11 Wild Lies People Tell Themselves Before Going To Sleep
We need to stop lying to ourselves about those things we had planned that are never going to get done.
Ekateryna Zubal / Shutterstock Every night when we lay our heads down and prepare to drift off, our minds begin weaving comforting narratives that soothe us into resting, leaving other things unfinished. We tell ourselves these little lies to make us feel better about our laziness and procrastination. From claiming that we will only be a few minutes on our phones to telling ourselves that we'll deal with those pesky dishes in the morning.
We desperately try to convince ourselves that we've done enough for today and that the problems will simply disappear overnight, which they rarely ever do. The lies we tell ourselves shape how we rest and what will happen to us the next morning. These fabrications we make before bed to justify our laziness will be our downfall, even if we don't admit it.
Here are 11 wild lies people tell themselves before going to sleep
1. 'I'm only going to scroll for five more minutes'
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As the night stretches ahead, you tell yourself that you're only going to scroll for five more minutes on social media, but that five minutes ends up being two hours. Now you're stuck with less time to get some shut-eye. Usage of phones before bedtime can increase the odds of insomnia by 59% and cut our sleep by 24 minutes every night.
When you say this, you're trying to convince yourself that the distraction was worth it because it improved your mood. Deep down, you know this little fib will cost you precious morning hours. Now you have to brace yourself for a restless night, wondering if looking at your phone was really worth it.
2. 'I'll start exercising tomorrow'
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Claiming that you would do something to better yourself but then putting it off for the morning is one of the most well-worn lies that pull. In the safe cocoon of your bedsheets, the promises you make feel sincere, but as soon as the morning comes, you change your mind and decide not to go through with it. We get it, everyone is allowed to change their minds, and yesterday’s you is different from today's you.
Saying that you will do something but then putting it off for another day is just a form of procrastination mixed in with a little bit of hope. Even if it rarely leads to action, the mere act of saying it gives everyone around the impression that you are trying to change, that is, until you back out of it. This is because you really believe the lies you tell yourself.
3. 'Just one more episode and then I'm done'
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You never want to end an episode on a cliffhanger that demands an immediate resolution. So, you stay up to binge-watch the whole season instead, which costs you precious moments of sleep. We know you're lying, but just like you, we find comfort in pretending that sleep can wait just 24 more minutes until the heroes get their happy ending.
Binge-watchers were strongly associated with poorer sleep quality, increased fatigue, and more insomnia symptoms. Yet, night after night, we return to the same charade. With a remote in hand, we watch until our sleep debt accumulates to astronomical levels. What's left is groggy mornings filled with lots of coffee.
4. 'I'll just take a little power nap'
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One of the wildest lies that we tell ourselves is when we suggest that we take a little power nap. One minute you close your eyes for a little rest, then all of a sudden the whole day is over, and everything you said you were going to do has fallen to the wayside. All of that time wasted just for short-term satisfaction.
Taking naps is also incredibly unhealthy for us. Late-night naps that lasted over 60 minutes could provoke sleep inertia, slowing reaction times and disrupting sleep performance. Now that you're awake during the night, you'll want to eventually nap again during the day, continuing this unpredictable pattern.
5. 'The movie wasn't that scary'
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We tell ourselves that movies can't affect us because they're works of fiction, but when it comes to horror films, many of us really can't sleep after watching them. It doesn't matter if it's a film about ghosts or zombies, horror films always find something that scares someone. Take the final destination franchise and its infamous truck scene where a log of wood hits the car behind it. An entire generation lied to themselves, thinking it wasn't scary, until they drove behind one in real life.
Going to sleep right after viewing disturbing images can increase the chances of you having nightmares. There are plenty of times when you are settled in your bed and look over at a large shadow staring at you, only to realize it was the pile of laundry you forgot to put away. It's not a wild lie, but it is a far too common one.
6. 'I'll start waking up earlier than usual'
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A classic nighttime lie we tell ourselves after waking up too late that one time. Hyping yourself up, to set an alarm clock so that you wake up earlier than usual, is just one way you force yourself to keep the promise. Rarely does this end well for you. You wake up because the alarm goes off and then quickly hit snooze, only to continue this for a while.
We suddenly cause our bedtime schedules to go completely out of sync. Bedtime procrastination causes less sleep time and poorer sleep quality. The version of you that made that promise no longer exists. Maybe one day we'll mean it, but for tonight, set the alarm a little bit earlier than usual just to see what happens.
7. 'The dishes can wait until the morning'
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Sometimes we don't feel like cleaning up after ourselves after a long and stressful day, so we just leave it there. We tell a wild lie to ourselves that we will deal with the mess in the morning, but when morning comes, we have several other things to do. Cleaning a mountain of dishes and a dirty stove just doesn't seem appealing to you at the moment.
There is one group that loves your procrastination when it comes to leaving your kitchen a mess, and that is pests like cockroaches, ants, and fruit flies. These suckers have been waiting all day for you to go to sleep so that they can have a good time. It's the fact that you made them a feast that they'll appreciate the most.
8. 'I'll deal with it tomorrow'
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Tomorrow has slowly become your favorite word to use when you are trying to avoid responsibilities. It's a seductive lie because it feels like an action that leads to inaction. You'll even go as far as to stay up late doing everything but the important task that you need to do.
It's odd that you'd procrastinate and waste valuable sleep time on something not as important. Around 50% of the general population procrastinates their bedtimes at least two nights per week. Deep down, you're perfectly aware that 'tomorrow' has already absorbed too many empty promises, but you continue to pile on more.
9. 'I won't check my phone'
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When we place our phones on a nightstand by our beds, to stop us from grabbing them and scrolling all through the night. We know we need our beauty sleep, but sometimes it becomes too tempting and we just need to take a little peek at it. Bringing your phone to bed and checking it can make you fall asleep more slowly and increase daytime sleepiness.
The room was dark, and now our sleep schedule is forever changed once that blue light hits our faces. That voice in our heads that promises us rest and digital discipline is now strangely silent. In the meantime, we wait for tomorrow to come, knowing that we will have raccoon eyes and regret.
10. 'I'll remember my dream and write it down'
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Creative people who experience more vivid imagery tend to recall dreams more frequently than others. However, for those who don't, keeping a dream journal is the easiest way to jot down what you dream about. The only problem is that sometimes we forget to even do that part. When it comes time to recall them, you can’t remember anything.
We also start second-guessing what even happened in the dream and wonder if we are just making things up at this point. The biggest lie we tell ourselves is that tonight will be different, and we will finally write it down, but we rarely do. The notebook just sits on the nightstand gathering dust.
11. 'If I lie perfectly still, then I will fall asleep faster'
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People have different methods for falling asleep, but one of the biggest lies we tell is that by staying still, you can head off into a peaceful slumber. While this is true for some occasions, it's not foolproof all of the time. We convince ourselves that staying motionless is some kind of secret sleep spell when it's not.
There are several other methods people use that work for them, like sipping tea or reading a book before bed. However, staying still just forces your body to remain in a rigid position that causes you tension. The best way to sleep is to calm your mind, and that starts by doing whatever you want to do. So, go crazy. Watch your shows or move around a lot until you get comfortable and stop telling these lies to yourself.
Sylvia Ojeda is an author who has over a decade of experience writing novels and screenplays. She covers self-help, relationships, culture, and human interest topics.
