My phone vibrated as the clock struck midnight. Stifling a yawn, I finished up my paper and looked up from the laptop screen. “Ah, my rest time finally,” I thought, climbing in bed and turning out the lights. In the blue-tinted darkness, I fought my sleepiness, caught up on the latest episodes of a new K-drama, and read four more chapters of a book that I got so emotionally invested in until the pink glow of sunrise peeked through my window. That was when I knew that I should go to sleep, or I wouldn’t be able to make it to my 10 am class.
My sleep schedule stayed that way for the rest of my summer quarter last year. I took 20 credits because I thought that I wouldn’t be going anywhere, and focusing on my studies would be an excellent way to stay motivated during the pandemic. I was soon swamped with Zoom classes, assignments, and exams while also cooking for my family and doing other household chores. The only “me time” that I had was at midnight after checking off everything on my to-do list for the day. Instead of having fun and feeling relaxed from my “me time,” I could sense my energy slowly drained, as I woke up exhausted and unmotivated every day. I thought it was just me until I came across a tweet by journalist Daphne K. Lee identifying my situation as something called “revenge bedtime procrastination.”
What is revenge bedtime procrastination? Is it a real thing?
Yes, it’s a real phenomenon! If you relate to my situation, then you might have suffered from it too. Rooting from a Chinese phrase, Revenge Bedtime Procrastination refers to putting off sleep as an act of taking revenge for the lack of freedom and control during the daytime. The term first circulated among the Chinese youth who found themselves scrolling their social media feeds and binge-watching shows late at night despite feeling extremely tired. In June 2020, it was globally popularized by Lee’s tweet and backed up by mental health professionals’ explanations.
What is the motivation behind it, and why do we experience it?
Due to the work-from-home situation, the line between work and leisure is blurrier than ever, especially since there is no longer a different place for each activity. Parents are handling their Zoom meetings and their children’s online classes while managing housework. College students are dealing with the challenges of online studying and social isolation while checking off their long to-do lists. Everyone feels an escalated need for some “me time.”
Some may say that it is a form of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) sparked by the pandemic, but according to psychotherapist Dr. Daryl Appleton, revenge bedtime procrastination is different because it stems from our desire to control. Whenever we feel like we fail to manage our daytime tasks, we compensate by procrastinating sleep for our “me time” and doing our preferred activities. The fact that we can’t choose or avoid our responsibilities makes us feel disempowered, hence gaining a sense of control over our lives is worth sacrificing sleep time.
Although revenge bedtime procrastinating might help us escape reality for a while, it’s an unhealthy behavior that will disrupt our sleep cycle. According to the Sleep Foundation, sleep deprivation leads to a lack of energy, difficulty maintaining focus, slower reaction times, and vulnerability to stress, all of which affect our productivity in work and school. Over time, it can negatively influence our long-term physical and mental health, which should be the top priority during these difficult times.
So, how do we overcome it?
Although my studies in that summer quarter went well, my health did not. I knew that I had to break the alarming habit before it broke me. I attempted various methods recommended by health professionals and people on the Internet and found these effective ones, which I encourage everyone to try if you also wish to overcome revenge bedtime procrastination.
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Set a specific work/assignment schedule: If you have to work in the evening, set an ending time as a boundary between work and leisure. Once this time passes, your only task is to do whatever you want to. If possible, plan 1-2 hour long work periods to not feel overwhelmed with the workload. I only work on my tasks between 6 pm to 8:30 pm now, and after that, I would do a workout routine, read books, and watch TV shows until my bedtime at 11:30 pm.
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Plan a clear, manageable to-do list: Have you heard of the 1-3-5 rule? If to-do lists can sometimes stress you out, consider planning them according to this strategy. To stay productive, commit to completing 1 big task, 3 medium tasks, and 5 small tasks. Also, try to be as specific as you can. Instead of putting down something like “Start on English paper,” write “Create a bulleted list to draft outline of Eng paper.” Having more effective to-do lists will make you feel more in control of your day while helping to lift the extra stress of not knowing where to start.
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Find your suitable sleep technique: When breaking this “revenge bedtime” cycle, we need time to readjust to a new sleep schedule, and that might be difficult to do. We’ve all heard of various tips and tricks to fall asleep fast, but since our brains and bodies function differently, what works for you may not work for others. I’ve tried several sleep exercises that didn’t seem to work then ended up falling asleep in minutes with an ASMR video playing in the background. So, take some time to experiment with different techniques and find the most suitable for you.
Out of revenge bedtime procrastinating, we get a short-term satisfaction of escaping reality, but long-term harms to our well-being. A life that we want to run from isn’t an ideal one, is it? It’s even more difficult during these circumstances, but making minor changes to your daily routine can help you become more productive, improve your physical and mental health, and regain a sense of control in your everyday life.