What are the dangers of bedtime procrastination?

Self-care is crucial to a person’s general health and well-being. Engaging in self-care is not being selfish. It is a proactive and healthy approach to promote a healthy physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health through a wide range of activities that are suited to an individual’s needs and preferences.

Rest and relaxation are part and parcel of self-care. The concept of having “me” time falls under rest and relaxation. Having “me” time is having some time spent relaxing, doing activities that will switch your mind and body from work and problem-solving mode into a restorative state and creativity. Unfortunately, losing self-control over “me” time spent can be detrimental to one’s health. Especially when you lose quality sleep in favor of your “me” time activities.

A workday can get overwhelming, and it is only that period between taking a night bath and bedtime that you can feel that you can begin to relax and have time for yourself. To do things that you want to do but couldn’t do earlier during the day. There is nothing wrong with doing things that will make us feel happy, relaxed, and more of ourselves before going to bed. Failing to set limits and indulging oneself with too much “me” time, however, can lead to bedtime procrastination.

“Bedtime procrastination is an important factor related to getting insufficient sleep and consequently affecting individual well-being. Bedtime procrastination is defined as failing to go to bed at the intended time, while no external circumstances prevent a person from doing so.” This definition was provided by Floor M. Kroese and colleagues in their published research entitled “Bedtime Procrastination: Introducing a New Area of Procrastination”.

Individuals who procrastinate during bedtime aren’t avoiding an aversive task, which happens when one procrastinates in general. After all, sleeping is not considered an aversive activity. Rather, bedtime procrastination is caused by not wanting to stop or quit an activity or activities.

How many times have you said to yourself, “I’m going to sleep after watching just one episode of this series,” or “I’m just going to read one more chapter of this book,” and you end up staying up all night? How many hours of sleep have you lost due to doomscrolling on the internet? Perhaps you feel as if you turn off your gadgets, then you might be missing out on something. Is that feeling way too familiar?

Don’t be embarrassed to admit these feelings. Bedtime procrastination is nothing new. It just so happens that we have more options that could distract us from sleeping with all the modern technologies invented. Living in a fast-paced environment often leaves us overwhelmed at the end of the day, and we just need some time for ourselves. To enjoy what will help us find our center. However, we should also be aware that giving in to so much me time will eventually make us sick.

Poor sleep quality and insufficient sleep greatly impact our energy level, mental state, and productivity. Sluggishness and fatigue are commonly experienced by individuals who procrastinate at bedtime. Lack of energy also affects our motivation to be more physically active, and we may tend to call a rain check on our exercise schedule. This can lead to weight gain.

In addition to the abovementioned factors, poor sleep quality and insufficient sleep can impact one’s appetite. Staying up late will increase ghrelin hormones. Thus, increasing food cravings, particularly, refined or processed carbohydrates. Nobody craves a salad, right? We crave chips, chocolates, milk tea, and the like.

Studies have shown that individuals who don’t get adequate quality sleep have a higher risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, insulin resistance that leads to diabetes mellitus, and even cancer. We were created to sleep for at least seven to nine hours a day to give our organs and cells time to repair. If we abuse sleep, then we are overworking our organs. If this becomes a habit, our organs will eventually get damaged.

Giving in to bedtime procrastination is a conscious decision. More often than not, a bedtime procrastinator knows the consequences of staying up late but still succumbs to it. Therefore, one must not rely on one’s weak self-control. If you wish to take control of your sleeping habits, you should begin making small changes during the day and not during bedtime. Here’s how.

First, when you wake up in the morning, don’t immediately grab your phone. Even if you use your phone to set the alarm, it would be best to keep a bedside clock to check the time instead of looking at your phone. This way, you won’t be tempted to check on messages or notifications from apps even before you’re fully awake.

Take a few deep breaths and just clear your mind from thinking about the day’s schedule and tasks. You can pray too. Begin the day by thinking of three things that you are grateful for. It doesn’t matter if it’s being thankful for simply being alive or for having a bed to sleep comfortably in. Just start the day being grateful, no matter how hard your circumstances are.

Starting the day in a calm, positive manner will set the pace for the entire day. If you allow yourself to get agitated as soon as you wake up, chances are, you will be overwhelmed all day long.

Second, no matter how hectic your schedule is, find time to close your eyes and breathe deeply, even just for five minutes. Be it between work or your schedule. Even if it’s just a few minutes in the restroom. You can stretch a bit or just walk around the room. You can also listen to relaxing music for about five minutes just to collect yourself. We all need to recalibrate and find our center several times a day.

Lastly, take time to savor your food during mealtimes. Even if you only have 10 minutes, chew and taste your food. Don’t gobble it down. If you truly experience the pleasure of eating, that will leave you feeling satiated, and you won’t feel deprived.

Strategically and mindfully allowing yourself pockets of rest and relaxation throughout the day will help you feel less overwhelmed and not give in to revenge bedtime procrastination as a result of depriving yourself of me time during the day.

Source: www.mb.com.ph