Sleep, Food and Movement

Stories, signs to notice and what to do

The Three O'Clock Waker

Meera, 52, runs a small provision shop in Nashik. For two months she has woken at three every morning, heart heavy, mind replaying old worries. She cannot fall back to sleep, so she lies listening to the milk vans and scrolling her phone until dawn.

By afternoon she is foggy and short with customers. She drinks four cups of tea to stay upright, then naps for two hours on the shop stool, which makes the next night worse. Her daughter notices that Meera has stopped going for her evening walk and says the shop no longer interests her.

One day her daughter sits with her and writes down what a typical day looks like. They see the pattern: tea late into the evening, bright phone screen in bed, no daylight except through the shop shutter, and a long nap. They agree on small changes: tea only before noon, phone charged outside the bedroom, a fixed wake time, a ten-minute walk in morning light.

Two weeks later sleep is slightly better, but Meera still wakes early some days and feels flat. Her daughter gently says, "Early waking with a low mood can be a sign that the body needs more than habits. Let us show the doctor." Meera agrees, relieved that it has a name and a plan.

How to recognise it

• Waking much earlier than needed and unable to fall asleep again, most nights for weeks.
• Tiredness, fog and irritability in the daytime, with reliance on tea, coffee or screens.
• Loss of interest in usual activities along with the sleep change.
• A long daytime nap or irregular bed and wake times that keep the cycle going.
• The problem lasts beyond two weeks and affects work or family life.

What this story explains

Poor sleep and low mood feed each other. Good sleep habits help, but early-morning waking with a flat mood can point to depression and deserves a doctor's attention.

Probable root causes

• Low mood or depression, where early-morning waking is a classic sign.
• Caffeine late in the day and bright screens at night.
• Little daylight and less physical activity.
• Long worry about money, health or family.

What to do

1. Note bed time, wake time, naps and caffeine for one to two weeks.
2. Fix one wake time every day, including Sundays.
3. Keep tea and coffee to the morning; keep the phone out of the bed.
4. Get morning daylight and a short walk daily.
5. Keep naps under thirty minutes and before mid-afternoon.
6. If low mood or poor sleep continues beyond two weeks, see a doctor.

Whom to consult

• Family doctor if poor sleep lasts more than two to three weeks or you are relying on caffeine to cope.
• Psychiatrist or clinical psychologist if sleep trouble comes with persistent sadness, hopelessness or loss of interest.
• Emergency service or nearest hospital at once if there are thoughts of ending life.

Do and don’t

How to behave and communicate

• Use a gentle, curious tone: "I have noticed you are tired. How have the nights been?"
• Listen without hurrying to fix: "That sounds exhausting."
• Offer to help with a plan: "Shall we try one change together this week?"
• Normalise help: "Seeing a doctor about sleep is as ordinary as checking blood pressure."

Maggi at Midnight

Kabir, 17, has board exams in three weeks. He skips breakfast to save time, grabs a samosa at lunch, and by evening is starving. At midnight he eats packets of noodles and biscuits while studying, washed down with energy drinks. His phone sits beside him and he answers messages until two.

He falls asleep in class, his hands shake a little, and he snaps at his mother when she asks if he has eaten. After every unhappy test he eats more sweets and feels guilty. He says, "I have no time to sleep or eat properly, I will rest after the exams."

His uncle, a science teacher, visits and notices the energy-drink cans. He does not lecture. He explains that the brain runs on steady fuel, not sugar spikes, and that sleep is when the day's learning is stored. Together they sketch a plan: a proper breakfast with protein, water on the desk, a snack of nuts and fruit, caffeine stopped by afternoon, phone out of reach after eleven, and thirty minutes of cricket or a walk each evening.

After a week Kabir still worries, but he is less jittery and remembers more of what he reads. His mother quietly adds a fruit bowl to his desk. He still has exam nerves, yet he says, "I feel like my head is clearer."

How to recognise it

• Skipping meals followed by heavy late-night snacking and energy drinks.
• Mood swings, irritability, shakiness or poor concentration linked to meal gaps.
• Eating to soothe stress or guilt, rather than from hunger.
• Sleeping late, waking tired, and relying on caffeine.
• No physical activity or daylight during the study period.

What this story explains

Blood sugar swings, caffeine and short sleep worsen mood and focus. The chapter's idea is that regular meals, water, sleep and movement support the brain, especially under stress.

Probable root causes

• Exam pressure and fear of failure.
• Irregular meals causing blood sugar highs and lows.
• Excess caffeine and sugar.
• Late-night screen use delaying sleep.
• Emotional eating as a way to cope.

What to do

1. Offer regular meals with protein and fibre; avoid long gaps.
2. Keep water within reach and reduce energy drinks and sweets.
3. Set a caffeine cut-off by early afternoon.
4. Make a study timetable that includes sleep, meals and short movement breaks.
5. Move the phone away from the bed an hour before sleep.
6. Notice if guilt, bingeing or strict dieting grows.

Whom to consult

• Family doctor if tiredness, shakiness or weight change continues.
• School counsellor if exam stress feels unmanageable.
• Psychologist or doctor if eating becomes secret, extreme or distressing.

Do and don’t

How to behave and communicate

• Speak without blame: "I know the exams are heavy. How can I make food easier for you?"
• Ask rather than order: "What helps you feel awake without caffeine?"
• Praise effort, not marks.
• Listen fully before giving advice.

Counting Every Step

Grace, 29, a marketing executive in Manchester, started jogging to feel better after a breakup. Soon she was running twice a day, even with a sore knee, and logging every calorie. If she misses a run she feels anxious and guilty, and she skips meals to compensate.

Her friends notice that she turns down dinners and brunches, and that she seems tired and cold. She sleeps badly, wakes early to run, and her periods have become irregular. She says, "I am just being healthy," but her eyes show worry.

One evening her flatmate, Sana, says calmly, "I miss you at dinner. I am worried about how hard you are pushing yourself." Grace becomes defensive, then tearful. She admits that exercise is no longer enjoyment but a rule she cannot break.

Sana does not argue about weight or food. She stays with her, and a week later goes with her to the doctor. The doctor explains that movement should serve wellbeing, and that rigid rules around food and exercise can signal a problem needing professional support. Grace begins gentle, shared walks and regular meals with a therapist's guidance, and slowly the running becomes something she chooses rather than something she fears.

How to recognise it

• Exercise done despite pain, illness or fatigue, with intense guilt if missed.
• Strict food rules, skipped meals, avoiding social meals.
• Tiredness, feeling cold, irregular periods, frequent injuries.
• Mood tied to weight, shape or exercise.
• Secretiveness and defensiveness when asked about it.

What this story explains

Movement supports mental health in moderation, but over-exercise and food restriction can become unhealthy and may be linked with an eating disorder.

Probable root causes

• Emotional pain turned into control over body and food.
• Perfectionism and low self-esteem.
• Social media and cultural pressure about body shape.
• Under-eating, which affects mood and thinking.

What to do

1. Express care without commenting on body or weight.
2. Encourage regular meals and rest days.
3. Suggest a medical check, as the body may be under strain.
4. Offer to accompany her to appointments.
5. Help shift exercise to enjoyable, social activity.
6. Stay in touch even if she pulls away.

Whom to consult

• Family doctor for a physical check and referral.
• Clinical psychologist or counsellor experienced in eating concerns.
• Dietitian with the doctor's guidance; emergency service or hospital if she faints, has chest pain or severe weakness.

Do and don’t

How to behave and communicate

• Use "I" statements: "I am worried because you seem exhausted."
• Keep the tone calm and kind, never accusing.
• Listen to her feelings rather than debating food.
• Say: "You are more than your body. I am here."

This book is for education and general awareness. It does not replace diagnosis or treatment by a qualified professional. If anyone is in danger, contact your local emergency services.