What exactly is “brain fog,” and why does it feel so common now?
You wake up tired even after a full night in bed. You open your laptop and stare at the screen, but the words don’t quite land. You forget small things, names, tasks, why you walked into a room. And through the day, there’s this dull haze that just won’t lift.That’s what most people describe as brain fog. Not a disease, but a feeling. A kind of mental slowdown that makes even simple thinking feel like effort.“Brain fog in young adults brain fog is basically a feeling of decreased mental clarity and efficiency, very common in young adults nowadays,” says Dr Kaustubh Mahajan, Consultant, Neurology, P.D. Hinduja Hospital & MRC, Khar.And if it feels more common lately, that’s not just your imagination. Neurologists are seeing it more often, especially in younger people who otherwise seem healthy. The reasons aren’t dramatic or sudden. They’re built into everyday life, how we sleep, how we eat, how we spend our time, and how much our brains are constantly being asked to process.
The sleep problem we’ve normalised
Ask most young adults about their sleep, and the answer is usually some version of “it’s not great, but manageable.” Late nights, endless scrolling, one more episode, one more reel. And then an early start the next day.It adds up.“Chronic sleep deprivation represents one of the largest contributors to ‘brain fog’ today. Due to work commitments, late-night use of screens and social media activities, young adults have become accustomed to irregular sleeping habits, thus interfering with their brain’s ability to recover,” explains Dr Nasli Icchaporia, Director – Neurology, Sahyadri Super Speciality Hospital, Nagar Road.Sleep isn’t just rest. It’s when the brain resets, repairs, and clears out what it doesn’t need. When that cycle is cut short, things start to pile up.
Image: AI
Dr Mahajan puts it in more direct terms: “Sleep disruption – reduced or interrupted sleep causes reduced REM sleep usually due to late night screen time or stress causing decrease clearance of toxins / unwanted connections accumulated throughout the day in our brains which causes cumulative damage to the brain shrinking a bit faster.”It sounds technical, but the impact feels simple, slower thinking, poor focus, that constant mental fatigue. And the problem is, this kind of sleep disruption has become routine, almost expected.
Too much screen time, too little mental space
Then there’s the screen. Always on. Always within reach.From the moment we wake up to the moment we go to bed, there’s a steady stream of notifications, updates, short videos, messages, and information. And while it feels like multitasking, the brain experiences it as overload.“In addition, excessive exposure to digital devices is another major contributor to ‘brain fog’. The challenge of balancing various digital devices, notifications and information overload is straining the cognitive processing capabilities of young adults and reducing their attention spans,” says Dr Icchaporia.And it’s not just the volume of content. It’s the way it’s designed.“Excess digital stimulation due to doom scrolling reduces attention span, apps are made in such a way that it spikes the dopamine in your brain causing instant gratification which makes you keep scrolling further and further,” Dr Mahajan explains.So the brain gets used to quick hits of reward. Fast content. Constant novelty. And anything that requires sustained focus—reading, deep thinking, even conversations—starts to feel harder.He adds, “the avg attention span of a young adult has now reduced considerably compared to what was 15 years back.”And somewhere between endless scrolling and constant switching, the brain doesn’t get a break. It just keeps processing.
Stress, anxiety, and the quiet burnout
There’s another layer to this. One that’s less visible but just as heavy.Young adults today are dealing with a lot—career pressure, financial stress, social expectations, the need to always be “on.” And even when it’s not obvious, that pressure sits in the background, affecting how the brain functions.“Furthermore, young adults are experiencing higher levels of stress, anxiety and burnout, which can affect their neurotransmitter balance and create further challenges in regard to focus and mental clarity,” says Dr Icchaporia.So it’s not just tiredness. It’s mental exhaustion. The kind that doesn’t always go away with a good night’s sleep.Dr Mahajan connects this to a larger pattern: “so overall as technology is advancing and changed diets -the digital stimulation is making us more favour instant gratification which eventually increasing stress causing increase steroids in the body which later causes of obesity also there is reduce physical activity because everything is available that thing that tips which causes overweight which causes metabolic syndrome / obesity which later causes serious complications like obstructive sleep apnea or brain fogging.”It’s a cycle. Stress affects sleep. Poor sleep worsens brain fog. And brain fog makes it harder to cope with stress.
The body isn’t moving, and it shows in the brain
For many, the day involves long hours of sitting. Work from home, food delivery, everything a few clicks away. Movement has quietly reduced.And the brain feels that too.“Sedentary behaviours and insufficient nourishment contribute to foggy-headedness. People who eat large quantities of ultra-processed foods and do not exercise will experience poor blood circulation in the brain and reduced cognitive capacity,” says Dr Icchaporia.Exercise isn’t just about fitness. It helps blood flow to the brain, supports memory, and improves mood. Without it, things slow down.Dr Mahajan echoes the same concern: “decreased movements is also an important cause .. with technology it is getting easier for people to get things without moving around (eg work from home ) people have stopped moving more and exercising less. Exercise is very necessary for a healthy brain to improve the circulation to your brain and clear the toxins.”It’s subtle. You don’t notice it day to day. But over time, the lack of movement adds to that foggy feeling.
Food, deficiencies, and what we don’t realise
What we eat plays a bigger role than we think. Quick meals, processed snacks, sugar-heavy foods—they give a temporary boost, but often leave the brain worse off later.“Diet- foods are prepared in such a way which will want you to eat more or cause instant gratification, because of the sugar spikes in your blood , which makes you feel good for that instant but eventually in the long term causing harm by process called as excess glycation,” says Dr Mahajan.And sometimes, the issue isn’t obvious at all.Dr Icchaporia points out, “Some people may also have other issues resulting from things like hormonal imbalance or vitamin deficiency (Vitamin B12 or Vitamin D) or lingering fatigue from previous infections that cause them to experience extreme foggy-headedness over time.”So what feels like a vague, hard-to-explain symptom can actually have multiple layers—lifestyle, nutrition, even underlying health conditions.
Can brain fog be reversed?
The good news is, in most cases, yes.“On the bright side, foggy-headedness is usually resolved. Focusing on sleeping well, exercising regularly, eating balanced meals, managing stress, and using electronic devices mindfully tends to increase cognitive clarity and promotes healthy brain function overall,” says Dr Icchaporia.It doesn’t require a dramatic overhaul. But it does need awareness. Better sleep habits. Less screen overload. More movement. More mindful eating.And maybe most importantly, recognising that this constant mental haze isn’t something you just have to live with.Because brain fog isn’t random. It’s a signal. A quiet one, but persistent. And once you start paying attention to what’s causing it, the path to clearing it becomes a lot more possible.Medical experts consulted This article includes expert inputs shared with TOI Health by: Dr. Nasli Icchaporia, Director – Neurology, Sahyadri Super Speciality Hospital, Nagar RoadDr. Kaustubh Mahajan, Consultant, Neurology, P.D. Hinduja Hospital & MRC, KharInputs were used to explain what is brain fog, what are its symptoms and how to manage this condition along with lifestyle habits.
About the Author
