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…

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.