Seasonal affective disorder facts for kids

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a when you feel sad at a certain time of year, most of the time in winter. People who suffer from this usually feel better in spring.

Doctors often cure SAD with light therapy. Sometimes a light comes on when you are asleep in the morning and gets brighter like a sunrise. Sometimes a person sits in front of a light box for half an hour or longer in the morning.

Some symptoms are:

• Feeling sad, grumpy anxious or moody
• Losing interest in your usual activities
• Eating more carbohydrates (eg: bread, pasta etc)
• Gaining weight
• Sleeping more and feeling sleepy during the day

See also

In Spanish: Trastorno afectivo estacional para niños