'Stress, Screens & Sleep Loss' Lifestyle Shifts Drive Rise In Hormonal Health Concerns Among Kashmiri Adolescents

When 15-year-old Aaliya began feeling tired all the time, her family initially blamed school stress.

- Nazakat Aslam

Between early mornings, tuition classes and hours spent on her phone after homework, exhaustion had become routine. What unsettled her mother more, however, was that Aaliya's sleep had become erratic, her mood unpredictable, and her periods irregular."My periods don’t always come on time," Aaliya said. “That worries my mother more than me. But I also feel drained most days. I don't sleep properly, and sometimes I feel irritated or low without knowing why.”