{"id":35030,"date":"2025-06-12T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.saatva.com\/?p=35030"},"modified":"2025-05-14T15:37:59","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T19:37:59","slug":"morning-depression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/morning-depression\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Deal With Morning Depression"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you’re reading this, you might be searching for an explanation for why you feel so depressed in the mornings. Or maybe you have already been diagnosed with depression<\/a> and wonder why your mood is at its worst when you first wake up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The truth is depression can feel worse at certain times of day, and for many people, mornings are hardest. In this article, we dive into what causes morning depression and how to deal with it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is morning depression?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The technical term for morning depression is\u00a0diurnal variation<\/a>.\u00a0It’s a mood pattern typically associated with\u00a0melancholic depression<\/a>, a sub-type of major depressive disorder, according to\u00a0Barbara Sparacino<\/a>, MD,\u00a0a triple board-certified physician, psychiatrist, and expert in aging parent care. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“While ‘morning depression’ isn’t a formal diagnosis, it’s a pattern many people live with\u2014and it’s one that shows up in both the research and in real-life stories I hear from clients every week,” she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Morning depression, or diurnal variation, is a mood pattern typically associated with melancholic depression, a sub-type of major depressive disorder. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Symptoms of morning depression<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Morning depression symptoms are the same as depression symptoms\u2014they’re just noticeably worse in the morning.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the National Institute of Mental Health<\/a>, depression symptoms include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n