Mental healthSleepNutrition

6 health factors that mess with your mood

Find out how too much coffee, too little sleep, and other factors affect your outlook.


LearnMental health6 health factors that mess with your mood
You don't get enough sun
You eat food high in added sugar
You're dehydrated
You work too much
You have too much caffeine
You need sleep
When to see your healthcare provider

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Feeling crabby? Your diet, lack of sleep, or extended work hours may be contributing. While you should talk about long-term mood issues with a trusted healthcare provider (HCP), there are sometimes simple fixes for short-term bad moods.

With that in mind, here are a few health-related reasons you might be grouchy—and steps you can take to feel better.

Sources: Cleveland Clinic. Vitamin D Deficiency. ... + 21
  1. Cleveland Clinic. Vitamin D Deficiency. August 2, 2022.
  2. Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin D Consumer Fact Sheet. November 8, 2022.
  3. Harvard Health Publishing. Nutritional Psychiatry: Your Brain on Food. September 18, 2022.
  4. Zhang L, Sun H, et al. Association between dietary sugar intake and depression in US adults: a cross-sectional study using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2018. BMC Psychiatry. 2024 Feb 8;24(1):110.
  5. Cleveland Clinic. Dehydration and Mental Health: What’s the Connection? March 28, 2025.
  6. Liska D, Mah E, et al. Narrative Review of Hydration and Selected Health Outcomes in the General Population. Nutrients. 2019 Jan 1;11(1):70.
  7. Zhang J, Ma G, et al. Effects of Water Restriction and Supplementation on Cognitive Performances and Mood among Young Adults in Baoding, China: A Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT). Nutrients. 2021 Oct 18;13(10):3645.
  8. Lee JW, Kim Y. Association of plain water intake with self-reported depression and suicidality among Korean adolescents. Epidemiol Health. 2024;46:e2024019.
  9. Haghighatdoost F, Feizi A, et al. Drinking plain water is associated with decreased risk of depression and anxiety in adults: Results from a large cross-sectional study. World J Psychiatry. 2018 Sep 20;8(3):88-96.
  10. Mayo Clinic. Water: How Much Should You Drink Every Day? October 12, 2022.
  11. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. How Much Water Do You Need? May 17, 2024.
  12. Park S, Kook H, et al. The negative impact of long working hours on mental health in young Korean workers. PLoS One. 2020 Aug 4;15(8):e0236931.
  13. Baek SU, Yoon JH. Effect of long working hours on psychological distress among young workers in different types of occupation. Prev Med. 2024 Feb;179:107829.
  14. Deady M, Sanatkar S, et al. A mentally healthy framework to guide employers and policy makers. Front Public Health. 2024 Jul 22;12:1430540.
  15. Wong K, Chan AHS, et al. The Effect of Long Working Hours and Overtime on Occupational Health: A Meta-Analysis of Evidence from 1998 to 2018. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Jun 13;16(12):2102.
  16. Mental Health America. Work Life Balance. Accessed August 5, 2025.
  17. American Heart Association. Is Coffee Good for You or Not? September 28, 2018.
  18. Chieng D, Kistler PM. Coffee and tea on cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention. Trends Cardiovasc Med. 2022 Oct;32(7):399-405.
  19. Mayo Clinic. Does caffeine make depression worse? September 20, 2018.
  20. American Heart Association. Is coffee good for you or not? September 20, 2018.
  21. Better Health Channel (AUS). Mood and sleep. November 8, 2022.
  22. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Sleep. May 15, 2024.
Written by Taylor Lupo.
Medically reviewed by Amy Gonzales, MD.August, 2025
Updated onAugust, 2026
Written by Taylor Lupo.
Medically reviewed by Amy Gonzales, MD.August, 2025
Updated onAugust, 2026
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