This occurrence, known as revenge bedtime procrastination, gained popularity at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and is a loosely translated English version of a Chinese phrase that journalist Daphne K. Lee describes as “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.”

Shelby Harris, a licensed clinical psychologist and author of The Women’s Guide to Overcoming Insomnia, agrees.

“Revenge bedtime procrastination is the idea that we are so busy all day long with work, caring for others, and just life in general that we want to ‘steal back’ some hours just for ourselves at night once our daytime responsibilities are finished,” she says. “So we instead try to get back some time for ourselves at night to do the things we want to do like scrolling online, binge watching TV, etc. The problem is, we end up spending too much time doing it and sacrifice going to bed at the time we really should and end up depriving ourselves of sleep.”

Yup, sounds about right. My TikTok Time, as my husband so aptly calls it, is the delicious quiet moment when no one is asking me for anything; I can turn off my brain and laugh or marvel at the latest viral dance challenges (that, despite my history as a cheerleader and hip-hop teacher, I know I’ll never be able to replicate). Sure, I could spend the time more productively, say, working on my book revisions, reading a book, or you know, actually sleeping. But this is my one-woman protest, a mini rage against the machine, except I’m the one suffering the consequences when it’s time to wake up the next day.

The health consequences of revenge bedtime procrastination

We know not getting enough sleep can cause us to reach for the snooze button or a venti cup of coffee in the morning, but there are physical health consequences to sleep deprivation, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart-related issues, weight gain, and depression.

“Sleep has been tied to overall cognition, so everything from memory to decision-making to executive thinking,” says Dr. Federico Cerrone, who specializes in respiratory health and sleep medicine at Atlantic Health System. “A lot of people know not getting enough sleep isn’t healthy, but don’t really know all of the consequences.”

Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least seven hours of sleep per night for adults, some people are able to function with a bit less. But if you notice you’re still groggy in the morning, or having trouble functioning, then it couldn’t hurt to go to bed earlier.

How to stop revenge bedtime procrastination

By now you probably know the benefits of an earlier bedtime, but aren’t actually sure how to implement it into your everyday life. For starters, you need to build in some purposeful downtime before getting some shut-eye, which means not binge watching your favorite show right before bedtime. And if you need some help with self-control, Harris suggests turning off the “autoplay” feature on your streaming service of choice so that you deliberately have to decide whether to watch the next episode.

If mindlessly scrolling social media before bed is your vice of choice, Harris also recommends using your smartphone to set a timer to remind you when it’s time to decompress or using the downtime feature to block apps and notifications. 

If all else fails, Cerrone suggests doing “something boring” that won’t stimulate you before bed, such as reading, coloring, meditating, or journaling, to help you unwind. Got a lot on your mind? Try doing a brain dump about everything that’s stressing you out to help clear your head.

“A lot of people try to go, go, go and then jump in bed,” says Cerrone. “But it could be helpful to write things down in the evening so you get it out of your system before going to bed.”

If you’re habitually going to bed at 11 o’clock and want to go to bed earlier, Cerrone suggests starting with small increments of time rather than a large chunk.

“Shoot for 10:45 and work your way back slowly in 10- to 15-minute increments,” he says. “Doing it all at once hardly ever works because then you’re just going to lie there wide awake.”

Building better sleep habits won’t happen overnight (pun intended), but with time, intention, and consistency, you can learn to replace negative behaviors with more positive ones and reach your sleep goals. 

“It’s basically overall wellness: How you start your day, end your day, and the things you do in between are very important,” says Cerrone. “If you don’t get enough sleep, you’re not going to reach your maximum potential—whether it’s your performance at work or your mood–it all starts with your sleep.”