The Psychological Reason You Stay Up Late At Night Even Though You Know You’ll Regret It In The Morning
Dusan Petkovic / Shutterstock If you’ve ever found yourself intentionally putting off going to sleep at night to do things you weren’t able to get done during the day, you may be dealing with revenge bedtime procrastination. Yes, it's a real thing.
Let me do the laundry before bed. Let me run the dishwasher before bed. One more episode, one more reel, one more chapter. Sound like you? Well, I'll let you in on a little secret. You may have a condition you never knew existed.
Revenge bedtime procrastination is intentional sleep deprivation.
Researchers coined the phrase "bedtime procrastination" in 2014 to describe the phenomenon of putting off going to sleep for no crucial reason. The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, recruited 203 participants to complete a self-assessment survey regarding the average number of hours they sleep each night as well as their procrastination and self-regulation habits.
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Researchers found that the phenomenon of sleep procrastination “is indeed commonly experienced” and “a possible cause for insufficient sleep.” Journalist Daphne K. Lee is credited with making the "revenge" modifier popular when describing the reason why people tend to procrastinate going to sleep, explaining that “people who don’t have much control over their daytime life refuse to sleep early to regain some sense of freedom during late-night hours.”
The term gained popularity during the pandemic when more people began working from home, where distractions and time management issues made it more difficult to unplug. Long work hours and the high-stress lifestyles so many of us live can make it feel impossible to have leisure time during the day to do the things you actually enjoy, leaving people no choice but to make time, often at the expense of a full night’s sleep.
Revenge bedtime procrastination is not the same as staying up late because of increased energy at night, such as the case with night owls. Rather, like general procrastination, it is associated with low self-regulation, or the ability to manage and adjust your own behavior according to what’s going on around you. Researchers theorize that people engage in revenge bedtime procrastination not necessarily because they don’t want to go to sleep, but because they don’t want to stop doing whatever it is that they’re doing at bedtime.
Most people engage in revenge bedtime procrastination because they don't have enough free time during the day to do what they truly want to.
New research commissioned by Avocado Green Mattress has revealed that revenge bedtime procrastination causes Americans to lose around 300 hours of sleep per year. A survey of over 2,000 participants discovered that 96% reported choosing to stay up late just to get some personal time, even if they knew it would affect them the next day.
On average, participants had a "revenge bedtime" every other night, or 3.5 times each week. When asked why they did this, 63% admitted it was the only time they had to themselves.
Laura Scott, director of brand marketing at Avocado Green Mattress, said, "It can be tempting to stay up late, indulging in a ‘revenge bedtime,’ to spend time on hobbies or have a minute to yourself, but this can easily lead to negative consequences as sleep — good or bad — can have major impacts on our health. Having a consistent sleep schedule has a wide range of benefits for overall wellness."
Revenge bedtime procrastination can seriously affect your health.
While revenge bedtime procrastination is not a mental illness or sleep disorder, the lack of sleep such procrastination causes can certainly stir up mental and emotional challenges, as well as physical issues like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and memory problems.
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Other health issues that revenge bedtime procrastination can lead to include mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and difficulty concentrating. Additionally, you may experience high blood pressure, weakened immunity, and weight gain.
It’s crucial to practice good sleep hygiene to ensure you’re getting enough sleep and improving your sleep quality. The National Sleep Foundation advises that adults should aim to get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night. Try to avoid caffeine at night and create a relaxing bedtime routine you can follow regularly. Keep electronics out of your bedroom and find another screen-free activity you can enjoy before bed.
When you sleep well, you'll be more productive the next day, and possibly even free up some extra time to have to yourself.
Micki Spollen is YourTango’s Editorial Director. Micki has her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism & Media Studies from Rutgers University and over 10 years of experience as a writer and editor covering astrology, spirituality, and human interest topics.
