Have you ever stayed up late because you wanted to steal back your time?
Do you have the habit of staying up late rather than going to bed at a reasonable hour even when you feel sleepy?
If you’ve experienced the situation above, you might have revenge bedtime procrastination.
What is revenge bedtime procrastination (RBP)?
Revenge Bedtime Procrastination (RBP) or sleep procrastination, is a psychological phenomenon in which people stay up later than planned to try to regain control of the night after feeling powerless all day (Herzog et al., 2019).
People “retaliate” for their hectic daytime schedules by sacrificing sleep in order to fit in leisure time. Normally, people who work in high-stress jobs or shift work are more likely to experience RBP. They might want to “steal time” or worry that if they go to bed early, tomorrow will come sooner, and they will be forced to do things that they don’t want to do when they wake up. Recently, the concept of RBP emerged and gained social media interest due to the rising stress and changing schedules during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s a new term but an age-old problem,” said Shelby Harris, a board-certified behavioural sleep medicine specialist in White Plains, N.Y.
The concept of RBP first came up in China, started from a Twitter post written by a journalist, Daphne K Lee, and it is widespread in social media. She describes the phenomenon of “baofùxng áoyè 報復性熬夜” as “people who lack control over their daytime refusing to sleep early in order to reclaim some sense of freedom during the late-night hours(“報復性熬夜”, 2019, Daphne K. Lee, 2020, & Haupt, A., 2021).
The concept of “procrastination” has been widely discussed over decades. Procrastination is a prevalent and problematic phenomenon. Previous studies showed that procrastinators typically perform more poorly in various domains and also experience financial drawbacks as they procrastinate on taxes or fail to start retirement savings (Krose et al., 2014). Procrastinating is being found to not benefit individuals. However, why would people procrastinate when this behaviour might be harmful to them?
Before discussing that, let’s talk about the concept of “revenge” or “self-revenge.”
Self-revenge is a type of compensation. According to Alfred Adler, the founder of Adlerian psychology (individual psychology), compensation was a healthy defence mechanism that people used to cope with feelings of inferiority (AdlerPedia, 2022). It is a psychological strategy that allows people to redirect their feelings of insecurity and frustration.
Recently, we’re gradually moving away from panic to a new culture of self-revenge as COVID-19 consumes the entire world. After the lockdowns are lifted, consumers engage in “revenge spending” or “revenge travelling.” This kind of behaviour is most likely revenge for the pent-up frustration following months of lockdown, which also occurs in Malaysia(Iris Ouyang, 2020, Janice Tan, 2020, & Ty Yiu, 2020).
However, RBP can be a self-destructive trend (“What is” revenge bedtime procrastination? “, 2021). By reducing sleep to squeeze more leisure time, this could lead to negative mental and physical effects.
“The shorter your sleep, the shorter your life span.” said by the neuroscientist, Matthew Walker in his book, “Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams” (Liang, L., 2022).
By reducing your sleep time, you are putting yourself at risk of sleep deprivation. According to researchers, adults need about 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. Children and teens need more.
What else could happen when you don’t get enough sleep, besides feeling tired?
You could have symptoms like:
- Slower thinking
- Less attention
- Worse memory
- Faulty decision-making
- Stress, anxiety, and feeling irritated
Besides, sleep deprivation could also increase the risk of health conditions such as:
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- A weaker immune system
- Hormone-related problems
- Ongoing pain
- Depression and anxiety are examples of mental health conditions (WebMD, 2022).
We all know that not getting enough sleep isn’t good for us, but why are people willing to go along with this self-destructive trend?
Researchers have several theories for why some people intentionally reduce sleep in exchange for more free time.
Some studies have found a connection between putting off getting enough sleep and having poor self-control. They claim that RBP is created by an intention-behaviour gap, which occurs when a person makes poor decisions due to a lack of emotional control and self-discipline. This behavior will occur especially after the person uses a lot of commitment to get through work and other obligations (Baker, R., 2021).
Even while it causes insufficient sleep for people with high-stress occupations that occupy most of their day, RBP is unquestionably one of the easiest ways of getting a few hours of leisure time. Besides, there is mounting proof that taking breaks from job pressure is important; failing to do so can result in stress, diminished wellness, and burnout.
“Sleep is one of the most critical parts of recovering from work.” Kelly from Sheffield University asserts that our ability to detach affects how well we sleep. She says it’s important to have downtime where we can psychologically detach from work, which would explain why people are prepared to sacrifice sleep in favour of post-work relaxation (Liang, L., 2022).
As mentioned above, the theory of “compensation” suggests that people would use this behaviour as a defence mechanism; they would maximise “me time” by staying up late. Despite their better instincts, they “steal” sleep to escape the robotic daytime routine. Over time, this can make it hard to get enough sleep.
Harris, the author of “The Women’s Guide to Overcoming Insomnia,” said the more you procrastinate at night, the more you’re going to have trouble being effective and efficient at the things you need to do the next day. According to Harris, people would simply continue the cycle by working later at night and feeling the need for more time to decompress.
So, how can we therefore put an end to this belief that we have more control over our lives, or how can we correct it?
Here are some tips from experts to overcome it(Haupt, A., 2021):
Firstly, “cut” your schedule.
According to Christine Li, a clinical psychologist and anti-procrastination coach in New York, “When we don’t see the value in our daily time commitments, we’re more likely to feel vengeful.”
We should start eliminating things that don’t make us happy or satisfied. Besides, we also should try being more aware of potentially time-consuming obsessive behaviours in our day, such as scrolling social media or feeling obligated to attend various social gatherings.
Secondly, create time for yourself and maximise it.
We should schedule some leisure time into our day. If possible, schedule it for the early evening with plenty of time to spare before bed. We could pick an activity that will “help our mental health or resilience in the face of stress, and is pleasant and fun.”
Thirdly, be firm with yourself.
We should say “I will go to bed at 10” rather than “I will try to go to bed at 10” or “I will consider going to bed at 10.”Be firm, and such firmness can ensure that it occurs. Through the way you communicate with yourself and other people about your plans, you’re actually strengthening your commitment.
Fourthly, create a bedtime ritual.
Start your bedtime routine as soon as it goes off. Consider this your “power-down hour,” advised clinical sleep educator and Valley Sleep Center president Lauri Leadley.
Turn off the electronics and lower the lights at home. You could also take a warm shower or do something else to unwind after that. Your body temperature will decrease when you get out of the hot water, which helps melatonin production get going and promotes sleep.
Lastly, practise breathing.
Close your eyes, relax yourself, and take a seat comfortably. Breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose, Then, gently exhale through softly pursed lips. Three times, please. Next, inhale for a count of four and slowly exhale for a count of eight. Breathing is strong and therapeutic, and it will absolutely improve your sleep and help you deal with the urge to put off going to bed.
Last but not least…
Revenge bedtime procrastination is still a developing topic in the fields of sleep science and psychology. There are ongoing debates regarding the psychology behind this voluntary sleep reduction. The most effective cure for sleep procrastination is healthy sleep management, which involves establishing healthy sleep habits and a sleep-friendly environment. You are not alone if you struggle with “revenge” bedtime procrastination. Everyone needs “me time.” Giving up sleep to “steal me time” means adjustments in one’s lifestyle are needed.
Finally, please call out, seek professional assistance, and get additional support if you are struggling to do the tasks you need to complete each day or are experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression. We all need support from time to time, and it may improve your quality of life.
Author: Chew Lock Seng
Supervisor: Wong Ging Ging (Clinical Psychologist)
References
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