It begins with a little white lie you tell yourself: “I’ll stay up for just a bit longer.” After all, it’s the first bit of uninterrupted downtime you’ve had all day. You revel in that “me” time, binging your favorite show, catching up on social media, getting lost in chapter after chapter of a book. Before you know it, hours have rolled by, and you’ve sacrificed precious sleep. If this sounds like you, you may be a revenge sleep procrastinator.
Taking Revenge
- The bedtime delay reduces your total sleep time
- You don’t have a fabulous reason for staying up late, such as an event
- You know staying up late on the regular isn’t good for you
Health Risks of Losing Sleep
- Cause daytime sleepiness, which can result in decreased productivity
- Increase your risk for depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders
- Interfere with thinking, memory and decision making
- Lead to sleep deprivation
- Make you irritable and grouchy
Put Revenge Sleep to Bed
- Find new ways to carve out time for yourself. If you tend to work through lunch, set a goal to enjoy lunch away from your desk at least once a week. Use the time to take a walk, enjoy a book or watch a show. If you have kiddos at home, ask your partner to take over for an hour, and then leave the house (just be sure to reciprocate).
- Review your daytime schedule and see if there are duties you can skip.
- Keep a consistent bedtime and wake-up time, including on days you don’t work.
- Put aside your cell phone, tablet and the TV remote at least 30 minutes before bed.
- Add relaxation methods to your bedtime routine. Meditation, gentle stretching and yoga are all good ways to decrease the stress that drive you to revenge bedtime procrastination. When you’re less stressed, it’s easier to fall asleep.
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