You know that watching one more episode (or three!) of your series will mean you go to bed way too late, and you will get far too little sleep, but you just don’t care because this is the first time you could relax since you woke up this morning. If this sounds like you, you could be engaging in revenge bedtime procrastination.

What is it?

Any time the word ‘revenge’ is used to describe your activity, you have to know it’s not good for you. But with today’s busy lifestyles and demanding jobs, many people feel like they simply don’t have any free time during the day and staying up late is the only time they can take some time to unwind. Also known as sleep procrastination, this is when people consciously retaliate against their busy day by going to sleep later than they should, even though they know they will be tired, grumpy and extra stressed the following day.

Revenge bedtime procrastination was first introduced in China, where many people work the 996 schedule – 9am to 9pm, six days a week. However, this phenomenon is common across the world, especially with COVID, altered work schedules and increased stress. Although many people report getting fewer hours of sleep during the pandemic, sleep procrastination is a concept that started gaining popularity as early as 2014.

Essentially, sleep procrastination happens because of a lack of free time during the day.

Impact of revenge bedtime procrastination

Getting insufficient sleep is a little-recognised but extremely important global health pandemic. A 2019 Phillips Global Sleep Survey showed that 62% of adults worldwide feel they don’t get enough sleep. Reasons cited included stress, an uncomfortable sleeping environment and a hectic work or school schedule.

Regularly not getting enough sleep can impact you in the following ways:

• Lower immune system
• Lower libido
• Increased chances of depression and anxiety
• Weight gain
• Foggy brain and poor memory

What you can do about it

• Prioritise sleep. To help, conduct some research starting right here on the Sealy blog to find out how your body benefits from good quality sleep
• Establish a consistent bedtime and waking up time
• Create a comfortable sleep environment with warm, cozy blankets and dark curtains to block out light
• If your bed is more than eight years old, it might be time to invest in a newer, more comfortable mattress. Click here for our Mattress Selector Tool, to find the perfect mattress for you
• Assess your schedule to see if there are any activities you can cut out. Try to make time for yourself during the day, even if it’s starting out with just five minutes