revenge bedtime procrastination

Learned a very relatable term today: “報復性熬夜” (revenge bedtime procrastination), a phenomenon in which people who don’t have much control over their daytime life refuse to sleep early in order to regain some sense of freedom during late night hours.

(1) Daphne K. Lee on Twitter: "Learned a very relatable term today: “報復性熬夜” (revenge bedtime procrastination), a phenomenon in which people who don’t have much control over their daytime life refuse to sleep early in order to regain some sense of freedom during late night hours." / Twitter 2023

Revenge bedtime procrastination is putting off sleep to gain more leisure time. 

Revenge Bedtime Procrastination 2021

Here you are again: It’s way past your bedtime on a weeknight, but you just can’t seem to make yourself go to bed. You had a long day of work and chores and now all you want is some me time. You know that, come morning, you’ll regret staying up so late (hello, third cup of coffee). But you’ll probably do it again tomorrow night, too.   So, what gives? Turns out you might be suffering from a phenomenon recently dubbed revenge bedtime procrastination.   “People procrastinate bedtime for the same reason people smoke and overeat and drink too much alcohol and don’t get physical exercise. Most of this has to do with short-term gain rather than long-term cost,” says Michael V. Vitiello, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine and a sleep specialist.  The problem is, if you’re regularly not getting enough sleep, the potential long-term health costs start adding up.  What is revenge bedtime procrastination?  Basically, people who put off going to bed — even though they know they shouldn’t — may feel frustrated that they don’t have enough time in the day to do things that matter to them. It’s about getting “revenge” on the hours during the day with little free time, according to The Sleep Foundation.   The concept has gained popularity during the pandemic, probably because many people have been working from home and experiencing a blurring of the lines between work and personal life, says Vitiello. 

Revenge Bedtime Procrastination 2021