When bedtime finally arrives, do you find yourself dragging it out? Or perhaps reading a book or browsing through social media instead of falling asleep? Often, this decision stems from not having had any spare time earlier in the day for yourself, or it could be the aftermath of a packed day at work.
This psychological phenomenon is no longer unfamiliar to researchers; it’s called Revenge Bedtime Procrastination. But what does this mean? Revenge Bedtime Procrastination is the act of delaying sleep in exchange for personal leisure and entertainment, essentially neglecting sleep for ‘me’ time.
It’s not uncommon among people these days, as we all lead busy lives that can take a toll on the time we’ve set aside to rest. One can easily identify revenge bedtime procrastination by being aware of its signs, causes, and effects. The next step is taking the necessary precautions to prevent bedtime procrastination from resulting in an unproductive and stress-filled life
What Causes Revenge Bedtime Procrastination?
- Smartphone Addiction: A primary factor contributing to sleep delay is smartphone addiction. Individuals with nomophobia are more likely to stay up late into the night because they will struggle to put their devices away before bedtime.
- ADHD: Individuals with ADHD often report difficulties in falling asleep, staying asleep, and waking up in the morning. This contributes heavily to the tendency of engaging in revenge bedtime procrastination as a means of reclaiming control over your time and activities.
- Poor sleep hygiene: These include consuming caffeine shortly before bedtime, a poor sleep environment, and engaging with stimulating digital entertainment (television).
- Mindless bedtime procrastination: This results from losing track of time during daily tasks and consequently staying up late without intending to.
- Low capacity for self-control: Usually, your bedtime comes at the end of the day when your body tends to naturally feel exhausted from exerting energy throughout the day. This reason alone can make one feel incapacitated to control their emotions thereby creating bedtime procrastination as a result of poor self-regulation.
Symptoms of Bedtime Procrastination
Oftentimes, people who get involved in revenge sleep procrastination are simply seeking relief and solace from a stressful day. In most cases, it is not done unintentionally.
- Intentional sleep delay: The first sign to know that you are procrastinating your sleep is when you’re actively delaying your bedtime in favor of doing something else you find more relaxing. Any individual experiencing bedtime procrastination must decrease their overall sleep time every night.
- Addiction to your phone: Great addiction to cell phones reports more signs of bedtime procrastination, and this singular behavior has been linked to anxiety. The media environment creates the atmosphere by providing plenty of fun pastimes before lights out.
How Revenge Sleep Procrastination Can Affect Your Health
The mindset of forgoing sleep to squeeze in some time to do other activities is not healthy. Self-care practices are essential to one’s well-being, but doing it at the cost of your sleep does not support your well-being.
Here are ways sleep procrastination can affect your health:
- Feeling fatigued the next day: This is the most common effect of revenge bedtime procrastination. Without enough hours of sleep, your mind can’t properly recharge through the night to function optimally the next day. This allows high chances of dizziness during the day which can cut down on your productivity and achievements.
- Impaired memory: Because the brain is constantly overworked, there’s every tendency that you might experience short-term memory forgetfulness. The brain needs enough time to rest to function properly.
- Depression: Bedtime procrastination can easily lead to depression and anxiety, especially for a person who is greatly addicted to smartphones. When an individual is always glued to their screen, the only memory timing through the person’s mind is the content their eyes have consumed all through the day.
Tips to Overcome Bedtime Procrastination
You’re probably tired and stressed out from the symptoms of this occurrence, and you’re looking for practical ways to help. First off, you have to be intentional about getting help. Below are tips you can apply to overcome bedtime procrastination:
- Fix a Wake-Up Time: Decide to wake up at the same time every day, whether it is a weekday or a weekend. It’s easier said than done but an erratic schedule prevents you from falling into a regular sleep pattern.
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- Prioritize Sleep: While it may be tempting to forgo sleep to work, study, interact with others, or work out, it’s imperative to prioritize getting enough sleep at the end of your day. Determine your ideal bedtime by considering your regular wake-up time, and push towards going to bed at that time every night.
- Use Productivity Tools To Stay A Step Ahead: You can incorporate the use of productivity tools to curate your routines and properly plan your day to end at your proposed bedtime. Apps like the Today Is The Day app can organize your day and prevent you from procrastinating your bedtime.
- Make Step-by-Step Changes: You don’t want to completely disrupt your routine by trying to change your sleep schedule in one go. Instead, aim to make small changes over time. Give yourself a few hours or two of modest, gradual alterations so that you can adjust to your new schedule.
- Avoid Overdoing Naps: While naps can be a convenient way to boost energy during the day, they might interfere with sleep at night. Try to confine your naps to early afternoons and keep them brief and simple.
How to prevent sleep procrastination
- The ideal solution for revenge bedtime procrastination is good sleep hygiene: To put it plainly, good sleep hygiene is maintaining a bedroom setting and daily schedule that encourages regular and uninterrupted sleep.
- Switch Off Your Gadgets: Schedule a device-free pre-bedtime buffer of thirty to sixty minutes. Mobile devices such as tablets, laptops, and cell phones produce blue light that may suppress the generation of melatonin and cause hard to shut off mental stimulation. Putting gadgets away early enough can save you hours of trying to fall asleep.
- Maintain Your Routine: Your bedtime routines can be simple things like; putting on your pajamas and brushing your teeth every night. Adding a scented candle or calming music to the mix can also ease you into the mood of rest. This will subconsciously help you remember that it’s time for bed.
- Avoid Smoking: Nicotine causes the body to react in ways that interfere with sleep. This explains why smoking is associated with many sleep-related issues.
- Reduce Your Caffeine Intake: Caffeine is a stimulant that can keep you awake even when all you want to do is fall asleep. It would do you good to cut down on it. Also, remain mindful of the fact that you may be overdosing on caffeine in an attempt to compensate for sleep deprivation.
- Limit Alcohol Consumption: While alcohol may help you fall asleep more quickly, the effects wear off and interfere with your sleep later in the nighttime. It is therefore advised to limit alcohol intake, especially towards your bedtime.
Conclusion
If you’re accustomed to staying up late into the wee hours of the night, even when you know you have an early start the next day, know that you’re not alone. Revenge bedtime procrastination can be effectively tackled by implementing all the tips provided in this article.
It is important to note that applying these tips without accountability can be discouraging, especially when immediate results aren’t noticeable. That’s why the support of a therapist, doctor, friends, or relevant apps is crucial. With the right support in place, the best course of treatment and overcoming the journey is assured for you.
