By Leah Harris
Bedtime procrastination, also sometimes known as revenge bedtime procrastination, happens when people delay going to sleep to carve out the needed personal time they didn’t get during their day. Whether it’s work, caregiving, or studying, people who feel overburdened with responsibilities may try to practice self-care by taking “revenge,” stealing back the nighttime hours that they have to themselves. Unfortunately, for most, this strategy involves ongoing sleep deprivation.
Over time, this lack of sleep can have cascading negative impacts on mental health and well-being. One study, published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology found a clear link between poor sleep involving procrastination, reduced sleep, and anxiety. The anxiety of course, further interferes with sleep, which only fuels the cycle.
This cycle of procrastination, anxiety, and sleep disturbance can be worse for neurodiverse people, including those living with ADHD. “After a day of feeling scattered or pressured, many ADHDers want control, so delaying sleep is a way of pushing back against all the demands and tasks,” neurodiversity coach Kelly Banks told Newsweek, adding: “so instead of winding down, they stay engaged in activities that feel good in the moment, even though they will pay for it the next day.” The price they pay is not only anxiety, but challenges with brain fog and difficulty with time management, which only seems to worsen the cycle of overwhelm and fear.
The good news is that this cycle is by no means hopeless. Journaling is one technique that can address the intertwined issues of anxiety and bedtime procrastination. Writing down your anxious thoughts, especially worries that keep you up at night, can temporarily get them out of your mind and onto the paper. As anxiety researcher Lily Brown told Time, “You’re subtly telling your brain, ‘I hear you. I’m paying attention. But I’m not going to figure that out right now.’”
When jotting down fears and concerns, the encouragement is to keep the writing short and to the point. Banks encourages people to do a brain dump, but not to read it over again after writing.
At its root, bedtime procrastination is driven by feeling like there’s not enough hours in the day for ourselves. The antidote is to do just that – carve out that daily personal time as if our mental health depends on it, because it does. Taking 15 minutes for a walk around the block or a brief meditation can reduce the need for “revenge” at night. “We readily give away too much of our energy to others throughout the day. Learn to put yourself first consistently so you don’t feel so deprived at night,” writes Tracy Otsuka, who herself lives with ADHD, in ADDitude. At the end of the day, when it’s time to wind down, Banks suggests setting a “Permission to Quit” alarm, or an alarm set an hour before bed “to remind you to step away from activities and wind down.”
Breaking the cycle of bedtime procrastination is one of the most important changes any of us can make to manage our anxiety, and to face the challenges of our lives with more clarity and focus. It’s not easy, but it’s well worth the investment of time and effort.
For further exploration:
- Why People With ADHD ‘Delay’ Bedtime, According to Neurodiversity Coach (Newsweek)
- Why Is Anxiety Worse at Night? (Time)
- One Study Finds A Link Between Bedtime Procrastination, Anxiety & Sleep Difficulty (MindBody Green)
- How to Break the Exhausting Habit of Revenge Bedtime Procrastination (ADDitude)
Leah Harris is a non-binary, queer, neurodivergent, disabled Jewish writer, facilitator, and organizer working in the service of truth-telling, justice-doing, and liberation. They’ve had work published in the New York Times, CNN, and Pacific Standard. You can learn more about their work at their website and follow them on Instagram.