What is Revenge Bedtime Procrastination and How Does It Affect You?

Ever noticed yourself fighting sleep to remain on your phone or TV because you didn’t want the day to end, or for the next day to “arrive”? We finally have a name for it: revenge bedtime procrastination.

What is Revenge Bedtime Procrastination?

Revenge bedtime procrastination is almost self-explanatory – it’s a form of sleep procrastination, usually by adults who delay their bedtime or falling asleep, just so they can “enjoy” their downtime for longer. This act of defiance has been defined as a way for people to “take back control” over their freedom after their daily responsibilities at work in the daytime, which they might not have control over.

This phenomenon is usually caused by long working hours and work-related stress, both worsened by the pandemic, which has seen lines between work and personal time blurred due to majority of us working from home.

It might not seem very serious when you spend an additional hour here and there scrolling on your phone, or watching that extra episode of your favourite show, but when it becomes a habit, it can have long-lasting effects on both your physical and mental health.

How Does Revenge Bedtime Procrastination Affect You?

The point of downtime is for you to unwind from work and recharge for you to be ready for the next day. Sacrificing sleep for leisure is counterproductive, as you end up not feeling refreshed the next day, the very thing that your me-time and sleep is supposed to do for you. This starts off a vicious cycle that gets harder and harder to break.

Poor sleep habits don’t just leave you feeling sluggish the next day – the longer they aren’t corrected, the more harmful their affects are on your overall well-being. Cognitive decline, depression, anxiety, cardiovascular issues are just some ways that your physical and mental health will be affected in the long run.

How to avoid Revenge Bedtime Procrastination?

All is not doom and gloom though! Fixing your revenge bedtime procrastination just needs some effort, time and a whole lot of patience with yourself.

Set appropriate boundaries between your working hours and leisure time. This might be the most difficult thing to do but it is also the most crucial step to take towards improving your quality of life in general.

Setting a cut-off time for work will help you make sure that you are productive at work and still get enough sleep at the end of the day, while enjoying your leisure time to your heart’s content. Check out our tips on how you can design your home office for efficient and healthy work habits.

Another way is to plan your day such that you take some short breaks in between, where possible. This will help you feel less tired at the end of the day, and help you avoid feeling like you need to get a certain amount of me-time before you can officially call it a day.

If you can’t afford to take breaks during the weekday, you can also make the most out of your weekends. Plan some fun activities that takes your mind off work and other responsibilities such that both your body and mind get a well-deserved break.

Establishing a night-time ritual with a set a bed-time is another great way to ensure that you don’t succumb to revenge bedtime procrastination. This will allow your mind to wind down gradually and signal to your body that it’s time for sleep, allowing you to fall asleep faster and deeper.

If you’re still struggling, it’s best for you consult a sleep expert or doctor to seek a professional opinion on your overall health and get advice on how and where you need to make adjustments in your lifestyle before it’s too late.