Energy, mood or sleep lost to worry? A UK survey found a clearer winter pattern for one of the three.
Low energy is the clearest sign of the winter blues among three symptoms studied in young people in the UK, ahead of low mood and losing sleep over worry.
Low mood is also more pronounced in winter, although the difference is smaller.
Shorter days may play a part by shifting the body clock and affecting when young people feel alert, while changes in exercise and social routines could also contribute.
Which symptoms differed in winter?
The researchers analysed almost 6,000 interviews with over 4,000 people aged 16 to 24 who took part in the UK’s Understanding Society survey.
They compared interviews conducted in December, January and February with those conducted during the rest of the year, using data from 2022 and 2023 for the main analysis.
On a 0–100 scale, the average score for low energy was about 3 points higher in winter, while the score for low mood was about 2 points higher.
The estimate for sleep lost through worry was smaller and compatible with no seasonal difference.
The figures describe differences between survey reports collected at different times of year, so they give a picture of the group average rather than trace how any one person’s symptoms changed.
Why energy may dip in winter
Earlier Canadian survey research found that a wider range of depressive symptoms varied by season among young people than among older adults (Lukmanji et al., 2020).
Sleep schedules continue to shift through adolescence and into early adulthood, so the timing of daylight may influence when young people feel most alert.
Winter can also change the shape of an ordinary week, with fewer chances to be active outdoors or spend time with friends in person.
Feeling short of energy could make it harder to stay engaged through a day of lessons or a long shift, even when the person’s mood has barely changed.
Related
The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE (Guan et al., 2026).
