Sleepless, Snappy, Sad: The Hidden Mental Cost Of Heatwaves On Urban India

Last Updated:October 06, 2025, 12:21 IST

A 2025 India study links extreme heat and high wet bulb temperature to increased depression risk, with Pune and Ahmedabad doctors reporting sleep and mood issues during heatwaves.

On a sweltering summer day in Pune, doctors began noticing something odd. Patients weren’t just complaining of dizziness, heat cramps, or dehydration they also showed confusion, mood swings, and worsening sleep.

Dr. Anil Bhandwalkar, a family physician, reported seeing patients presenting with mental confusion, concentration difficulties and trouble falling asleep during extended hot spells.

You’d think heat affects only your body. But increasing evidence makes it clear: heat messes with your brain, your moods, your sleep and your whole emotional ecosystem.

The Science: What Recent Studies Are Saying

A recent study in India, published in early 2025, looked not just at temperature itself but at wet bulb temperature (an index combining heat and humidity). The study matched climate data with WHO surveys of depression and anxiety across Indian districts over multiple years. The result: extreme heat increases the risk of depression, especially when the humidity is high.

They found that when wet bulb temperature crosses 27 °C, each additional hot day raises the probability of reporting severe depression by 0.5 percentage points, translating to a 6% relative increase from a base prevalence of about 8.5%. The effect was smaller but still measurable even when the temperature threshold was slightly lower.

But here’s a twist: the data did not show a strong or consistent link between heat and anxiety. The study suggests that depression responds more reliably to heat and humidity than generalized anxiety does.

This finding echoes global reviews as well. High ambient temperatures, especially during heatwaves, are associated with worse mental health outcomes, including mood disorders, increased hospital admissions for psychiatric conditions, and even elevated suicide risk.

A systematic review also found that abrupt temperature shocks in agrarian areas, especially in parts of rural India, are correlated with declining psychological well-being. The Lancet has published evidence that rising ambient temperatures worldwide are a growing threat to emotional and cognitive health.

Why Hot Weather Hits Us Psychologically

Sleep Disruption

Hot nights interfere with the body’s natural ability to cool itself. When core body temperature doesn’t dip properly during sleep, deep or “slow wave” sleep is compromised. The result is poor emotional regulation, increased irritability, and greater vulnerability to mood swings.

Neurochemistry in Overdrive

Heat triggers the body’s stress response. Cortisol and adrenaline, which help in short bursts, start flowing continuously in high heat. These prolonged levels of stress hormones disturb mood balance, amplify depression, and contribute to mental fatigue.

Cognitive Overload

The brain works harder in the heat just to maintain basic function. When resources are used up to regulate internal temperature, there’s less left for emotional processing or executive function. As a result, tasks feel tougher, patience wears thinner, and frustrations rise faster.

Hydration & Physical Stress

Heat leads to dehydration, salt imbalance, and physical exhaustion. These symptoms bleed into emotional symptoms, particularly mood volatility, anxiety, and confusion. The line between physical and psychological stress blurs quickly.

Urban Heat Islands & Continuous Pressure

Urban zones, due to concrete surfaces and dense infrastructure, trap heat especially at night. The phenomenon of “urban heat islands” means people living in cities, especially poorer neighbourhoods with fewer green zones, endure more heat with fewer relief options.

Stories from Ground Zero

In Pune, temperatures above 40 °C have led to a noticeable spike in patients reporting poor sleep, fatigue, and emotional exhaustion. Dr. Aditya Bari noted that 10–15% of patients this season required intervention for heat-related sleep issues, some needing medication. He adds that continuous exposure to heat prevents people from relaxing adequately and disrupts quality sleep.

In Ahmedabad, researchers conducted a pilot where residents in low-income housing wore smartwatches to track sleep, heart rate, and movement. Half the homes were painted with reflective “cool roof” paint. Preliminary data suggested that residents in painted homes had slightly better sleep and lower heart rates during heatwaves, hinting at a direct relationship between indoor heat and mental strain.

For outdoor workers from construction crews to traffic cops heat stress is relentless. Many report symptoms like collapsing, dizziness, irritability, and emotional numbness, with little time or space for recovery.

What You Can Do: Mental Cooldown Strategies

1. Prioritise Cool SleepUse fans, AC, cooling mats, or traditional hacks like sleeping on the floor. Close windows during peak hours and open them at night for air circulation.
2. Hydrate the Right WayDrink small amounts regularly. Coconut water or oral rehydration salts help maintain electrolyte balance, which supports both brain and body.
3. Avoid Heat PeaksTry to schedule outdoor work for early mornings or evenings. Take breaks in the shade or indoors during peak heat hours.
4. Reset Your Nervous SystemSimple breathing exercises (like box breathing or alternate nostril breathing), mindful walking, or light stretching can help calm your system.
5. Design Micro-Cooling ZonesCreate shaded corners at home with indoor plants, use cooling cloths or mist sprays, and dress in breathable fabrics like cotton or linen.
6. Maintain Routine and Sleep HygieneKeep a fixed sleep schedule, avoid heavy meals late at night, cut screen time an hour before bed, and limit caffeine.
7. Ask for Help if NeededIf symptoms persist — poor sleep, mood dips, exhaustion, or constant irritability — talk to a doctor or therapist. This isn’t just “summer blues.” It can be heat-induced mental strain.
8. Advocate for ChangePush for heat-resilient urban planning — more green spaces, community cool shelters, better insulation for homes. At a policy level, more mental health services need to be integrated into India’s Heat Action Plans.

Climate and Mental Health: A Growing Concern

The evidence is clear. As the climate warms, its impact on emotional and cognitive well-being is undeniable. For India, one of the most heat-exposed countries in the world, the psychological toll of heatwaves must be treated as a public health issue, not just an environmental one.

The good news? Mental health services, when localised and well-funded, seem to help. The same India-wide study noted that areas with stronger District Mental Health Programmes had lower levels of depressive responses during hot months.

It’s Not Just Heat. It’s How It Hits You

It’s time to stop dismissing “irritability during summers” as just a bad mood. Your brain is in constant negotiation with your environment, and heat puts it on the back foot. That dullness, crankiness, or sadness you feel during hot spells isn’t weakness, it’s biology.

Take steps to protect your body and mind. Climate anxiety is real. Heat-induced mental fatigue is real. The more you recognise the signals, the better you can respond.