Is air pollution ruining your attention span and sleep? Expert weighs in

New Delhi:

Winters in India used to mean extra layers or the misty mornings, but now it has turned into a concerning season due to air pollution. It’s the heaviness in the air that you can almost taste, the constant fatigue, the headaches that arrive uninvited, the creeping irritability, and the strange restlessness at bedtime when your body is tired but your mind refuses to slow down. For many people, this isn’t a coincidence. It’s the invisible weight of toxic air settling into the body in ways that go far beyond coughs and burning eyes.

Increasingly, doctors and researchers are raising an uncomfortable truth: air pollution doesn’t just choke the lungs and strain the heart, it quietly disrupts the brain. From anxiety and mood swings to shrinking attention spans and sleepless nights, the smog that hangs above our cities is also clouding the mind below.

The silent attack on the brain

According to Dr Rashmi Ardey, Director Programme (Health) at Smile Foundation, the problem is far deeper than Delhi’s morning haze:

“Polluted air also has a direct impact on mental health. Fine pollutants like PM2.5, NO₂ and O₃ enter the bloodstream and reach the brain, crossing the blood–brain barrier and triggering inflammation.”

Scientific evidence backs this. A 2024 Frontiers in Neuroscience report shows that chronic exposure to fine particulates causes neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in regions that control attention, sleep and mood. The result? A brain that’s constantly in defence mode, unable to rest or reset.

The cortisol storm you don’t see

When polluted air activates the body’s HPA-axis (stress system), cortisol levels stay elevated for longer than they should. Dr Ardey explains:

“This creates a state of chronic stress, leading to anxiety, irritability, poor concentration and disturbed sleep cycles.”

A 2024 study in the Environmental Health Journal confirms that prolonged PM2.5 exposure is linked to a higher risk of anxiety and depressive symptoms in both adults and adolescents.

No one is spared, but some are hit harder

Research cited by the European Environment Agency (2023) highlights the groups most vulnerable:

Children

• Shorter attention spans
• Behavioural swings
• Disrupted sleep cycles
• Their developing brains are more sensitive to inflammation.

Older adults

• Faster cognitive decline
• Higher risk of memory impairment

Pregnant women

• Elevated stress markers
• Increased vulnerability to mood disturbances

Outdoor workers

• Long hours of exposure leading to headaches, emotional fatigue and insomnia

When bad air follows you indoors

Poor mental well-being is now showing up in classrooms and offices:

• Students are more irritable, tired and distracted after days of poor AQI
• Employees report lower focus and productivity during smog season

Air pollution is no longer just a public health issue — it’s an economic and emotional health challenge.

What needs to change

Dr Ardey emphasises the need for mental health to be part of air-quality policy, including:

• Mental well-being indicators in pollution studies
• Pollution-specific stress and sleep advisories
• Clean-air zones around schools and hospitals
• Better ventilation standards

“Toxic air is affecting emotional stability, cognitive development and the mental well-being of millions.”

Small protective habits that help

• Use N95 masks outdoors
• Keep indoor air clean with ventilation + purifiers
• Increase omega-3, antioxidants and hydration
• Maintain regular sleep timing
• Limit outdoor exposure during peak AQI hours
• Practice breathing and mindful slowing rituals

The smog outside might look like weather, but inside our bodies, it’s a storm. And if your mind feels foggy, distracted or sleepless lately, it’s not laziness or a bad routine. It might just be the air you’re breathing.

Protect your lungs, yes. But protect your mind, too.

Also read: Is ginger, honey or herbal tea safe during pregnancy when you have a cold?