WHAT IT IS…
Revenge Bedtime Procrastination is the idea that when we don’t have much control over our daytime life we refuse to go to bed early in an effort to regain some sense of freedom during those late-night hours.
Yes, this is a real thing!
Have you ever done this? Because I know I have…most nights, actually! 😉
Your baby needs you all day. The house needs to be taken care of. Noise is a constant.
And then all of a sudden…it’s quiet. The baby is asleep. The house is dark. It’s 8PM.
The perfect time to go to bed and catch up on some of that much needed sleep.
But you’ve waited all day for this. For this time to sit in silence and do nothing. To peacefully read your book with a cup of hot tea. To mindlessly browse your phone or catch up on Netflix.
So even though you ‘should’ be going to bed, you choose to sacrifice sleep for this alone time that you have so been longing for all day.
Sounding familiar?
WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS…
You’re totally not alone. This topic has actually been studied for years and here’s what one medical doctor has to say about it:
“Revenge sleep procrastination occurs when you’re stressed and you don’t have enough time…[s]o you decide willfully to compromise your sleep time and use that for your own personal time.” (Mohamed Sameen, MD)
“People who are engaging in this, it seems, they’re initially searching for relief and solace from a stressful day. It’s sort of a quest to regain some of their freedom that they lost.” (Margie Sieka, PhD)
The “revenge” part of the term refers to the fact that you’re getting revenge on the lack of free time during the day.
everydayhealth.com
THE SOLUTION…
It’s something that feels so necessary at the time. Something that we crave as Mamas: freedom to do what WE want with our time. And yet, it feels like we’re in a lose / lose situation: if we go to bed we don’t get that cherished alone time; but if we stay up we wake up even more tired tomorrow.
BUT…is there a way to get both?
Now that you’re aware of this ‘revenge bedtime procrastination’ idea, could you bring more awareness to when you’re doing it? Pay attention to what you want to do with your time and then ask yourself what you are really needing.
If you are craving some time alone to just do whatever you want, could you still do that activity but for a shorter amount of time? Could you watch one episode of your show instead of 3, or read for only 30 minutes instead of an hour, or scroll your phone for 45 minutes instead of 3 hours?
And then be very intentional with that time that you have dedicated to doing your chosen activity. Sink into it. Enjoy it. Stay present and focused on this being your time.
And then climb into bed and get that much needed rest. Because let’s face it, sleep is one of the most important things for our mental wellbeing, so being intentional about getting that sleep is just as important as taking that time for yourself.
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