We’ve all been there: It’s been a long day, you’re exhausted, and you finally have some time to yourself. Do you go to bed early or do you stay up just a little later to do a little bit of nothing?
The responsible (i.e. healthy) choice would be to go to bed early, so you get plenty of sleep and feel refreshed the next day. But if you’re like many people, you stay up past your bedtime—maybe even way past your bedtime—doing something mindless like scrolling your phone or streaming several episodes of a series.
There’s a term for this habit: bedtime procrastination. People want to create time for themselves, so they procrastinate on bedtime the way they would on chores or other unwanted tasks. As with other forms of procrastination, people do it knowing full well it’ll have negative consequences later.
In fact, the Sleep Foundation highlights the specific term revenge bedtime procrastination. That’s because people who procrastinate on sleep often do it because they feel their daily responsibilities are encroaching on their personal time, and they want to reclaim it. The Cleveland Clinic notes that revenge bedtime procrastination often feels like self-care in the moment, and those who are most likely to engage in it are those who often must sacrifice control over their own time, such as caregiving parents or busy students.
Prioritize Sleep
Even if staying up an extra hour to scroll through social media feels like self-care, keep in mind: Sleep is one of the three pillars of good health, along with nutrition and exercise. Most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep. Sleep is important for warding off illness, regulating your emotions, and keeping your mind clear. Health risks of too little sleep include heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, and depression
Stop Procrastinating
Tired of being tired? Stop being so vengeful—take these steps to cut back on the procrastination and start observing a healthy sleep schedule: Keep a log. For a week, write down what time you go to bed and how much sleep you get. You might be surprised—some people don’t even realize how bad their procrastination is until they start paying attention. Set a goal. Start by being realistic. You don’t have to aim for nine hours of sleep right away. Instead, set a small goal by telling yourself you’ll go to bed 30 minutes earlier or limit yourself to one episode of a show. Put your phone away. Your phone is your biggest culprit of bedtime procrastination. Harvard Medical School reports procrastinators use their phone for 80 minutes before bed compared to 18 minutes for non-procrastinators. Making your bedroom a no-phone zone will make a huge difference. Engage in quiet reflection. Prioritize quantity over quality when it comes your bedtime wind-down. A short period of a mindful activity like yoga or journaling can be more rewarding than hours of mindless scrolling or streaming, plus it will help relax you for bed.
