Postponing bedtime is more common than you think – here’s what it means

Postponing vengeance before bed sounds like the name of a bad movie, but it isn’t. It’s a habit that has grown in popularity on social media and that you’ve likely experienced firsthand. It refers to nights after a busy day when you finally have a moment for yourself and can use all of the free time available. You usually go to bed late and wake up grumpy.

While free time and leisure are necessary, especially if you have a busy daily life, abstaining from sleep is usually bad news for your health and mood. Even so, it is difficult to let go of this moment of freedom, even if we are aware of the consequences a few hours later.

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According to a 2020 study on the subject, your nighttime routine must have three key components in order to get revenge before bed: Late nights must reduce total sleep time, cannot be disturbed by an external factor (like caring for a baby), or feeling sick), and you need to be aware of the negative consequences. That sounds pretty familiar to me.

“People are more likely to retaliate before bed when they feel unregulated in their free time,” said Dr. of Psychology Sabrina Romanoff to Self. “This is especially true during the pandemic, as the line between work and personal life is distorted, so job responsibility tends to shift into personal life and schedules become less stringent.”

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Research on this phenomenon is still in its infancy, but it appears to affect women and college students the most. It’s also more common for people who hesitate in other areas of their lives. It is a phenomenon that is also on the rise due to the pandemic and more stress and less separation between work and leisure. Here’s what you can do to fight it:

Maintain a constant sleep schedule, even on non-working days

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While this is difficult for anyone trying to live a social life, it will be easier for you to fall asleep each night if you stick to a relatively constant sleep schedule. It’s okay to break the rules every now and then, but try your best to be a bit consistent. If you drink one night, avoid the next so your body can get used to the routines you want to create.

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A helpful tip is to set an alarm to remind you that it’s time to relax. Small steps that you can take to make this process easier are avoiding screens (at least the one on your phone).

Add relaxing routines to your night out

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Sleeping habits are important so that you can go to bed at the same time each night. Relaxing activities like reading, meditating, or reducing screen time an hour or two before bed can be difficult to incorporate, but they can be absorbed over time. Start slowly, purposely turning off your phone at an appropriate time, and adding routines along the way.