Revenge Bedtime Procrastination: You Likely Have It but Don’t Know It
Please note that this blog post represents the opinions of Alexandra Fletcher and is not representative of the official stance of the FCSS-FESC.
At the end of your day, do you find yourself staying up late for no particular reason, instead of going to sleep at a healthy hour? Do you find yourself mindlessly scrolling through social media? Do you feel tempted to press the icon for the next episode of your tv show instead of going to bed?
If these habits sound familiar, you may be experiencing symptoms of “Revenge Bedtime Procrastination.” The concept is a psychological phenomenon that causes people to take “revenge” for their busy daytime schedule by fitting in leisure time late in the evenings, at the expense of their sleep.
Sleep procrastination is not a new physiological condition to researchers, but the revenge component is. The origins of the concept of Revenge Bedtime Procrastination first came up in a study paper by Dr. Floor Kroese — a behavioural scientist from Utrecht University in the Netherlands, which appeared in Frontiers in Psychology Academic Journal in 2014. Dr. Kroese and her collaborators described bedtime procrastination as the act of “going to bed later than intended while no external circumstances are accountable for doing so” — that is, choosing to delay bedtime without a practical reason for this delay.
The concept is familiar in China, but over the past year, has garnered immense interest in the United States and Canada. The Chinese term “報復性熬夜”, which roughly translates to “revenge bedtime procrastination” or retaliatory staying up late, was widely circulated and popularized on the Chinese internet. It was especially popular among the Chinese workers who work on China’s notorious ‘996 schedule.’ This extremely demanding schedule has Chinese employees working from nine in the morning to nine in the evening, six days a week.
Krista Pederson, a consultant who works with multinationals and Chinese corporations from Beijing says that she has observed this work structure. Chinese companies see their working culture as an advantage over markets like the US or Europe where people tend to work fewer hours: “They know they have hard workers who are ruthless and will do whatever it takes to get ahead, including working all the time,” she says.
The phrase revenge bedtime procrastination rapidly garnered interest and attention on social media in North America over the last year, after a Twitter post by Journalist Daphne Lee. Her post resonated with a lot of people and gained thousands of likes and replies. Many people found that like Daphne, they also related to the behaviours and habits that the term encompasses and were interested in learning more. The phrase might have been popularised in China, but the phenomenon it describes is likely widespread, with over-stretched workers all over the world putting off bedtime to claim some precious personal time — even though they know it’s not good for their health.
When it comes to the question of who is likely to perform bedtime procrastination, certain traits encourage people to engage in this behaviour, such as general procrastination, anxiety and low self-control, says Sarah Heilbronner, a neuroscientist at the University of Minnesota Medical School. “But there are also other, external factors that surely are playing a huge role right now,” she says.
While bedtime sleep procrastination can affect everyone, there are some that are more vulnerable to engaging in this practice. Revenge bedtime procrastination is most common in individuals with stressful and highly structured jobs that have timetables and tasks imposed upon them by others. Also, according to Sara Makin, M.S.Ed., NCC, LPC, founder and CEO of online counselling practice Makin Wellness, and Lee Chambers, M.Sc. M.B.Ps.S., an environmental psychologist and well-being consultant, it appears that women and students are most likely to engage in bedtime procrastination.
Students commonly experience this phenomenon. Our time feels like it doesn’t belong to us and that we have no control over it. We spend our time completing tasks we have been told to do by others, at times selected by others. When school hours are over, for most of us, our workday is just beginning. Our free time is filled with assignments, studying, worrying and stress.
As a high school student, I recently realized that I have made nighttime, when I should be sleeping, into my “me time”. I find myself staying up late to read the book I am currently engrossed in, listening to music, watching tv shows or even cleaning my room, all just to finally gain some freedom and control over my time. (Of course, I pay for it the next day, feeling exhausted. I always ask myself, why did I do that?)
Revenge Bedtime Procrastination can be very harmful to your health, especially for students, as we are still growing and developing our brains. Psychologically, this behaviour may seem like a reward for a long work routine, but an unrested mind is less functional and more prone to health issues, says Sam Nabil, psychotherapist and creator of the Positive Existential Therapy (PET)
Unfortunately, just being aware of your self-sabotage usually isn’t enough to stop it. But a few strategic moves can nudge you towards going to bed at a beneficial time and improve your sleep.
- Dedicate time to decompress before bed
According to Shelby Harris, Psy.D., licensed clinical psychologist and author of “The Women’s Guide to Overcoming Insomnia, First, you need to dedicate time to decompress and unwind with a hard stopping point, such as 10 to 11 p.m., It can help you regain a sense of control over your schedule. If it works for you, you can also set a timer, so you don’t zone out or get distracted and you know when to call it a night.
2. Envision the day ahead of you
Shelby Harris also suggests that a useful tactic is to think about the day ahead of you. Whether you glance over your to-do list or check your schedule, “Think about how much more productive you’ll be in your daily life if you aim to get enough sleep on a regular basis,” says Harris. This can also kick off a beneficial cycle: If you have the energy to tackle projects or tasks at home efficiently, it may give you more time to yourself in the evening. Ultimately, Harris says, “The more you can prioritize things and let things go, the easier you’ll find time to unwind at night without sacrificing bedtime.”
3. Try your best to avoid screens before bed
To improve your sleep, therapist, hypnotherapist, and life coach Karl Rollison strongly advised that people should try to avoid screen time before bed at all costs. “Ditch the tech an hour before bed. How can we seriously expect our brain to relax when we are bombarding it with information, videos, and bright images? Pick up a good, old-fashioned book instead and never allow your technology to infect your precious sleeping zone,” Rollison said.
4. Write down your thoughts
If you find it difficult to sleep because you have an active mind, it can help to write your thoughts down and journal. A 2017 study found that expressive writing — jotting down the thoughts, feelings, and experiences that stood out throughout the day — effectively reduces both mental and physical symptoms of anxiety.
Remember to make your sleep your top priority, it will make a big difference across all aspects of your life and improve your days.
Please note that this blog post represents the opinions of Alexandra Fletcher and is not representative of the official stance of the FCSS-FESC.
Resources:
‘Revenge bedtime procrastination’ could be ruining your sleep
How to Resist Revenge Bedtime Procrastination
How “Revenge Bedtime Procrastination” Explains Modern Life
Revenge Bedtime Procrastination Is a Thing. Why Are We Doing it?
Young Chinese are sick of working long hours
What is revenge bedtime procrastination?
Sleep: Why you should prioritize it — Cronus Fit
What Is Revenge Bedtime Procrastination?
