As competition around entrance exams like NEET intensifies every year, doctors are warning about a growing mental health and sleep crisis among students. Neurologists and healthcare experts say an increasing number of NEET aspirants are struggling with sleep deprivation, stress headaches, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion during the peak months of exam preparation.
The agony of students has increased this year after the NEET exam - conducted by May 3 this year, was cancelled following allegations of paper leak. Since then, lakhs of aspirants have begun preparations again for the exam - as the new dates have not been notified as yet.
According to Dr. Kunal Bahrani, Chairman and Group Director - Neurology at Yatharth Hospitals, many students preparing for highly competitive medical entrance exams are finding it difficult to mentally “switch off” from studies, even when attempting to rest. Constant thoughts about syllabus completion, revision schedules, mock tests, and the fear of falling behind are significantly affecting sleep quality. “Students often report lying awake for hours despite feeling physically tired,” he explains. “The brain remains overactive due to academic pressure, making uninterrupted sleep difficult.”
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Doctors say these unhealthy routines are leading to irregular sleep cycles, late-night studying habits, repeated waking during sleep, and fatigue even after spending long hours in bed. Sleep deprivation among students is now emerging as a major concern because it directly impacts memory retention, concentration, focus, and emotional stability, all of which are crucial for NEET performance. “There is also an increase in headaches due to mental stress, eye strain, and long hours on screen. Students often find symptoms worsening around the time of exams or test series, when study is at its peak and breaks are few and far between,” he added.
Dr. Neha Pandita, Senior Consultant Neurologist and Unit Head, Clinical Lead - Parkinson’s Disease & Movement Disorders, Fortis Hospital, says the intense structure of competitive exam preparation is disrupting students’ natural biological rhythm. “In academic coaching environments, disturbed sleep patterns and physical symptoms of stress are becoming increasingly common,” she notes. “Continuous mental pressure with very little recovery time eventually affects cognitive performance and emotional regulation.”
Medical experts warn that students often dismiss these symptoms as “normal exam stress” and delay seeking help. However, untreated stress and chronic sleep issues can gradually reduce productivity and worsen anxiety levels during crucial exam periods.
Neurologists explain that inadequate sleep negatively affects attention span, problem-solving skills, decision-making ability, and emotional control. Ironically, sacrificing sleep to study longer may actually reduce learning efficiency and exam performance over time.
Due to lack of proper sleep and rest, most students are getting headaches
Mental health experts also emphasize that the pressure surrounding competitive exams like NEET has created an environment where rest is often viewed as unproductive. Many students skip breaks, reduce physical activity, and rely heavily on caffeine or excessive screen time to stay awake during preparation.
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