What Is Revenge Bedtime Procrastination?

Vengeance bedtime procrastination is the practice of delaying going to sleep in order to complete tasks they didn’t have time for during the day. 1 In order to fit in leisure and amusement, sleep must be sacrificed.

In a 2014 paper, the phrase “bedtime procrastination” was coined. In China, the phrase “revenge” was first used to describe how people who frequently worked 12-hour days would remain up late as their only means of regaining some control over their time.

Following a widely shared tweet by journalist Daphne K. Lee, the phrase gained popularity. When “those who don’t have much control over their everyday lives refuse to sleep early to regain,” she said, it occurs.

Signs of Revenge Bedtime Procrastination

Being up late isn’t always an indication of getting back at you for skipping bedtime. According to researchers, sleep procrastination has three essential characteristics:

A person’s total amount of sleep each night must be lessened by the delay in getting to bed.
There is no other explanation for the delay in falling asleep, such as being sick of a disruptive environmental factor.
Individuals who engage in the conduct are well aware that it could have unfavorable effects, but they nonetheless decide to do it.

Depending on their circumstance and the reason they feel the urge to remain up late, this may have a different impact on various people. The 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.

Some folks might take advantage of these early morning and late night hours to catch up on hobbies or partake in more strenuous activities. These activities typically concentrate on items that don’t require a lot of work for the majority of individuals.

Who Revenge Bedtime Procrastination Affects

Many people occasionally indulge in “revenge” procrastination after sleep. Those with demanding occupations, individuals who put in long hours, and parents with little free time during the day are just a few examples of folks who commonly exhibit this behaviour.

It frequently begins tiny. To play on your phone or watch your favourite shows, you might stay up late. Ten or fifteen minutes can become an hour or two. You might occasionally find yourself awake till the wee hours of the morning, doing pointless activities, before giving in and going to bed.

Causes of Revenge Bedtime Procrastination

Retaliatory bedtime procrastination is frequently caused by a general lack of free time during the day, but there are other factors at play as well.

An investigation conducted in 2014 and reported in the journal Frontiers of Psychology found a negative correlation between revenge bedtime procrastination and self-regulation. Even though many who do this wish to sleep, their actions do not match their goals.
It’s also plausible 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.
However, research indicates that the combination of a number of variables, such as a person’s natural sleep cycle and their self-control abilities, may contribute to the habit.

The conduct also appears to have gotten worse recently under the stress of global repercussions, especially the worldwide pandemic of 2019. According to reports, sleep issues will likely get worse for 40% of Americans in 2020.

The ability to spend time alone became increasingly difficult for many people as the boundaries between job, home, and school grew more hazy. Several people have turned to bedtime procrastination as a means of squeezing in some important alone time during the late-night hours.

Impact of Revenge Bedtime Procrastination

On occasion staying up late won’t likely have a significant impact on your sleep cycle, health, or general well-being. The issue arises when putting off going to bed out of retaliation becomes a routine behaviour. Sleep loss can arise from early mornings and late evenings. Your capacity to operate the next day may suffer, and over time, sleep deprivation may start to negatively impact your physical and mental well-being.

Potentially harmful outcomes of sleep deprivation brought on by retaliatory bedtime procrastination include:

Anxiety
Depression
Difficulty paying attention
Elevated blood pressure
Increased chance of heart issues
lowered defences
gaining weight
A bad memory

Tips for Coping With Revenge Bedtime Procrastination

Here are some solutions if you struggle with revenge bedtime procrastination.

Prioritize Sleep

Making sleep a 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.

Practice Good Sleep Habits

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.

Assess Your Schedule

Examine your daily obligations carefully because a hectic schedule is frequently the cause of vengeance bedtime procrastination. Eliminate the time-consuming or unimportant activities from your life. If you can, try to let go of any daytime activities that are making you miserable and unfulfilled.

Schedule Time for Yourself

Focus on finding time to indulge in some of your favourite hobbies to replace the undesirable activities you’re eliminating from your schedule. This might not always be simple, especially for parents or employees who are unable to put their obligations and responsibilities on hold.

Planning and prioritising “alone time” the same way you would anything else is one strategy to deal with this. Find someone who can take over while you take a break, whether it’s a friend, babysitter, partner, or family member, after you have blocked off that time for yourself.

Start Your Nighttime Routine Earlier

Start your overnight ritual early to combat the bedtime procrastination. An hour before you would typically start getting ready for bed, set an alarm. By allowing yourself this additional time to unwind from the day, you might feel more sleepy and be able to resist the impulse to remain up late.

Turn Off the Digital Devices

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