The COMT Worrier Gene, ADHD And Sleep

The COMT Worrier Gene, ADHD And Sleep

Why Some Brains Will Not Switch Off At Night

If your brain can solve ten problems at once but also lies awake at 3am replaying a throwaway comment from last week, there is a gene you should know about.

It is called COMT.
And if you carry the AA version of a common COMT variant, you are what researchers call the “worrier” type.

This article breaks down what that means for dopamine, ADHD, anxiety and sleep, in plain English, with some science under the hood.

What Is The COMT Gene?

COMT stands for catechol O methyltransferase. It is an enzyme that helps break down dopamine, noradrenaline and adrenaline in the brain, especially in the prefrontal cortex, the part in charge of planning, focus and emotional control. (PubMed)

There is a well studied variation in the COMT gene called Val158Met or rs4680. At this single point in the DNA code, people can have either:

  • Valine (Val)

  • Methionine (Met)

So you end up with one of three genotypes:

  • Val Val

  • Val Met

  • Met Met

On most consumer reports that shows up as:

  • GG

  • AG

  • AA

The key idea:

  • Val version = higher COMT activity = faster dopamine breakdown

  • Met version = lower COMT activity = slower dopamine breakdown (PubMed)

Think of COMT as the brain’s dopamine dishwasher.
The Val version runs on “fast cycle”.
The Met version runs on “eco mode”, slower and more gentle.

Warrior Vs Worrier, In Normal Language

Researchers noticed something interesting.

  • People with more Val (the fast dishwasher) often cope better under acute stress. Their brains clear dopamine and adrenaline quickly, which can help in a crisis. This pattern got nicknamed the “warrior” type. (PubMed)

  • People with more Met (the slow dishwasher) tend to have higher dopamine levels in the prefrontal cortex at rest. They can show better performance on some memory and attention tasks in calm conditions, but they are often more sensitive to stress, anxiety and pain. This is the “worrier” type. (Frontiers)

So if you are AA at rs4680, that usually means Met Met.
You sit firmly in the worrier club.

You are not weak.
You are running higher “signal gain” in the part of the brain that notices threats, mistakes and social detail.

Amazing under the right conditions.
Very noisy when you are trying to sleep.

How Common Is The COMT Worrier Type?

This variant is not rare at all.

Studies in European ancestry groups report Met and Val allele frequencies around 50 50. That works out to roughly: (PMC)

  • About 25 to 30 percent Met Met (AA, classic worrier)

  • About 40 to 50 percent Val Met (AG, half and half)

  • About 25 to 35 percent Val Val (GG, warrior)

In other populations the mix shifts, but a simple takeaway is this:

Roughly one in four people are likely to be a full “COMT worrier” type, with another large chunk sitting in the “half worrier, half warrior” middle.

So if you feel like your nervous system is wired high, you are not an oddball. You are extremely common.

COMT, ADHD And Brains Wired Differently

COMT is heavily involved in dopamine regulation in the prefrontal cortex. That same area is central to the executive function challenges we see in ADHD like working memory, planning and emotional regulation.

Researchers have looked hard at COMT in ADHD. Results are mixed:

  • Some studies find that COMT variants, including Val158Met, are linked to differences in brain structure and executive function in children with ADHD. (Frontiers)

  • Other studies find no clear association at all between COMT Val158Met and ADHD performance on cognitive tests. (Dunedin Study)

So COMT is not “the ADHD gene”.

A better way to think about it:

  • ADHD sets the overall operating system of your brain.

  • COMT is one of the knobs that tunes how your dopamine system behaves inside that ADHD pattern.

If you are ADHD plus COMT worrier type, you may notice:

  • Strong depth of focus when interested, but

  • High emotional reactivity

  • Bigger stress response to chaos, conflict and rejection

  • More trouble “turning the tabs off” at night

That last part is where sleep comes in.


How COMT Affects Sleep And Night Time Anxiety

COMT is not just about daytime focus. It has its fingerprints on the sleep wake system as well.

Several lines of research show:

  • The COMT Val158Met polymorphism influences sleep wake regulation and may be involved in sleep disorders and daytime sleepiness. (PubMed)

  • COMT genotype modulates how people respond to chronic sleep restriction, including changes in brain activity during wakefulness. (PMC)

  • COMT also affects features of the sleep EEG like spindle activity, which ties into memory consolidation and sleep quality. (OUP Academic)

Put that into real life language.

If you are a COMT worrier:

  • Your brain holds on to dopamine and noradrenaline longer in the thinking part of the brain.

  • That is great if you are writing, problem solving or hyper focusing on a special interest.

  • At 11pm, when you are supposed to be winding down, that same “sticky” dopamine can keep thoughts looping and your nervous system half in fight or flight.

It often looks like:

  • You feel physically tired but mentally wired.

  • You fall asleep late, or

  • You crash, then wake at 3am with a buzzing mind.

The gene is not destiny, but it definitely helps explain why standard “sleep hygiene” tips feel a bit weak for some of us.

Ten Signs You Might Be A COMT Worrier Type

Only genetic testing can tell you your actual COMT genotype. These signs are not diagnostic. They are patterns we commonly see in people who later discover they are Met Met or Met carriers.

If several land for you, it is worth paying attention.

  1. Caffeine hits hard and stays too long
    You get anxious, wired or jittery on “normal” amounts of coffee, especially later in the day.

  2. You replay conversations on a loop
    Social slip ups, tone of voice, tiny comments. Your brain chews on them at night like a dog with a bone.

  3. You feel pain and physical discomfort more intensely
    Studies link Met carriers with greater sensitivity to pain and stress reactivity. (Taylor & Francis Online)

  4. You can be brilliant under calm, terrible under pressure
    In quiet conditions you can be razor sharp. Add time pressure, conflict or bright lights and the wheels come off fast.

  5. You feel “too much” and “too emotional” compared to others
    Your nervous system jumps at sudden emails, notifications, or changes in plan.

  6. Sleep is fragile
    A neighbour’s noise, a partner moving, a kid waking you once, and that is it. Your brain snaps fully awake and spins.

  7. You have ADHD or strong ADHD traits
    COMT does not cause ADHD, but variations are involved in how dopamine circuitry develops and how symptoms show up in some people. (Nature)

  8. Stimulant medication can feel “edgy” at higher doses
    Many people with this pattern do well on ADHD medication, but some find the upper dose range uncomfortable and anxiety provoking.

  9. You crave certainty and plan for every outcome
    The same circuitry that makes you more vigilant also makes it hard to relax if there are unanswered emails, unfinished conversations or loose ends.

  10. You are the nervous system for the whole household
    If mum or dad is wired like this, everyone else often feels it. When you sleep well, the whole home runs smoother. When you do not, everyone pays.

If you read this list and thought “that is me, that is my partner, that is my kid”, you are exactly the person we are building Added Nutrition for.

What You Can Actually Do About It

You cannot change your COMT gene, but you can work with it instead of against it.

Think of it as learning the manual for your brain.

1. Shift Your Relationship With Stimulation

  • Treat caffeine, intense sunlight late at night, doom scrolling and high conflict conversations as “dopamine accelerants”.

  • Move caffeine earlier in the day or reduce the total dose.

  • Protect the last 2 hours before bed from emotionally loaded content where you can.

2. Build A Wind Down That Targets The Worrier Circuit

For COMT worrier types, the wind down is less about “getting sleepy” and more about turning down mental intensity.

Useful tools:

  • Simple, predictable routines that do not need decisions

  • Low light, warm temperature, no cold doom blue glow in your face

  • Gentle sensory input you can sink into, like white noise, an audiobook you have heard before, or weighted blankets

The metaphor here is a landing plane.
You do not slam it into the runway.
You bring it down slowly, step by step.

3. Support The Brain Chemistry

Always talk with a qualified doctor or pharmacist before changing medication or adding new supplements, especially if you are on ADHD meds, antidepressants or anti anxiety medication.

In general, people with this pattern often look at:

  • Magnesium glycinate to support relaxation and nervous system calm in the evening

  • L theanine to smooth out mental tension without sedation

  • Targeted probiotics where gut brain factors and stress are part of the picture

These ingredients line up with parts of the research on stress, sleep and cognitive performance, but the evidence is still emerging and results vary person to person. (PubMed)

At Added Nutrition, our first product, Added Sleep, is built specifically with this worrier style brain in mind, especially for neurodivergent adults who are trying to sleep while juggling ADHD, autism or dyslexia.

We focus on ingredients that:

  • Help you feel calm enough to fall asleep

  • Support staying asleep through the “3am spike” window

  • Avoid next day grogginess, which is why we do not use melatonin as the main driver

You do not need to take a gene test to benefit.
You just need to recognise your own pattern.

4. Work With Your ADHD, Not Against It

If you are ADHD plus COMT worrier:

  • Use your ability to hyper focus to design systems that protect your sleep.

  • Automate and simplify night time tasks so you are not making decisions at 10pm.

  • Use tools like reminders, pill boxes and sleep trackers as external supports, not as ways to judge yourself.

You are not lazy.
You are running a brain that feels life at volume 11 most of the time.

Why This Matters

Around a quarter of the population may carry the full COMT worrier genotype, with many more in the middle. (PMC)

Most of them will never be told that there is a biological reason their brain holds on to stress longer, reacts more to caffeine and struggles more with sleep.

They will just be called:

  • Too sensitive

  • Too emotional

  • Too anxious

  • Too much

Our view at Added Nutrition is simple.

You are not “too much”.
You are running a different set of brain settings.

If you recognise yourself in this article, you are exactly the kind of person we want to help:

  • With better sleep

  • With smarter routines

  • With supplements designed for brains wired differently, not generic one size fits all formulas

Because when worrier brains get the right support, they are not just anxious.

They are empathetic, creative, detail aware and often the emotional anchor of the people they love.

And they deserve a good night’s sleep. 😴