The name “revenge bedtime procrastination” is actually the English translation of a Chinese expression about working long hours and feeling that there’s no time left for enjoyment. As psychologist, sleep expert, and author of The Women’s Guide to Overcoming Insomnia Shelby Harris, PsyD, CBSM, tells mbg, while it was only recently coined, it is an age-old issue and offers people a sense of control. And as Bhopal adds, “Those quiet nighttime hours are precious and often the only time we have to ourselves.” “Parents frequently do this, as they’re working and taking care of their kids and, once the kids go to bed, they finally decide to do things like binge-watch TV, read, or do anything they never really feel like they have the time to do,” she adds. On top of that, you’re not going to function as well the next day and will have more difficulty managing stress, creating a nasty cycle of poor sleep, Harris says. And as the aforementioned 2014 research found, self-reported bedtime procrastination was related to “general reports of insufficient sleep above and beyond demographics and self-regulation.” “Don’t forget to take time off if you need to,” she adds, “and schedule time for things that you enjoy.”
