ADHD and seasonal affective disorder

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  • Quick tip 1

    Use light therapy.

    Get a special light-therapy lamp that mimics the sun. (Look for lamps that are UV-free so they don’t cause sunburn.) Thirty minutes of light therapy each morning may help lift your mood.

  • Quick tip 2

    Consider adjusting ADHD medication.

    Talk with your health care provider. See if adjusting ADHD medication can help with winding down at night. Fine-tuning the dosage or the time you take the medication may help with sleep, which can help with mood.

  • Quick tip 3

    Learn about supplements.

    Melatonin can help reset your internal clock. Omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish oil) may help too. But dosage and other factors are really important. Talk with your health care provider before starting a new supplement.

  • Quick tip 4

    Limit alcohol.

    Alcohol can interfere with sleep. The same is true for caffeine and heavy meals. Impulse control is hard with ADHD. But the food and drinks that make you feel better in the moment can make you feel worse the next day.

  • Quick tip 5

    Exercise daily.

    Help your brain fight depression with brisk walks and other activities that get your heart rate up. But don’t exercise too close to bedtime. People with ADHD need extra time to wind down before sleep.

Winter is an important time for kids and adults with ADHD to focus on their mental health. That’s because people with ADHD are more likely than people without ADHD to have seasonal affective disorder (SAD). This type of depression gets triggered by a change in the seasons. 

As the days get shorter, people are exposed to less sunlight. Many people start to feel tired and moody in the fall. These feelings tend to last through the winter. That’s why SAD is often called seasonal depression or winter depression.

Shorter days can affect sleep cycles. Many people with ADHD have trouble with sleep year-round. But seasonal changes can make their sleep problems even worse. 

Sleep affects our brain chemistry. Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep makes it harder to focus the next day. When we don’t get enough sleep, we have less energy and feel more depressed. 

But the good news is that there are many ways to help. Keep reading to learn why ADHD and seasonal depression are linked — and how better sleep can help manage “the winter blues.”

Genetics may help explain why ADHD and seasonal depression often co-occur. Many people with ADHD and SAD have an unusual gene in common. This gene involves a brain chemical called serotonin. 

Serotonin helps regulate things like mood and sleep. More trouble using serotonin means more trouble stabilizing our moods and falling asleep.

SAD is more common in women with ADHD than in men with ADHD. The same is true for depression in general.

Learn more about ADHD and depression.

Sleep hygiene may sound like a funny term. But just like a good handwashing routine can help protect against germs, following good sleep routines can help protect your physical and mental health. Good sleep hygiene is extra important for people with ADHD.

Use these sleep-hygiene tips to help manage “the winter blues”:

  • Go to bed at the same time every night. 

  • Allow for plenty of time to relax before you try to go to sleep. 

  • Avoid looking at screens for at least an hour before bedtime. 

  • Try listening to a podcast to help you drift off to sleep. 

  • Make your bedroom cooler at night. Open a window or turn down your thermostat.

  • Learn how weighted blankets can help people with ADHD relax at night.

Explore more tips for getting more sleep.