Revenge Bedtime Procrastination
December 12, 2024
What is revenge bedtime procrastination?
Revenge bedtime procrastination originated as a concept in China, with many employees deciding to stay up later in the evenings to have me-time due to long work hours. The term is now used more broadly and does not just apply to people in the workforce but to anyone who feels they do not have enough time to themselves.
Imagine you’re a university student and today you went to 4 hours of lectures, worked on 2 assignments, revised for an upcoming exam, did some readings, then suddenly realised it was soon time for bed and you hadn’t had any time to relax today. So, you proceed to stay in bed for 4 hours scrolling social media and talking to your friends to relax because you didn’t get to at all during the day.
Or maybe you have a job that starts at 9 and ends at 6, you wake up 2 hours before work, commute there and back, get home, have dinner, and then find it’s already time for bed. You didn’t get any time to relax today and dread having to wake up to do the same thing tomorrow, so you stay up watching TV and suddenly find it’s 3 am and you have to be up for work in 4 hours.
Maybe it’s a different scenario entirely, but the routine still seems to stay the same. You wake up, go about the tasks for the day, do everything you need to do, and then suddenly find it is time for you to go to bed but you haven’t had any time to relax today so you decide to stay up later to have me-time and relax - this is revenge bedtime procrastination.
Who experiences revenge bedtime procrastination and why?
Anyone who feels they do not have enough me-time and time to relax during the day or are in a stressful environment may struggle with revenge bedtime procrastination; such as those in a busy job or students. For example, recent research with university students has shown that 20% of students asked, have energy to spare “none of the time” and that 12% of students asked, have felt relaxed “none of the time”; highlighting a concern that students are tired and stressed.
We know that sleep is incredibly important for us and that we will probably want to stay in bed for longer when that alarm rings which isn’t a nice start to the day - so why do some people revenge bedtime procrastinate? There are quite a few reasons why one may engage in revenge bedtime procrastination, including a lack of free time during the day, wanting to delay the start of the next day, or due to technology.
Revenge bedtime procrastination can feel fulfilling at the moment you can have some time to yourself, maybe finish the book you’ve been putting off or finally watch that TV episode, but then you wake up the next morning more tired than you would have been and probably regretting staying up so late.
How does revenge bedtime procrastination impact your mental health?
Lack of sleep can negatively impact your mental health, such as struggling with low energy or finding it difficult to maintain relationships through socialising. If you are not sleeping enough you may also experience increased irritability levels and it may harm your concentration; both of which can impact your mental health and well-being.
Additionally, concentration is an important aspect in most of our lives, whether this be concentrating on lectures as a student, or concentrating during meetings in a workplace. If you’re struggling to concentrate, it may take you longer to complete the necessary tasks for the day. If you are spending more time on these tasks, you’ll have even less time to relax; this may feel frustrating which is not beneficial for your mental health.
Moreover, if you do not get enough sleep one night due to revenge bedtime procrastination, or other reasons, you will most likely feel tired the next day. If you are struggling with feeling tired or experiencing increased irritability or low concentration, the following day might feel worse and you may have less time to relax. This could encourage the revenge bedtime procrastination even more for the next night, leading to the feeling of a vicious cycle.
How to manage stress and overcome revenge bedtime procrastination
No matter who you are, life can get stressful. It is important to acknowledge when you are feeling stressed and find ways to healthily cope. You’ve probably heard a lot about work/study-life balance and, sometimes, it can feel unattainable but it is important to dedicate time for relaxation, which can help overall well-being and help prevent and stop revenge bedtime procrastination.
Try different methods to reduce stress in your life
If you find that you tend to have a lot of stress in your life, try different ways to reduce this stress to find a way that works for you. For example, consider the activities you enjoyed doing as a child, like painting or playing sports, and see if they are still things you enjoy. Sometimes, just moving about can help reduce stress; for example, putting on an upbeat song and dancing at your house may help you have more energy and, whilst it may feel silly at the moment, may make you feel a lot more relaxed than when you began! The main point here is to find something you enjoy and that works with your everyday life.
Mindful breathing
If you find life getting stressful, see if taking a moment to focus on mindful breathing helps. When feeling stressed our breathing tends to get heavier and faster, and it is important to practice mindful breathing to regulate our nervous system and relax. Different mindful breathing methods work for different people, so take the time to try different methods and see which ones work better for you.
Spending time in nature
Spending time in nature can be beneficial for our well-being and can be a great way to take some time out of our busy lives to relax and refocus. If you find you are constantly stuck in the office or the library, try to dedicate some time in your day to stepping outside such as on your lunch break or at the end of the day. For example, you could walk home instead of driving or taking public transport, taking the time to connect with nature and dedicate time to yourself.
Finding moments of peace throughout the day
Whether you’re busy at work or rushing from lecture to lecture, it can feel difficult to find peaceful moments throughout the day. This can have negative impacts on your mental health and well-being, so it’s important to recognise the moments of peace in your life and maybe even create some for yourself. For example, waking up a little earlier, having a nice relaxing drink such as a cup of tea, and sitting in silence or with gentle music whilst eating your breakfast can be a much more peaceful start to your day than snoozing your alarm and rushing around to get out of the house in time.
Dedicate time to relax and plan enjoyable activities
If the reason you are procrastinating going to bed is because you want to delay the start of the next day, try to plan something to look forward to. This could be 10 minutes at the end of your day such as sitting in the living room listening to your favourite podcast whilst enjoying a warm mug of hot chocolate; it just has to be something you will enjoy and will give you that moment of relaxation and peace at the end of a busy day.
However, it is also important to note that just like you wouldn’t only ever dedicate 10 minutes a day to studying, you also shouldn’t only dedicate 10 minutes a day to relaxing. Whilst it may be okay every once in a while, you don’t want it to be an everyday thing. Therefore, it is also important to dedicate larger chunks of time for me-time and relaxation to have a balanced schedule. You may find that dedicating one day a week to focus on yourself, such as self-care Sunday, works well for you and your schedule. For others, it may be easier to dedicate a couple of hours every day, such as a movie night with a friend or time to sit, uninterrupted, with a book you’ve been meaning to read.
It may even be helpful to physically block this time out in your schedule, whether that be an online calendar or a paper planner. By having this visual reminder you are more likely to take that time to relax and not double-book yourself.
Journaling
After a long and stressful day, you may find your brain buzzing with a lot of thoughts, which can feel overwhelming and make settling down for bed difficult. Journaling before bed, or even throughout the day, can be a great way to have me-time and help combat revenge bedtime procrastination. By allowing yourself to journal you are dedicating time to yourself, to reflect on your day and be in touch with your thoughts. You could either write for as long as you want or set a timer, such as for 10 minutes - whatever works best for you!
Be mindful of your technology use
Screens and social media can have a negative impact on your sleep. Scrolling through social media before bed may mean you lose track of time and then realise there are only a few hours until that alarm goes off! It is important to acknowledge if your technology use and screen time are having a negative impact, in order to appropriately manage it.
Identify the cause
There are different reasons why one may revenge bedtime procrastination, so take a moment to reflect on your everyday life and the potential cause to help form an action plan. For example, if you find that the reason you procrastinate in bed is because you were unable to have any me-time during the day so you are making up for that now, try to find ways to incorporate relaxation and me-time into your everyday routine. It may be helpful to mindmap general stressors in your life and see if you can identify a common theme, or you may find that instead of stress, it is due to boredom. Consider the thoughts and emotions you experience when procrastinating going to bed, this may help you combat revenge bedtime procrastination.
Bedtime routine
Creating a relaxing bedtime routine can help your body settle down and get ready to go to sleep. For example, doing some relaxing yoga and mindful breathing, dimming the lights, and avoiding screens can all be helpful to include in a bedtime routine. However, it is also incredibly important that you make sure what is included in the bedtime routine is rewarding for you; if you dread the thought of yoga and find it frustrating, that isn’t going to help you stop procrastinating at bedtime or help you relax. Despite this, it’s also important to remember that whilst you’ll want to do things you enjoy before bed, they should be relaxing - listening to really loud music or having a cup of coffee may not be the best in a bedtime routine. Experiment with different routines and find what works well for you and your schedule - you may eventually find yourself looking forward to it!
Revenge bedtime procrastination is more common than we may think, and we may not even realise we are doing it or why we are doing it. However, it is important to identify this pattern and find ways to help us get enough sleep to help our sleep quality, overall well-being, and time management. It is important to dedicate time to relax and have me-time to ensure you feel satisfied in your everyday life so you do not procrastinate at bedtime to partake in other activities. It won’t happen instantly, and sleep routines can take some time to change, but they are really important for us!
If you are experiencing struggles with stress or sleep, Mindsum has mental health professionals for you to talk to that offer a free initial consultation.