How to Overcome Revenge Bedtime Procrastination

Have you ever found yourself doom-scrolling social media or watching TV late at night despite knowing you should already be in bed, but you just can’t help yourself? Some say it’s laziness, but it could be revenge bedtime procrastination.

Avoiding sleep to get a few extra minutes for yourself or your hobbies can seem okay at times – spending time relaxing or doing something you love can be an excellent way to unwind. 

However, constantly delaying your bedtime because you don’t want the next day to come indicates that something is just not right. 

Not to mention that sleep loss can have detrimental effects on your physical and mental health.

What Is Revenge Bedtime Procrastination?

Revenge bedtime procrastination is not a widely recognized term or concept in the medical community. Instead, it’s a term used to describe staying up late at night as a form of retaliation or revenge for some perceived slight or injustice. 

Usually, revenge bedtime procrastination happens when a person feels not in control of their time during the day, so they try to compensate at night.

This behavior can be detrimental to one’s physical and mental health, as lack of sleep can lead to decreased productivity and increased stress levels.

A glance at procrastination

Procrastination, in its essence, is an act of delaying a task or a project because it causes emotional discomfort. To avoid feeling stressed or uneasy, a person procrastinates, which can lead to missed deadlines and emotional distress.

Therefore, procrastination is a defense mechanism aimed at guarding a person against discomfort and letting them feel in control of their feelings.

In terms of revenge bedtime procrastination, avoiding going to sleep is a coping strategy, too – likely because something during the day makes a person feel out of control.

To stop procrastinating, a person should explore the underlying reasons – emotional triggers – for their procrastination and actively seek to break out of the cycle.

What Causes Revenge Bedtime Procrastination?

There might be a variety of reasons why a person procrastinates on their bedtime, but studies show that certain anxieties can inflict bedtime procrastination. 

Knowing that daytime activities, responsibilities, and expectations will cause feelings of distress, the person chooses to stay in control of the time they have – at night. 

In addition, workload or stress at work might make individuals more prone to revenge bedtime procrastination. 

Subconsciously, individuals might delay their bedtime because of upcoming discomfort during work hours. In short, going to sleep means that the stress from the workplace will start sooner.

Some people also avoid going to bed because of general sleeping issues, such as insomnia, difficulty falling asleep, or other poor sleeping habits. If sleeping issues prevent you from having a proper sleep routine, consult your physician.

While there is no one-size-fits-all solution to beat revenge bedtime procrastination, there are several ways to eliminate this unhealthy habit from your routine.

1# Ask yourself why are you procrastinating on sleep

You may not find the answer right away, but try to get in touch with your emotions, experiences, and bodily feelings. What are your body and mind trying to tell you?

Here are a few questions to consider:

• Am I experiencing intense stress and/or anxiety during the day?
• Is my bedtime routine consistent?
• Do I have sleeping issues that prevent me from getting a good night’s sleep?
• Could my screen time before bed be the culprit?
• Do I have enough time during the day to enjoy my hobbies or engage in personal projects?

2# Address stress and anxiety you encounter during the day

Whether at work, school, or elsewhere, you might be experiencing stress and anxiety that you wish to avoid through revenge bedtime procrastination.

Instead of delaying your bedtime, try to find effective techniques to relax and soothe yourself in the moment of distress. Try mood journaling, meditation, working on your work-life balance, or other methods. 

The Sensa app has a vast collection of Quick-Relief exercises to get you back into the right mind space.

3# Establish a consistent bedtime routine

Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day – weekends included. This way, you’ll be able to ensure you’re getting enough sleep and normalize your internal circadian rhythm.

Make going to bed a systemic routine – have a relaxing bath or shower, read a book, or meditate before bed. It will help you unwind and get mentally ready for sleep

Additionally, limit screen time before bed. Exposure to blue light from screens suppresses melatonin – a hormone associated with the sleep-wake cycle – production in the brain, which might make it difficult to fall asleep.

There’s a possibility that poor sleep hygiene is a culprit for your bedtime procrastination.

It Starts With Exploring Yourself

Revenge bedtime procrastination might be the most prominent form of procrastination that you notice, but emotional dysregulation often makes people procrastinate in other areas.

Fearing failure or being too hard on yourself can make your days difficult and unenjoyable. But with the right tools, consistency, and dedication, you can escape the procrastination loop and live your life to the fullest again.

Written by

Dainius Jakucionis, MD

Dainius is a renowned psychotherapist, holding a Master’s Degree in Medicine and additional training in Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy. For over 10 years, he has been running his private practice in Vilnius, Lithuania, and has been instrumental in developing the Sensa app with Kilo Health, a digital platform for accessible mental health advice. Dainius also leverages his expertise as a lecturer and as a mentor through LT Big Brother and iDialogue.

He is deeply committed to contributing to the evolution of personalized, patient-centric mental health therapy and education.