Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSignsWho It AffectsCausesImpactTips
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Signs
Who It Affects
Causes
Impact
Tips
Close
Revenge bedtime procrastination refers to a phenomenon in which people put off going to bed to engage in activities that they don’t have time for during the day.It is a way of finding time for leisure and entertainment—at the expense of sleep.
The term ‘bedtime procrastination’ was introduced in a 2014 paper.The addition of the word ‘revenge’ first came to use in China to describe how people often working 12-hour days would stay up as their only way to take back some control of their time.
Signs of Revenge Bedtime Procrastination
Staying up late isn’t necessarily a sign of revenge bedtime procrastination. Researchers suggest that three key features define sleep procrastination:
Some people might use these late-night and early-morning hours to catch up on hobbies or engage in more energy-intensive activities. For most people, these activities tend to focus on things that don’t require a great deal of effort.
Online shopping, scrolling through social media posts, reading, and watching streaming services are examples of easy things that people enjoy doing when they are putting off sleep.
Who Revenge Bedtime Procrastination Affects
Revenge bedtime procrastination is something that many people engage in from time to time. People who havehigh-stress jobs, those who work long hours, and parents who have little time to themselves during the day are just a few of the people who frequently engage in this behavior.
It often starts small. You might stay up to play on your phone or catch up on your favorite shows. Soon 10 or 15 minutes turns into an hour or two. In some cases, you might find yourself up well into the early hours of the morning doing inconsequential things before finally giving in and going to sleep.
One study found that women and students were more likely to engage in bedtime procrastination.
Causes of Revenge Bedtime Procrastination
A general lack of free time during the day is the common culprit behind revenge bedtime procrastination, but other factors also play a role.
Recent stress related to world effects, including the 2019 global pandemic, also appeared to worsen the behavior. Reports suggest that around 40% of adults experienced increased problems with sleep during 2020.
Things To Do By Yourself
Impact of Revenge Bedtime Procrastination
Problems with physical health are often linked to poor sleep, but it is also important to note thatsleep also plays a pivotal role in mental healthand well-being. Research suggests that sleep problems can even cause or worsen many mental health problems including depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder.
Tips for Coping With Revenge Bedtime Procrastination
If revenge bedtime procrastination is a problem for you, here are some things can help.
Prioritize Sleep
If your goal is toget better rest, the first thing you can do is make sleep a top priority. Remind yourself why getting to bed on time is important. If you feel more rested the next day, you’re more likely to have the energy to get through the tasks you need to accomplish.
Practice Good Sleep Habits
Establishing somequality sleep practicescan improve theoverall quality and amount of sleepyou get. Some things you can strive to do include having a consistent bedtime and wake-time, skipping alcohol and caffeine in the afternoon and evening,and creating a comfortable sleep environment.
Assess Your Schedule
Since a busy schedule is often at the root of revenge bedtime procrastination, take a hard look at your daily demands. Cut out the things that aren’t important or that are eating up all of your time. If your daytime activities are leaving you unhappy and unfulfilled, let them go if you can.
You’re less likely to feel the need to avenge your loss of time if you don’t feel resentful of losing those precious hours of your day.
Schedule Time for Yourself
Since you’re cutting things out of your schedule, focus on replacing those unwanted activities with time to indulge in some of the things that you love. This may not always be easy, particularly for parents or professionals who don’t have the ability to step away from their obligations and responsibilities.
Start Your Nighttime Routine Earlier
Another way to fight revenge bedtime procrastination is to begin your nightly routine early. Set an alarm for an hour before you would normally begin getting ready for bed. Giving yourself this extra time to wind down from the day may help you feel more sleepy, which may help you resist the urge to stay up late.
Turn Off the Digital Devices
Turn off the autoplay feature on your streaming service and skip scrolling through social media sites while lying in bed. Instead, focus on practicing relaxation habits that promote sleep, such as doing some gentle stretches,meditating, or reading a book.
How to Do a Digital Detox
A Word From Verywell
The Military Sleep Method: Benefits and How It Works
18 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Suni E.What is “revenge bedtime procrastination?”Sleep Foundation.
Kroese FM, De Ridder DT, Evers C, Adriaanse MA.Bedtime procrastination: introducing a new area of procrastination.Front Psychol. 2014;5:611. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00611
@daphneklee.Learned a very relatable term today: “報復性熬夜” (revenge bedtime procrastination), a phenomenon in which people who don’t have much control over their daytime life refuse to sleep early in order to regain some sense of freedom during late night hours. Twitter.
Magalhães P, Cruz V, Teixeira S, Fuentes S, Rosário P.An exploratory study on sleep procrastination: bedtime vs. while-in-bed procrastination.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(16):5892. doi:10.3390/ijerph17165892
Herzog-Krzywoszanska R, Krzywoszanski L.Bedtime procrastination, sleep-related behaviors, and demographic factors in an online survey on a Polish sample.Front Neurosci. 2019;13:963. doi:10.3389/fnins.2019.00963
Sleep.org.How to go from night owl to early bird.
Kroese FM, Adriaanse MA, Evers C, Anderson J, de Ridder D.Commentary: why don’t you go to bed on time? A daily diary study on the relationships between chronotype, self-control resources and the phenomenon of bedtime procrastination.Front Psychol. 2018;9:915. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00915
Pires GN, Bezerra AG, Tufik S, Andersen ML.Effects of acute sleep deprivation on state anxiety levels: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Sleep Med. 2016;24:109-118. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2016.07.019
Roberts RE, Duong HT.The prospective association between sleep deprivation and depression among adolescents.Sleep. 2014;37(2):239-244. doi:10.5665/sleep.3388
Pérez-Olmos I, Ibáñez-Pinilla M.Night shifts, sleep deprivation, and attention performance in medical students.Int J Med Educ. 2014;5:56-62. doi:10.5116/ijme.531a.f2c9
Robillard R, Lanfranchi PA, Prince F, Filipini D, Carrier J.Sleep deprivation increases blood pressure in healthy normotensive elderly and attenuates the blood pressure response to orthostatic challenge.Sleep. 2011;34(3):335-339. doi:10.1093/sleep/34.3.335
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Sleep deprivation and deficiency.
Faraut B, Boudjeltia KZ, Vanhamme L, Kerkhofs M.Immune, inflammatory and cardiovascular consequences of sleep restriction and recovery.Sleep Med Rev. 2012;16(2):137-149. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2011.05.001
Depner CM, Stothard ER, Wright KP.Metabolic consequences of sleep and circadian disorders.Curr Diab Rep. 2014;14(7):507. doi:10.1007/s11892-014-0507-z
Scott AJ, Webb TL, Rowse G.Does improving sleep lead to better mental health? A protocol for a meta-analytic review of randomised controlled trials.BMJ Open. 2017;7(9):e016873. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016873
Drake C, Roehrs T, Shambroom J, Roth T.Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed.J Clin Sleep Med. 2013;9(11):1195-1200. doi:10.5664/jcsm.3170
Meet Our Review Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit
What is your feedback?
