2018 9:32pm
It sounds like you aren't sure why your day begins with feelings of sadness. In that case, I am curious what you went to sleep feeling like? I know way back when I worked in jobs that required a lot of answering to regimens and I had little to no time to myself, oft times, I would wake up feeling like moving wasn't an option, that feeling sad was something to be expected..it was really not getting any easier with each passing day. Waking up and feeling sad sometimes is okay. It is okay to feel sad sometimes. There are times and places to be sad, and sometimes, it is a maze upon maze to figure out why. There are many external reasons for why one may wake up sad. I wonder how you would feel opening up to someone in real life to determine external and or internal factors as to why you may be waking up feeling sad sometimes. I hope this helps. This is what has worked for me when I sometimes wake up feeling a little lost for words about my mood.
bazinga22
December 9th, 2017 6:58am
Maybe you are in depression. Or you are constantly thinking about the same thing. It can happen with anyone. So don't worry. And dont overthink on any topic. Remain happy and stay strong
Anonymous
December 8th, 2017 5:50pm
just pray everyday and when you going to sleep please forget your problem remember sleeping is the best way to cure what you feeling (temporarily) so you should sleep and wake up happy feel the ground again fight on your life
Kevan
August 19th, 2017 2:40pm
When you wake up, you realize that you are back to all the worries and stress and nothing has changed. Sometimes our worst flashbacks come back to us during mornings and make us feel down throughout the day. And it might also be due to any sorrowful dream u just experienced during your sleep.
Anonymous
July 26th, 2017 6:31pm
Sometimes we can wake up feeling sad because of a bad dream or a bad event that has happened to us in the past. It's easy to dwell in sadness, however, it's harder to seek the will to get better, but remember that the longest journey starts with the first step.
Proactiveandre
April 20th, 2017 7:36am
Everyone feels sad on occasion. Sometimes there's just no reason. Sometimes you had a bad dream you can't remember. The biggest thing is how much this sadness effects you. If this is just something that you're okay with, and just wondering about, you're probably okay. If this is something that's really bothering you, try talking to a therapist or doctor.
happySnow73
November 9th, 2016 7:00pm
You may not remember having a sad or bad dream and your body is just reacting to it. also you may have had a bad day yesterday, and your body is not done feeling those emotions.
Anonymous
April 5th, 2017 11:02pm
I sometimes feel sad as a result of being depressed the other night . Or sometimes because I feel like I didn't get the fill use of yesterday or if there was something I did and could've done better . But yesterday is gone and we cant change it so lets just think of today
iGetiT
September 25th, 2016 5:44pm
This is only one of many reasons a person may wake up sad. When we first awake, things aren't always set in stone or planned out for us. Even if they are, it can become taxing and repetitive. This can cause a sad feeling or frustration.
Anonymous
October 26th, 2016 3:04am
Because you may have depression or just having a off day. Things like this happen and it's completely normal
Anonymous
October 19th, 2016 5:14am
It could just be the weather that day! Before you go to bed try to watch your favorite movie or read your favorite work. If you are religious, praying is a great feeling. Open up a window, so when you wake up you see outdoors! Always try to get pleanty of sleep and drink water.
ElephantTiger1
June 14th, 2017 7:12am
Sometimes there isn't really an obvious reason to why we feel sad, whether or not something bad is going on in your life or there was a trigger to make you feel this way, what you dream about may also be a factor to you waking up being sad; for example if you dream about something bad happening you may even cry in your sleep and that could be the reason behind you waking up feeling sad.
Anonymous
October 1st, 2016 7:52am
You could wake up sad because of a dream, an experience that has happened recently or just your general thoughts. Talk to someone who will listen, like us on 7 cups.
Heather83
May 13th, 2017 3:05pm
Sometimes, if you have a dream where something happened that upset you, you can wake up feeling down Or, at least that's what's happened to me. I've woken up feeling down. Then, I'll remember a dream I had, where I was upset. After I remember having that dream, I feel better.