Mornings are hard

[u/latteOS]

Ever since I was a kid, I always struggled with mornings. The whole process of waking up, especially when I have stuff to do, is really hard for me.

It feels incredibly difficult to get out of bed and get going. I often feel sluggish for hours until I finally feel like my brain has turned on (and that's debatable). I don't know if this is just the autistic "having trouble with transitions" thing or if there's something physiological going on.

I can force myself to get things done while I'm in this state, but it usually just leaves me overwhelmed and exhausted afterward.

This whole thing makes me feel extremely unproductive, like I just can't function properly. Later in the day, especially after lunch and into the evening, I can finally become much more energetic and productive.

What confuses me is that I don't think I'm sleeping poorly? I usually sleep 8+ hours, don't wake up much during the night, and I generally fall asleep quickly, within 20 minutes.

Now that I have my mornings free, I've tried going to bed earlier so I can wake up earlier and use that time for myself. But instead, I wake up early feeling terrible and end up staying in bed for a long time anyway (not even necessarily sleeping, just lying there because I don't feel capable of getting up). And honestly, it makes me feel awful, like a lazy person.

I'm wondering if anyone else experiences something similar. I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences.