What Is Revenge Bedtime Procrastination?

“Sleep procrastination” refers to the delaying of sleep without a practical reason for doing so. This can result in sleep deprivation, negatively impacting a person’s energy and ability in daylight hours.

It’s a phenomenon many will be familiar with. The clock has crept past 10 p.m. and your day’s duties are complete, but you don’t go to bed. Instead, you find yourself watching the television, scrolling through social media, or switching on your favourite games console. This is bedtime procrastination.

Revenge bedtime procrastination has become increasingly common, but scientists are still working to fully understand its causes. Here, TEMPUR® delves into the theories around sleep procrastination and offers guidance on avoiding sleep deprivation.

How Does Sleep Procrastination Happen?

Sleep procrastination is usually the result of an intention-behaviour gap. Although delaying sleep is a voluntary act, people who do it often don’t intend to. They want to get a healthy amount of sleep and are aware of the effects of forgoing rest.

Where Does the “Revenge” Come From?

The phrase “revenge bedtime procrastination” was popularised on social media several years ago. It originated as a direct translation of the Chinese term “bàofùxìng áoyè”, after a journalist posted about it on Twitter.

“Revenge” became important to include, as many people felt it denoted their motivations for delaying rest. These people sacrifice sleep for leisure to regain a sense of freedom, which they lack in their daily lives. They therefore see procrastination as a reaction to stress in their life.

Two Types of Sleep Procrastinator

Sleep procrastination can generally be divided into two types: bedtime procrastination and in-bed procrastination. The first refers to people who delay getting into bed and the second to those who delay sleep once in bed.

In-bed procrastination has been linked to the increasing use of electronic devices in bed. Blue light from screens can promote wakefulness and the mildly addictive nature of some devices can delay sleep for hours.

What Are the Psychological Causes of Sleep Procrastination?

Whilst most accept the link between sleep procrastination and a desire for agency, this remains an emerging area of study. Psychologists continue to debate what causes individuals to voluntarily sacrifice rest, particularly given the gap between their intentions and actions.

The most prevalent theory is that the gap is caused by a lack of self-control towards the end of the day. Demands throughout the day deplete people’s levels of self-control. For some, who are also naturally inclined to procrastination, this may leave too little self-control to regulate night-time activity with.

This theory is supported by a recent study, which found that the more people had to “resist desires” throughout the day, the more likely they would experience sleep procrastination.

The opposing theory argues that sleep procrastination results from individuals having an evening-chronotype, also known as a “night-owl”. These people have naturally later sleep cycles than most but must adapt to earlier days.

Who is Most Likely to Be a Sleep Procrastinator?

Women are more likely to experience sleep procrastination than men. This is possibly due to women being more likely to carry out unpaid work around the home, such as cooking or cleaning. This restricts their time for leisure even further than men and may increase their chance of sleep procrastination.

Younger people, particularly millennials and Gen-Z, are also more likely to be sleep procrastinators. This may be related to their relatively high comfort using digital devices, which have been linked to sleep procrastination.

How to Avoid Sleep Deprivation

If you’re having difficulty with sleep procrastination, you should make some changes.

Firstly, ensure your sleep environment is relaxing. Obtaining the right mattress and pillows is key – they should be high-quality and properly supportive. The TEMPUR® range have all been designed with this in mind.

Secondly, you should make some changes to your lifestyle to make sleeping easier:

• Adopt relaxing bedtime activities, such as meditation or reading
• Remove all screens from your bedroom, including your phone
• Cut out caffeine after lunch
• Exercise throughout the day to use excess energy
• Try some natural sleep aids, such as a lavender spray on your pillow

Have you experienced sleep procrastination? Have you found this TEMPUR® guide interesting? Why not share with your friends and family using the share buttons below...