Water Cooler: Losing sleep over revenge bedtime procrastination

In the past few years, a new sleep science topic has grown in popularity – “revenge bedtime procrastination.” It almost seems like a no-brainer. Of course we stay up past our bedtimes occasionally when we feel we haven’t had enough time to wind down after a long day. The growing prominence of this concept in psychology, however, has enabled researchers to gain a deeper understanding of why this behavior occurs and find tactics to combat it.

Although bedtime procrastination has appeared in previous research, the idea it is a retaliatory action was popularized in China as a reaction to the infamous “996 schedule.” This schedule requires workers to work from 9 in the morning to 9 at night, six days a week. The concept went viral with English speakers thanks to a 2020 tweet from journalist Daphne K. Lee (bbc.com/worklife/article/20201123-the-psychology-behind-revenge-bedtime-procrastination), who had translated the Chinese term “報復性熬夜” (pronounced “bàofù xìng áoyè”) as “revenge bedtime procrastination.” Lee explained it as a phenomenon of attempting to regain a sense of one’s personal life after work by exchanging sleeping hours for additional free time.

Obviously, the concept was relatable to Westerners, too, especially as work and home life blurred during the pandemic. The 996 schedule is more demanding than what most Americans are accustomed to, yet many still understand the feeling of needing to stay up late just to have more time to ourselves, even if it isn’t for a particular reason or activity. People who procrastinate going to sleep tend to be perfectly aware of the negative consequences of that choice, such as feeling groggy the next day or even sacrificing overall health by not getting enough sleep over a long period of time.

This tendency to retaliate against life’s demands almost mirrors a teenager rebelling against the control of their parents and could very well be a tactic stemming from what is referred to in popular psychology as our “inner child,” or the childlike aspects of our behavior. Framing it this way helps illuminate the emotional and compulsive aspect of revenge bedtime procrastination. Nobody likes to feel they don’t have control over their life or time, and sometimes we seek to get a sense of control in ways that provide the satisfaction of acting out, regardless of potential negative consequences.

The growing body of research on this topic has provided psychologists some insight regarding who could be more prone to it. Some argue that this behavior is caused by an intention-behavior gap in which a lack of self-control and emotional regulation lead to detrimental choices, especially after exerting a large amount of willpower to get through work and other necessities. Others argue that this behavior can stem from night owls being forced to adapt to an early morning schedule.

The most common advice for combating revenge bedtime procrastination is the most banal – create a bedtime routine and stick to it. Routines help remove willpower from the equation and make bedtime feel easier and more automatic. They also help cue our brains to prepare for sleep which is beneficial for those who have trouble falling asleep.

It can also be helpful to evaluate factors that impact your quality of life. If you resent not having time for the things you love, try paying closer attention to potentially time-sucking compulsive behaviors in your day like scrolling social media, indulging in substances or feeling obligated to attend numerous social events. You may also need to reevaluate your work life, and if you have the privilege to, consider changing careers to something less demanding or with a more ideal schedule.

If you struggle with revenge bedtime procrastination, you are far from alone. Everyone needs “me time” and sacrificing sleep to get it may be a sign that a few life changes are in order.