Confusion or anxiety on waking

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Does anyone ever experience anxiety or confusion when waking up. My son often finds the transition from sleep to awake quite distressing. He needs someone he knows to be in the same room - usually physically near him, and he needs to stay in bed/on the sofa (wherever he's fallen asleep) in peace and quiet, or with quiet music playing, for some time before he can "join the world". If he doesn't have this quiet transition period he gets very anxious, sometimes even frightened and can cry a lot. At times it can even cause a meltdown. He can't explain what he's feeling when I ask, but just asks for a hug. Naturally, I give him all the quiet time and hugs he needs when waking, but I'd like to know what he feels and experiences. Does anyone else find the transition difficult, and if so can you perhaps try to explain to me how you feel, or what you experience?
Thanks

Wow, that sounds pretty intense. I don't get anxious when waking up but I am usually unsure what day it is or where I live, etc. I have to take a moment to put it all back together. Something that can happen to me, too that is unusual I think, is my dreams can follow me into my waking state. I can open my eyes and the characters from my dreams are in my room walking around or standing by the bed. I've even lept out of bed and been standing while they are still there.

This morning as I woke up I couldn't remember who my husband was.

It doesn't cause me anxiety, though. It's kind of like coming back from somewhere very far away. I hope that helps.

I sometimes have similar difficulties in the morning, but not to the same degree. Overall, my own problem is anxiety ... not knowing what either might or might not happen today and/or how I will get through it when so few people seem to understand or care and even those who do cannot really do or change anything to make life any easier or better for me or for anyone else around me.

I wake up to temporary paralysis and auditory hallucinations.

I'm scared of my bed.

I relate to needing quiet time in the morning before 'joining the world'. For me it has always been like this. I need to wake up way before I need to get up so that I have time to 'come back' sort of thing but it's not distressing it's enjoyable. That having been said I could see how it could be distressing for a child whose not yet used to the world yet.

when I was young the thing worst for me when I took a nap I would always have to check the TV guide channel for the day because with me the day info in my brain was missing.

now I don't get that, for sleeping I need Music or sound to fall asleep so I leave on the radio on low and lower when my hearing sensitive goes up and I like sound when I wakeup so I just leave the radio on over night on my alarm clock I change it to a talk radio station KFI 640AM or 2 possable FM stations Air1 or SOS radio both christian rock stations.

I -MUST- fall asleep with the TV on. I -MUST- fall asleep with someone in the room with me. It's incredibly upsetting to have this messed up, even when it can't be helped. At one time I even needed to fall asleep with exactly the same TV shows on. Boy, was that ever messed up when they changed the TV programming.

The most I can tell you is to take your son seriously. He's not just spoiled, there is something very real going on with him. Try to put comforting objects and sounds into his room. Maybe turn on some favorite music to wake up to each time? Routine is comforting and he is very frightened. It may be some years till he can explain it to you.

This is part of my deal with waking up...
But i compleeeetely understand what your child is going through, Shemesh.
If i wake up in a different spot than that of where i usually sleep, i am very disoriented.

Ever had one of those falling dreams and you wake up right before you hit the ground?
Well waking up suddenly or in a different spot feels like that. You're shocked into the world.

If i get woken up from a nap before i am ready, i feel like crying and my heart is pounding so hard...if someone tells me HURRY AND GET OUT OF BED, i am in a pissy mood all day and feel prone to meltdowns..my transition time is veryy verryy important to waking up from a nap. I can sit in bed for 15 mins just staring at the ceiling... im fully awake.. just kind of adjusting to the lights, sounds, and textures of the bed..... Maybe my brain has a hard time switching from dream mode to awake mode.

I have a morning routine that lets me get to work and feel fine, but the whole time i have to tell myself that everything will be fine and go normally like any other day.
If for some reason my morning routine isnt the same as usual, i feel really out of balance the whole day.

When I'm in heavy stress at day time I happen to wake up at night or early morning without knowing where I am for some seconds. I don't know whether I made any sounds then but my mom once suggested to go to a sleep laboratory.
Well, I didn't feel the need to ask my physician (Hausarzt) for that so far ...

That is exactly how i would describe it too. It was a lot scarier when i was young now i have certain things i do before i open my eyes and its a lot less jarring. I find that just lying in bed with my eyes closed for a few moments maybe adjusting my blanket or hugging my pillow while awake with my eyes closed somehow makes me feel more prepared to see where i am.

When I wake, I rarely know who or what or where I am. I've learned now (I'm 34) to wake to gentle music (classical music station) and I take 15-30 minutes re-instating my self upon the dream state. I think about where I am, how I got there, what I do to exist, what I need to do that day... Orienting back to this here-now.

I also happen to remember dreams and hallucinations far better than I remember my "waking" state. Also, I tend to drift into REM randomly throughout the day. So perhaps I'm just more attached to the other worlds than this one and so coming here is always difficult.

I often wake about 5am but don't get to work until 9-9.30am. Sometimes later. I wouldn't say I'm seriously disorientated or anxious from waking (more like for what is waiting for me work). I am very sensitive to light so my eyes need about an hour to adjust. Then my body and mind need another few hours.

sometimes it happens for both depression and anxiety.i think some people call it morning depression.As you have said earlier he needs some quiet time it seems like sleep is short detachment from present world and time is required to step into reality.needing a hug ,it seems like he feels very alone.when steps into the everyday life he justs need to feel loved,secure and surrounded by people he loves and he wants to feel he is not alone.because when we wake up from sleep our reality perception is still rather blur.so it makes some feel very insecure and alienated
i dont know if it makes sense.atleast that's how i used to feel when younger.

me too. sometimes i feel like maybe the 'where am i' feeling might even extend as far as not knowing who i am at all? but its over in seconds so i dont know.