Waking up shaking can be an unnerving experience\u2014especially when you don\u2019t know what\u2019s causing the shaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This can lead to asking yourself questions like, \u201cWhy do my hands shake when I wake up?\u201d or, \u201cWhat do I shake when I wake up suddenly?\u201d (Or, in the case of post-nap shaking, \u201cWhy do I shake when I wake up from naps?\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are a variety of reasons why you might experience shaking after waking up, whether that\u2019s after a full night of sleep or following a quick nap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Understanding those reasons can not only make the experience less scary but can also give you helpful insights into how to deal with\u2014and, ideally, stop\u2014the shaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s take a look at what might be behind your post-sleep shaking episodes\u2014and what you can do to manage the condition.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a number of conditions and behaviors that could make you shake while waking up, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Low blood sugar, also known as hypoglycemia, can manifest a wide range of symptoms\u2014and one of the more common symptoms is shakiness. [1]<\/sup> As such, \u201clow blood sugar can contribute to shaking upon waking,\u201d says Ila Dayananda<\/a>, MD, chief medical officer at Oula Health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While hypoglycemia is most often associated with\u00a0diabetes<\/a>, other conditions and\/or medications could also cause blood sugar to drop. [1]<\/sup>\u00a0And if blood sugar drops while you\u2019re sleeping, it may cause you to experience side effects when you wake up\u2014including shaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Medications can often bring side effects\u2014and, depending on the medication, the person, and how their body tolerates it, in certain situations, one of those side effects could be shaking in the morning. [2]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n Feeling anxious could also contribute to shaking after you wake up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShaking upon waking can also be a stress response to high anxiety<\/a> or stress, where our bodies are nervously activated either while we are sleeping or upon waking,\u201d says Dayananda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Any sort of anxiety could make you feel shaky. But when it comes to serious shaking upon waking, extreme anxiety or panic attacks<\/a> are often to blame. [3]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n What you\u2019re putting into your body can also cause shaking upon waking\u2014and, more specifically, what you\u2019re drinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDrinking excessive caffeine<\/a> or alcohol<\/a> can both cause tremors upon waking,\u201d says Dayananda. [4, 5]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re suffering from Parkinson\u2019s disease, your post-wake-up shaking could be a symptom of the disorder. [6]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn the advanced stages of Parkinson\u2019s disease, some individuals may experience morning tremors, known as morning akinesia, which can occur upon waking,\u201d says Dayananda. [7]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Clearly, there are a number of things that could be making you shake in the morning. But what steps can you take to minimize your chances of waking up with AM shakes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some ways to prevent morning shakes include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you suspect that anxiety is playing a role in your morning shakes, then the best thing you can do is find healthy ways to manage stress and anxiety. For example, you might:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The more you do to manage your anxiety, the more you lower your chances of waking up with anxiety-induced shakiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As mentioned, shaking can sometimes be a side effect of a medication. If you suspect that it\u2019s one of your meds that\u2019s causing your morning shakiness, then it may be helpful to discuss your medication regimen with your doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cReview any medications you are taking with a healthcare provider to identify potential side effects contributing to shaking upon waking, as adjusting medication timing or dosage may help alleviate symptoms,\u201d says Dayananda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both alcohol and caffeine can play a major role in the morning shakes. So, if you want to avoid shaking in the morning, you\u2019ll want to \u201climit how close to bedtime you are taking in any caffeine or alcohol,\u201d says Dayananda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dayananda recommends avoiding alcohol at least four hours before bedtime. [11]<\/sup> And when it comes to coffee or other caffeinated beverages, \u201cearlier is better,\u201d she says. [12]<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re taking steps to deal with post-sleep shakiness\u2014but you\u2019re still waking up with significant shaking\u2014then it\u2019s important to talk to your doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They can help you determine what\u2019s causing your shaking symptoms\u2014and what you need to do to stop the shaking.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s no universal answer to the question, \u201cWhy do my hands shake when I wake up?\u201d Shaky hands in the morning could have a number of causes, both temporary (like drinking too much caffeine before bed) and more ongoing (for example, a chronic condition like Parkinson\u2019s disease).<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a number of underlying medical conditions that could cause shaking after waking up, including hypoglycemia, Parkinson\u2019s disease, or an anxiety disorder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, find out <\/em>why your hands go numb when you sleep<\/a><\/em> and what to do about it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n References<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Waking up shaking can be an unnerving experience\u2014especially when you don\u2019t know what\u2019s causing the shaking. This can lead to asking yourself questions like, \u201cWhy do my hands shake when I wake up?\u201d or, \u201cWhat do I shake when I wake up suddenly?\u201d (Or, in the case of post-nap shaking, \u201cWhy do I shake when […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":144,"featured_media":32241,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[389,390],"tags":[],"coauthors":[484],"guest":[],"host":[],"class_list":["post-32240","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sleep-health","category-sleep-tips"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32240","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/144"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32240"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32240\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32825,"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32240\/revisions\/32825"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32241"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32240"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32240"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32240"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=32240"},{"taxonomy":"guest","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/guest?post=32240"},{"taxonomy":"host","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/host?post=32240"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Why do I shake when I wake up?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Low blood sugar<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Medications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Anxiety<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Drinking coffee or alcohol<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Parkinson\u2019s disease<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to prevent morning shakes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Find healthy ways to manage stress and anxiety<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Review your medication regimen<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Avoid drinking caffeine or alcohol too close to bedtime<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Talk to your doctor<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why are my hands shaky in the morning?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What underlying medical conditions could cause me to shake when I wake up?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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