In the morning, everyone sometimes experiences that the body wakes up, but doesn't send the classic signal that you could eat something. If you're missing the feeling of appetite, it's often just a warning, not necessarily a sign of a serious problem. However, if it happens for more than 10 days, pay attention… Reduced desire for breakfast means your body needs more rest, less stress, or a better balanced daily rhythm.

Breakfast – a ritual for some, an obligation for others

For some people, breakfast is a sacred ritual. For others, it’s a small formality, skipped without guilt. But if there’s no hunger in the morning, it’s not just a habit, but a complex interplay of hormones, stress levels, and our biological patterns. In other words: your body speaks its own language. If you learn to listen to it, you’ll also learn a lot about your own internal balance, both physical and mental.

Stress and the hormone cortisol

When you’re under stress or haven’t slept well, your body often releases more of the hormone cortisol (sometimes called the stress hormone). This raises your blood glucose level, and your body can get through the day without a classic meal. That’s why it can happen that, in the morning, you ignore a croissant or coffee, because your body is already in “full activity mode”.

A 2023 study published on Seasonhealth.com showed that those who frequently skip breakfast have higher concentrations of cortisol than those who eat breakfast. So, if you’ve had less sleep lately, or wake up already feeling like you have a hard day ahead before even opening your eyes, this feeling is a normal bodily reaction. Instead of forcing yourself to eat, listen to your body: a glass of water, a few minutes of rest or stretching, and your hunger might return.

The influence of sleep and circadian rhythms

Your body has its own internal schedule, known as the circadian rhythm. This is, in short, an internal clock that regulates sleep, digestion, and hormones. If your sleep was short or interrupted, this rhythm can be delayed, which is why we wake up without appetite or even mild nausea. The hormone melatonin, which helps with sleep, also plays an important role here. At night, melatonin levels rise to prepare you for rest, and in the morning, melatonin should drop so cortisol can rise. If sleep is disrupted, this transition can take longer, and the hunger signal may be delayed.

Careful with coffee

Most people start their mornings with a cup of coffee. There’s nothing wrong with coffee, but if you drink it on an empty stomach, it can mask your true hunger signal. Caffeine stimulates the brain, increases adrenaline, and raises cortisol, giving you a sense of energy, but not the desire for real nourishment.

If you drink coffee before your first bite, you risk that this sense of energy will mask the fact that your body hasn’t sent the proper signal. A better morning routine is: a glass of water, a light snack (e.g., a cracker or some fruit), and only then coffee. Or, as an alternative: start your day with a glass of warm water with lemon and ginger, which helps digestion and prepares the body for the first meal.

What if this state lasts several weeks?

If you have been waking up without appetite, and are experiencing nausea, fatigue, or digestive problems for several weeks, it’s wise to consult a doctor or a nutritionist. In most cases, if the occurrence is occasional and without additional problems, there is no reason for alarm, and the cause often lies in evening habits: if you eat late, large, and heavy dinners, this can suppress hunger the next morning…

So, the optimal approach is: dinner at least three hours before sleep, a light and easily digestible meal, and find a rhythm that works for you…

Home and cheap solutions – turn the situation to your advantage

• In the morning, when you wake up, always drink a glass of 2 dcl lukewarm water. This helps wake up your digestion and overcome nighttime dehydration.
  
  
• Start with 5 minutes of stretching or a series of deep breaths (e.g., inhale and exhale slowly for 3–5 minutes). This calms the nervous system and helps the hunger signal.
  
  
• If you’re still not hungry, don’t force yourself to eat. Instead, prepare a small alternative: a piece of fruit (e.g., an apple), a cracker, or yogurt, and only after that have coffee.
  
  
• Make sure your evening meal is finished at least three hours before going to bed. Choose a light meal, for example, boiled potatoes and vegetables or vegetable soup.
  
  
• If stress often dominates your mornings, take 2 minutes and think about the three things stressing you out most today. Then write them down on a piece of paper and devise a counter-strategy on how to get rid of them (something like: do this, try this...). Deep breathing exercises are always helpful.

Why do these steps work?

At Wisemindnutrition.com, they note that breakfast or morning food stabilizes blood sugar and reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Skipping breakfast is often associated with higher chances of metabolic issues, such as higher blood pressure and greater body weight. A 2023 study published in the journal Nature showed that people who often skip breakfast have significantly higher blood pressure. Aligning meals with your internal clock (circadian rhythm), according to OUP Academic, increases overall well-being and enables a better morning hunger signal. Breakfast at an appropriate time and dinner at least three hours before bed are the best guarantees of feeling good throughout the day.

Conclusion

So, if you often wake up in the morning without the desire for breakfast, don’t panic. Your body is trying to tell you something. Slow down your rhythm, take time for yourself, drink water, breathe deeply, do some stretching exercises… Prepare a small snack, then gradually move on to a bigger meal. Too much stress, too many work tasks simply mean that your hormones will continue to steer things without you.