It can be normal to miss your bedtime once in a while because you are scrolling on social media, or reading a book that is too interesting to put down.  When it starts to happen every single day because you feel like sleep procrastination is the only way you get some time to yourself is when you can start to have a problem.  Sleep procrastination is when you fit in leisure time at the expense of your own sleep.  You knowingly put off going to bed to do something you want to do regardless of knowing that tomorrow you will feel tired.  For some people this is a way for them to take back control of their busy scheduled days.  In some cases it may start off as just 10-15 minutes of delayed sleep that can quickly turn into 1-2 hours of put off sleeping.  

Not all staying up late is considered sleep procrastination.  There are three key features that make your situation fall into sleep procrastination.  First the delay in sleep must decrease your overall sleep every night.  The delay in going to sleep isn’t caused by any outside factor.  The third is that you know you are losing sleep, you know what the consequences will be the next day, but you still stay up late. 

This can affect anyone.  It can affect parents of little children who don’t get much free time to themselves.  People with high stress jobs, or jobs that are longer shifts can also cause sleep procrastination.  Students are also prone to sleep procrastination.  The normal reason people start sleep procrastinating is because there is a general lack of free time during the day time hours.  People feel as though they need time for hobbies, unstructured relaxation, or stress relief.  It is a time for them to pick what they do if they have a very structured high taxing job during the day.  Someone who is normal to procrastinate on other things may also have a higher chance of being a sleep procrastinator as well.  Being a night owl that is living an early bird’s schedule, this can also cause sleep procrastination.  One study showed that women and students are more likely to engage in sleep procrastination.  

People may use sleep procrastination to do hobbies they don’t have time for during the day.  The most common things that are done during sleep procrastination are online shopping, social media scrolling, reading, and binge watching television shows.  

Adults need 7-9 hours of sleep per night.  Children and teens need more than this.  When you get less sleep than your body needs each night, you can suffer from sleep deprivation.  Sleep deprivation can affect your relationships and it can affect your health.  It can make you feel tired, have slower thinking, less attention, worse memory, cause you to make faulty decisions, cause stress, anxiety, irritability, or cause weight gain.  If your body feels tired your hunger cues will be stronger so your body can fuel to keep you awake. 

Long-term sleep deprivation raises your risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, weaker immune system, hormone-related problems, ongoing pain, depression, anxiety, and high blood pressure.  

If you suffer from sleep procrastination first you will want to figure out what is causing you to want to procrastinate your sleep at night.  Then find why it is important to sleep at night.  Prioritizing your sleep can help you get back to why you need sleep instead of why you want to stay up.  You will have more energy the next day to do your tasks more effectively and efficiently.  

Figure out what bedtime your body needs to get an ample amount of sleep each night.  If you need 8 hours of sleep and wake up at 6am for work each morning, going to bed around 10pm will give you your 8 hours.  If you have been staying awake till 1am, going to a 10pm bedtime may not work right away.  You can start by slowly moving your bedtime back 15-30 minutes each night to adjust your body to bed at 10pm.  This incremental time backwards can help ease into the adjustment.  Along with going to bed at a regular time, you may want to start tracking your bedtime.  Every night write down what time you go to bed.  This can help yourself hold yourself accountable for going to bed when you want to.  Finding a time that makes you feel rested will also help you not have to live off caffeine and sugar the following day to survive and stay awake, which can help with weight gain, or weight loss. 

Learn to schedule time for yourself.  This could mean you need to cut out some things that aren’t bringing you joy.  Learn to cut out things that are making you overly busy so you can schedule in time for yourself.  If you are married, speak with your partner so that they can help out and make sure you are getting needed time for something you want to do, whether that is a hobby, sport, or just being alone.  Find time to get a family member, or babysitter to watch your children if you are a parent that feels like you get no alone time.  Sacrificing your sleep is not the answer longterm, it can impact every area of your life.  

Practice good sleep habits.  Have a consistent bedtime and wake up time even on the weekends.  This is very healthy for your body and your circadian rhythm.  Have a comfortable sleep environment.  This means making sure your bedroom is at a comfortable temperature, it is dark, and no distractions.  Black out curtains can help if you have to go to bed when the sun is still up especially during the summer months.  If you live in a noisy apartment building or on a noisy street, using white noise can help drown out any noises that can keep you up at night.  Putting away devices at least an hour before bed can help your quality of sleep as well.  Quality of sleep is just as important as quantity of how much sleep you are getting.  Staying hydrated during the day is important, watch your liquids before bedtime to eliminate the middle of the night bathroom trips. 

Staying up once in a while to indulge in something you enjoy is not usually a problem.  Sleep procrastination turns into a problem every night and it starts to cause sleep deprivation.  Sleep deprivation can affect your relationships, as well as your health.  Long-term sleep deprivation can raise your risks for many chronic conditions later on in life as well as raise your risk of an early death. 

 

 

 

READ MORE: What Is Insomnia? Causes, Symptoms, and 10 Expert-Backed Tips for Better Sleep


Purium Bio Relax  provides for deep, restful sleep and tension relief while awake. Contains calming, sleep inducing phytochemicals. It includes tart cherries, organic passiflora, organic cranberries, kava root and hyaluronic acid.

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