Revenge Bedtime Procrastination: What It Is & How to Fight It
By Julia Valenti
Picture this: It’s another busy school day, and you spend the majority of it juggling class, homework, clubs, and your countless other commitments. After completing them all at a timely 1:00 am, you should be heading off to bed. But you can’t bring yourself to sleep, and instead decide to unwind by squeezing in a few episodes of Netflix or mindlessly scrolling through Instagram. The next day you wake up exhausted, and vow you’ll never do it again. And yet, you do-over and over and over.
Sound familiar? This is something that I have been guilty of for years, and now there is a term that makes this seemingly illogical behavior all make sense: Revenge Bedtime Procrastination, a phenomenon in which you put off sleep in order to seize some part of the day for yourself. The main reason for this, psychologists argue, is an attempt to exert control over our very hectic lives. With the endless list of obligations college students have each day, it can feel like there is virtually no time left to focus on us. Especially with the major changes that have occurred this year, this feeling of disempowerment can seem more apparent than ever. When stress dominates our days, the only option is to sacrifice our night’s sleep for some much-needed relaxation. "People crave balance in their lives and the reality is that we do need some unstructured time each day just to unwind and do low-energy things," clinical psychologist Briony Leo tells Body and Soul. She explains that the people most susceptible to this behavior are those who struggle with time management and procrastination, who finish their work well into the evening and have little time before bed. However, anyone who is busy throughout their day can be at risk.
Revenge Bedtime Procrastination does not exist without its consequences. Just as the name implies, we are ultimately “seeking revenge” and negatively affecting our daytime selves. As clinical psychologist Aimee Daramus tells Well and Good, an adequate amount of sleep is crucial to maintaining one’s mental health as well as overall function. Even more so, getting less than the recommended amount can lead to mounting health problems, decreased physical activity, and productivity the following days. Although the instant gratification of a late night movie may feel good at the time, it can be highly detrimental in the long run.
In order to fight Revenge Bedtime Procrastination, Daramus recommends establishing boundaries throughout your day to establish a work-life balance. This could consist of taking small breaks throughout the day for personal time, such as squeezing in a workout, reading a book during your lunch, or rewarding yourself with phone time after completing an assignment. As a result of this increased leisure time in the day, you’ll feel less inclined to indulge at night. Also, creating a set bedtime every night and turning off your devices an hour before bed can also make it easier to avoid temptation and go to sleep. If you really can’t fit time into your day, then try to schedule a cheat day on the weekend to stay up or limit your amount of free time each night. Just through becoming aware of the behavior and the actions that drive it, you will be closer to regaining control over your day. Though you may be behind a few episodes, your body and mind will thank you.
Read more about Revenge Bedtime Procrastination here:
https://www.wellandgood.com/revenge-bedtime-procrastination/
