Sleep Procrastination: Revenge Bedtime Procrastination

When people don’t get “me” time during the day, they go for sleep procrastination during the night. Almost all of us do this sometimes but some people are more in a habit of doing so. This is known as revenge bedtime procrastination. It is a phenomenon in which people are in a habit of going to bed late so that they can complete the tasks and activities which they are not able to complete in the daytime. In this way, people find time to have leisure and entertain themselves by sacrificing their sleep.

This term is not a new one but it was introduced in a paper published in 2014. The word revenge was introduced later on by china because the people work for 12 hours a day and then wake up till late at night so that they can have some control over their time.

Signs and symptoms of revenge bedtime procrastination

• A delayed bedtime that shortens the amount of time you spend asleep overall
• There is no justification for staying up late, such as a disease,
• Understanding that staying up late can have negative effects

Depending on their circumstance and the reason they feel the urge to remain up late, this may have a different impact on various people. Those hours after putting the kids to bed may be the only time parents of small children have to concentrate on themselves and their goals. For those with demanding work schedules, binge-watching TV episodes while curled up on the couch may be the sole opportunity for unstructured leisure.

Who is affected?

Many people occasionally participate in “revenge” procrastination after sleep. Individuals with demanding occupations, people who put in long hours, and parents with little free time during the day are just a few examples of those who commonly show this pattern.

This pattern usually starts from a small amount of time and that time soon increases to hours. Researchers have found that people women and children are found to engage more in sleep procrastination.

Causes of Revenge Bedtime Procrastination

The most prevalent cause of revenge bedtime procrastination is a general lack of free time during the day but there are other factors also which play a major role. They are:

• Researchers have said that Self-regulation was inversely connected with revenge procrastination before sleeping. Even though many who do this wish to sleep, their actions do not match their goals.
• This is also possible that those who procrastinate before going to bed are more likely to do so in general.
• Your regular sleeping patterns may also be involved. It could be difficult for people who are normally “night owls” to get out of bed in the morning.
• One cause for sleep procrastination might be that the person is not having control over the resources he is having in his life which has a great impact on the sleeping schedule of the person.

Effect of revenge sleeps procrastination on the health

You might believe that skipping out on sleep in favor of self-care activities like meditation is acceptable. However, sleeping in infrequently might result in sleep deprivation, which can have detrimental long-term impacts on general health and wellbeing. As said by the Cleveland clinic when you don’t get enough sleep it might lead to the following:

• Having fatigue the very next day
• Trouble in staying alert
• Troubles in concentrating at work
• Remembering issues or you might not be able to remember the things, tasks and activities which need to be performed on a daily basis
• Troubles in your relationships.
• Life quality is lowered.
• There is an increased risk of blood pressure issues, heart problems, heart strokes, heart failure, diabetes, etc.
• Increase in weight or obesity
• Sadness and depression
• Immunity is impaired
• Sex drive is lowered
• Untimely skin aging
• Difficulty in decision making
• Diabetes
• Anxiety and heart palpitations

Tips

Revenge bedtime procrastination is a problem for some. Here are some tips which will help in overcoming this:

• Prioritizing the sleep

Making sleep the top priority is the first thing you can do if your objective is to obtain more rest. Remind yourself of the benefits of sleeping in on time. The likelihood that you will have the energy to complete the things you have to do increases if you feel better rested the following day.

• Practicing the sleeping habit

You can increase the overall quality and quantity of your sleep by establishing some good sleep habits. Having a regular bedtime and wake-up time, avoiding alcohol and caffeine in the late afternoon and evening, and creating a pleasant sleeping environment are some things you may work on.

• Assessing the schedule which you are following

Examine your daily obligations carefully because a hectic schedule is frequently the cause of revenge bedtime procrastination. Eliminate the time-consuming or unimportant activities from your life.

• Turning off the devices

Stop watching your streaming service auto-play and stop lying in bed looking on social media. Instead, concentrate on developing sleep-promoting relaxation techniques like mild stretching, meditation, and reading.

It might be challenging to overcome the habit of putting off going to bed. You may not feel pressured to give up those late-night delays in sleep until you have been feeling absolutely fatigued for a few days. You might need some professional help in your case. For this, you can go for Online Counseling where an Online Counselor will help you in making a good sleep schedule with good sleep hygiene. He/ she will also help you in overcoming the issues like stress, anxiety, and depression that are related to your revenge bedtime procrastination.