Do you like to turn in early or burn the midnight oil? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Before bedtime, I can barely keep my eyes open. As in, I count down the minutes until I can slip between my warm, comfy sheets. Then, once I’m in bed, I suddenly find tons to do: binge-watching shows, surfing the entire web, reading, you name it.
I wake up at 5:45 a.m. every morning. Yet, sometimes at midnight or even later, I still find myself lying in bed doing anything other than sleeping. Yikes!
Experts have a name for this habit: “Bedtime procrastination is when people intentionally or unintentionally delay their sleep to provide themselves with some form of enjoyment,” says Funke Afolabi-Brown, M.D., FAASM, a board-certified sleep medicine physician and the founder of RestfulsleepMD. She adds it’s more common now since it’s so easy to connect to devices anytime and anywhere.
The reason folks like us delay sleep? Well, if your schedule is jam-packed all day with work, family responsibilities and household chores, bedtime feels like the only time to do something you actually want to do. Plus, for the most part, no one’s bugging you about this or that at night.
While there’s definitely nothing wrong with carving out me-time, it shouldn’t come at the expense of sleep.
What’s so bad about bedtime procrastination?
The simple answer: It can mess with your health. If you frequently put off sleep, you’re likely coming up short of the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep. Chronic sleep insufficiency increases the risk of heart attacks, stroke, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, anxiety, depression and memory issues, says Dr. Afolabi-Brown.
Lack of sleep can also throw off your day. Think irritability or moodiness, brain fog, sluggishness, headaches and reduced productivity.
Bedtime procrastination also doesn’t do your (or my) appearance any favors. Your skin cells get rejuvenated when you sleep, so if you don’t get enough sleep, you may look older, with dull-looking skin, eye bags, etc., says Dr. Afolabi-Brown.
To overcome bedtime procrastination:
First, stop thinking sleep is optional. If you showed up to your job hours late most days of the week, you would likely face some consequences, right? The same goes for skimping on shuteye. Dr. Afolabi-Brown says to prioritize sleep like any other important task.
Pinpoint the reason. Try to figure out why you’re avoiding going to bed. Is it stress? Anxiety? Do you feel it’s the only time you have to relax? Once you determine the issue, you can work to address it.
Build breaks into your day. “If you’re very busy, schedule some time to relax and wind down in your day so all those emotions and pent-up stressors don’t emerge at bedtime,” says Dr. Afolabi-Brown. Go on a 10-minute walk to relieve stress. Take a few deep breaths. Do something that sparks joy. Watch an episode of a favorite show at lunchtime instead of at night.
Practice better bedtime habits. Avoid caffeine in the afternoon, alcohol in the evening and heavy meals close to bedtime. Dr. Afolabi-Brown recommends creating a nighttime routine you look forward to with calming activities such as stretching, a bath or shower, meditation or journaling to ease your mind so you sleep better.
Set a timer. It’s fine to make whatever you enjoy part of your wind-down routine. “You just need to remember to set a limit, so you don’t get sucked into the [book], show or social media,” says Dr. Afolabi-Brown. So, if reading is your thing, maybe plan to read for 20 minutes or two chapters. Then, call it a night.
Seek help. If you have trouble breaking the habit of staying up late, check with your doctor or a sleep expert.
Do you like to turn in early or burn the midnight oil? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
