Musings | Revenge Bedtime Procrastination
“Action will destroy your procrastination”
We’ve all heard of procrastination. We all do it. But Revenge Bedtime Procrastination? That sounds harsh. Could that be a thing? The answer is yes and yes. It is brutal because it robs us of recovery and rest, and it is a thing. Revenge Bedtime Procrastination is the decision to delay sleep and going to bed in response to a lack of free time throughout the day or as a response to stress. The term is derived from a Chinese expression referring to the frustration that long, stressful work hours leave little time for personal enjoyment, so in retaliation for that lack of control, people stay up late to reclaim personal time – even though we know that staying up late is not good for us. While the concept was initiated in China, it resonates across cultures and continents. Revenge Bedtime Procrastination is an emerging sleep science concept, but there is a general understanding of what it is and what we can do about it.
A delay in going to sleep reducing total sleep time
No reason for staying up later than intended (a reason to be up late would be an external event or an underlying illness)
Awareness that delaying bedtime could lead to negative consequences
Who Does Revenge Bedtime Procrastination Impact and How Are They Impacted?
We are all at risk of putting off our bedtime. This is an emerging concept, so definitive evidence of who is most impacted is still being determined, but students and women may be most likely to engage in bedtime procrastination.
Covid-19 may be increasing the incidence of bedtime procrastination as many people may be experiencing sleep disturbances due to the stress of the pandemic, the blending of work and home life, and the extension of working hours for some people
Bedtime procrastination can cause sleep deprivation, and sleep deprivation can negatively impact your physical health
A lack of sleep negatively impacts your thinking, memory, and decision-making and makes you tired during the day. It can also make you irritable and negatively impact your emotional well-being.
Do an Inventory: What are you doing instead of going to bed, and why are you doing it?
Find Your Right Sleep Time: How much sleep do you need to feel well and rested? As an experiment, observe how you feel with varying amounts of sleep time. The average adult needs seven to nine hours; everyone is different.
Don’t Set a Specific Bedtime: Set a window of roughly one hour to get yourself into bed. This approach alleviates the pressure of hitting a specific time each day and gives you some flexibility
Set Limits on Technology: Power-down tablets, phones, and electronic devices 30 – 60 minutes before you head to bed
Establish a Bedtime Routine: Engage in relaxing activities (i.e., a warm bath, reading, listening to music) that calm you and help you get ready for bed. Be aware of how long it takes you to get ready for bed (it takes some of us longer than others)