Sleep procrastination is a problem most people face at one time. In essence, it involves putting off our sleep in favor of other activities. Revenge sleep procrastination involves putting off sleep in favor of watching something or doing something, because we feel that our day did not have enough fun or free time in it.
You might be doing this if you are tired, but not allowing yourself to sleep in favor of leisure. It is called “revenge” because it is a way of trying to win back more of the day. But the reality is that it is more harmful than helpful.
When we don’t sleep, it hurts our health, physically and emotionally. It makes our whole tomorrow and even our whole weeks much less enjoyable and difficult to get through. We feel tired and have a hard time focusing, we just want to sleep.
Sleep procrastination might feel good at the moment, but is invariably regretted the next morning. What is more, it has long-term negative effects on our health. It can contribute to anxiety and depression, a worse immune system, cardiovascular issues, and so much more. There is, essentially, no health issue that remains unaffected by a lack of sleep.
So, what can you do instead? Try to find more leisure time during the day and even in the morning. Allow yourself to get a good night’s sleep and make that a priority for when you are making choices. Try to choose a stable sleep schedule as often as you can.
Plan your day. Make sure you include a space for you to just do nothing, to just have fun, or hang around on your phone. Then, respect that space even if there are other responsibilities that demand your attention. If you know there is an opportunity for you to indulge, you are less likely to do it before bed.
As said perfectly, time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.
Also, make it harder for yourself to procrastinate. Leave your phone away from the bed. Use a sleep mask to ensure that you are committing to falling asleep. Implement a schedule and a routine to wind down before going to sleep, so that the phone time is not a part of it.
Sleeping better will make every aspect of your life better. You will be more alert, more productive, more creative, and more able to have fun.
Even if you feel like watching a film, plan to do it later and don’t detract from your precious rest time.
