Revenge Bedtime Procrastination is a psychological phenomenon where “people who don’t have much control over their daytime life refuse to sleep early in order to regain some sense of freedom during late-night hours”. – Daphne K. Lee, Writer
How this looks in your daily life
- You scroll through social media endlessly in bed despite being tired
- You watch the next episode on Netflix even though your body needs sleep
- You spend most of your time in the day catering to other’s needs and find free time for yourself only at night
- You feel like you haven’t achieved much through the day and will be wasting time by going to sleep early at night
While revenge bedtime procrastination might feel good, it is a form of self-sabotage.
How it negatively impacts us
- Causes sleep deprivation
- Triggers stress during the day
- Degrades thinking, memory and decision-making
- Reduces productivity the next day
- Reduces self-regulation and impulse control
- Encourages a scarcity mindset
- Habituates us to procrastinating in other areas of our lives
Ways to manage it
- Maintain a consistent sleep and wake-up time
- Avoid using any electronic devices for at least a couple of hours before bedtime
- Develop more self-soothing rituals such as walking, meditation or reading as a part of your personal time before sleeping
- Dedicate only one a day week for staying up late to indulge in screen-time or TV shows
- Try to build a life that you don’t want to escape from
Sources
- What Is “Revenge Bedtime Procrastination”? – Sleep Foundation
- The psychology behind reverse bedtime procrastination – BBC
- Fight reverse bedtime procrastination and sleep better – The Atlantic
- Reverse bedtime procrastination is a thing: Why are we doing it? – Discover Magazine
