Bedtime procrastination is a psychological phenomenon that means people choose to delay going to bed, even though they know it may cause problems the next day, such as feeling tired. It can sometimes be unintentional, for example when a person loses track of time. Bedtime procrastination is linked to shorter sleep, poorer sleep quality, and more daytime fatigue.
People may delay sleep for different reasons. They might not be trying to avoid sleep on purpose, but instead continue doing activities they find more enjoyable, such as watching TV, using social media, or playing video games. Today, there are many distractions, and it is easier to delay sleep than it was in the past.
Problematic smartphone use can directly lead to bedtime procrastination. People who use their smartphones a lot are more likely to go to bed late because they find it hard to stop using them. They enjoy the short-term satisfaction and want more time for entertainment. Bedtime procrastination can also connect smartphone addiction with depression and anxiety. Habitual smartphone overuse results in bedtime procrastination, and shorter sleep duration and lower sleep quality may trigger many negative emotions responsible for depression and anxiety.
The term revenge bedtime procrastination was coined on the Chinese social media platform Weibo in 2014 to describe delaying sleep in an attempt to exercise control over one's spare time at night, in response to a perceived lack of control over the events of the day.
People who experience bedtime procrastination may also develop insomnia, the inability to fall asleep easily. They may have sleep disturbances and might feel the need to use sleeping pills to fall asleep. Bedtime procrastination can also cause a person to take naps or have very short sleep episodes (microsleep) during the day to make up for not getting enough sleep.