How to Stop Going to Bed Late at Night [Delayed Bedtime] (2023)

(Last updated: January 3, 2023)

If you avoid going to bed at night, your mental and physical well-being will deteriorate.

Many people have a condition called bedtime procrastination. This is where the person delays bedtime and ends up sleeping too late, resulting in sleep deprivation and an inability to function properly.

To avoid bedtime procrastination, make time for what you love to do, as this will keep you from feeling like you have to stay up late. To do this, cut all unnecessary activities from your schedule and do not work late. Also, don't push yourself to do too much.

Putting away electronics 30 minutes before bed and establishing a regular bedtime and wake-up routine will help you deal with bedtime procrastination.

While this may seem like a slow and uncomfortable process, your internal clock will learn to regulate itself, helping you fall asleep and wake up at more conventional times.

Why do I keep going to bed later and later?

HeInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Healthstates that sleep is vital for maintaining the body's homeostasis and overall function. Going to bed too late has many consequences.

Sleep deprivation leads to excessive tiredness during the day, poor brain function and impaired bodily processes, increasing the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Weight gain and food cravings are other common side effects.

There are two main types of sleep-related procrastination:

• Procrastination at bedtime: This involves delaying going to bed.
• procrastination in bed: This is the act of delaying sleep while in bed.

The two are closely related - you can have both or one.

Avoiding sleep has many causes and names, such as:

Revenge of Procrastination at Bedtime

If you have trouble sleeping at night, you may be getting revenge for putting off bedtime.

This condition occurs when sleep is sacrificed for leisure activities such as playing video games, watching television, orreading, otherwise you would not have time during the day.

People in high-stress jobs who work long hours are likely to take revenge for putting off bedtime, as it's their way of regaining control. It is also more likely to affect:

• Students
• People who procrastinate in their daily lives.

The term bedtime procrastination comes from the idea that someone is getting revenge for hours of the day that don't offer time to enjoy.

Unfortunately, when someone gets into a routine of bedtime procrastination, sleep deprivation sets in and causes serious mental and physical health problems, sometimes with long-term consequences.

These factors are the main characteristics of bedtime revenge procrastination:

• Delay going to bed, reducing total sleep time
• You don't have a valid reason to stay up late
• Realizing that going to bed too late will have negative consequences, but going to bed anyway

Revenge for putting off bedtime is a habit you need to break to break the cycle of not sleeping.

Anxiety

Anxiety is often linked to sleep problems because that's when people think about the things that worry them the most. Some people with the condition begin to dread bedtime and stay up later and later to avoid it.

This is because people with anxiety develop excessive and disproportionate suffering to the situation. Anxiety interferes with daily life and becomes a persistent fear that cannot be controlled.

Constant worry and fear when you go to bed makes it almost impossible to fall asleep and stay asleep without waking up every few hours. Sleep deprivation can make anxiety worse, causing heightened psychological problems and an endless cycle of anxiety and insomnia.

According toAnxiety and Depression Society of America, anxiety affects 25.1% of children between the ages of 13 and 18 in the United States, and is equally common among adults.

Depression

Many people with depression struggle to sleep, so they stay up late because they realize that staying asleep is pointless. Depression is not something we are always aware of having. Even if they suspect, they deny themselves.

Depression manifests itself in many ways, but symptoms include:

• feelings of helplessness
• Loss of interest in daily activities.
• Changes in sleep pattern
• Loss of energy and appetite.
• anger or irritability

While some people with depression sleep more, others can't get ready for bed, procrastinating until they can't stay awake anymore.

somnophobia

Somniphobia is an extreme fear or anxiety about going to bed.

The condition is also known as:

• hypnophobia
• clinophobia
• sleep anxiety
• dream dread

No one knows the exact cause, but experts believe that sleep phobia is the result of sleep paralysis or nightmare disorder. These sleep disorders produce distressing symptoms, making people with the condition afraid to sleep.

The main symptoms include:

• Fear and anxiety as soon as you think about sleeping
• Increased distress levels as night approaches
• Staying awake as long as possible to avoid going to bed
• Panic attacks at bedtime
• Difficulty remembering or focusing on things when bedtime approaches

Although somniphobia is not common, sufferers choose to stay awake as late as possible.

ADHD

People with ADHD often have trouble sleeping and sleeping at night. ADHD causes restlessness that disrupts sleep patterns.

That makes it harder:

• fall asleep
• stay asleep
• To wake up

Many adults with ADHA describe themselves asnight owlsThey get a sudden burst of energy at night. They also find it difficult to turn their minds off to sleep, even when they are tired.

When they finally fall asleep, they are restless and uncomfortable, which makes for a stressful experience. ADHD often goes undiagnosed, which could be why you stay up late.

Delayed Sleep Disorder Syndrome

Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (SDPS) occurs when people find it difficult to go to bed late at night.

If you have DSPS, your body is programmed to go to sleep and wake up about two hours or longer than your conventional sleep and wake time. The amount of sleep you get is normal (about 6-8 hours), but you can't control the timings.

Specifically, people with DPSP find it difficult to:

• Fall asleep unless you go to bed later than most people
• Waking up at a conventional time because your internal body clock is not working properly

People with this condition have an internal biological clock that is not working properly. The hormone melatonin and lifestyle factors are the main culprits, but scientists have yet to discover the cause.

Delayed sleep phase syndrome is most common in teenagers, but it can affect people of all ages. Depression and insomnia are also closely related to the disease.

How to stop sleeping late at night

If you go to bed later than you should every night, you might want to know how to stop staying up all night and sleep all day. You should make some lifestyle changes and stick to a sleep schedule.

Keep a consistent bedtime

Chances are, if you're procrastinating before going to bed every night, you're probably not checking what time you go to sleep. This means your bedtime is inconsistent and causes trouble sleeping.

One of the best ways to stop sleeping late at night is to develop a consistent routine. The best way to do this is:

• Choose a new bedtime and stick to it
• Set an alarm early every morning and force yourself to get up.

At first, this routine will not be pleasant, and you may find yourself lying awake at night, struggling to fall asleep. However, setting the alarm and getting up as soon as it goes off will make all the difference. Over time, you will regulate your internal clock and feel tired enough to fall asleep when your desired bedtime arrives.

Also, remember that you don't have to try hard. Choosing an interval of a few hours is better than worrying about going to bed and waking up at a certain time. Make sure you don't stray too far from your new sleep schedule on the weekends, as this will slow the process down and hurt your progress.

Avoid caffeine and alcohol

Caffeine and alcohol can affect the amount and quality of sleep for two reasons.

Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors in the brain. Adenosine is a sleep-promoting chemical that your brain produces when you're awake. The more it builds up, the more tired we get. Because coffee and other caffeinated beverages block the receptors, we are awake and alert and struggle to sleep.

Alcoholit's as bad for sleep as a chemical depressant is for the nervous system. Although it decreases brain activity and has a sedative effect, it can affect the quality and duration of sleep. When consumed in excessive amounts, it causes insomnia-like symptoms.

While you don't need to completely eliminate caffeine and alcohol from your diet, avoid drinking caffeine more than 6 hours before bedtime and drink alcohol in small amounts.

Exercise

Regular aerobic exercise allows you to fall asleep faster. It also helps reduce daytime sleepiness when you don't get enough sleep at night.

Good examples of aerobic exercise include:

• brisk walk
• Cycling
• run or jog
• gym classes

A great way to gauge the intensity of your workouts is to take the talking test. You must be able to speak during the exercises, but you must not be able to sing.

Getting into a regular exercise routine can also help you stick to a better sleep schedule. Don't exercise too close to bedtime, as this will likely have the opposite effect.

avoid naps

While short naps usually don't affect sleep, long naps too late can lead to poor quality sleep at night and leave you with a lot of energy.

If you think napping is the cause of your procrastination issues, cut it out of your daily routine to see if it makes a difference in how much you procrastinate at night.

Stop using electronics before bed

We waste time on our phones and laptops during bedtime procrastination while watching TV or playing gamesvideo games.

The National Sleep Foundation's 2011 Sleep in America survey found that 4 out of 10 Americans take their phone to bed. This could be why you're reluctant to go to bed: You struggle to get away from your devices.

That's not all, as electronic devices affect sleep quality. This is because they suppress the body's ability to produce melatonin, the hormone responsible for drowsiness, which our body releases every night to help us feel tired.

A healthy biological clock operates on a 24-hour sleep-wake cycle. As soon as the sun rises, our bodies start producing cortisol, the hormone that keeps us alert.

Most phones and handheld devices emit blue light, which slows melatonin production and encourages the body to produce cortisol. It makes you feel less sleepy and encourages you to procrastinate more.

Avoid being on your phone for at least an hour before bed to give your mind and body a chance to feel sleepy.

Establish bedtime rituals

Develop a better bedtime routine by establishing gentle, relaxing rituals that help you fall asleep.

A bedtime routine consists of activities you do about 30 to 60 minutes before bed, at the same time and for the same amount of time before the lights go out. This helps your brain recognize that it's almost bedtime.

Some activities you can try include:

• Reading a book
• meditating
• Practice breathing techniques.
• light stretching
• touching music
• Yoga
• Daily

Bedtime rituals also reduce stress and anxiety, preventing worrisome thoughts from taking hold and preventing you from sleeping.

They also allow you to do what you love, making you feel more fulfilled and less likely to procrastinate at night out of revenge.

take a warm bath

HeCornell University School of Medicineexplains how a drop in core body temperature before bed increases your chances of falling asleep. You can do this with a warm bath or shower.

To lower your temperature, you need to raise it 90 minutes before you plan to sleep by taking ahot bath or shower. Your body will sense the rise in core temperature and respond by dilating your blood vessels and directing blood flow to your skin. This releases heat, helping you feel more relaxed and ready for sleep.

A warm bath prepares your body for sleep, allowing your mind to relax, rest and eliminate negative or stressful thoughts. Using aromatherapy or essential oils as part of your bath routine encourages deeper relaxation before bed.

drink herbal tea

The right tea can help you sleep and feel ready for sleep. Herbal teas promote relaxation and reduce fatigue, improving the quality and duration of sleep. Some of the best teas for sleep include these herbs:

• valerian root
• Chamomile
• Lavender
• lemongrass
• passion flower
• magnolia bark

Herbal teas can reduce caffeine intake, making it easier to ditch coffee before bed. Make it a bedtime ritual and allow yourself to procrastinate as you prepare and drink your tea.

As soon as the drink is finished, start getting ready for bed. This lets you take five without the guilt of knowing you need to sleep.

How to Stop Procrastination at Bedtime for Revenge

While these methods improve sleep duration and quality, the revenge of bedtime procrastination requires a little more personalized treatment to get you in the right mindset to rest.

The condition doesn't affect how tired you are: you can be exhausted and still have trouble getting to bed. To combat this, you need to start looking at the night differently.

That's how:

Make time for your hobbies

You've been putting off going to bed because you don't have enough time during the day for your hobbies. Time flies when you have a busy schedule, so make time for what you enjoy before bed.

Don't get overwhelmed by adding too many activities at once; distribute them throughout the week for maximum compliance.

cut unnecessary activities

Look at your daily schedule with fresh eyes to eliminate things that don't offer joy or satisfaction.

While you can't avoid all commitments, there's always room to eliminate the things that don't make you happy and are more likely to make you stay even later.

make achievable goals

When you think about what you want to accomplish each day, set achievable goals that you can stick to.

If one of your goals is to paint a picture in your spare time, don't stress yourself out by thinking you have to start and finish in one afternoon. This is unrealistic and will lead you to postpone bedtime.

Reduce your working hours

It's easy to fall into the trap of working longer hours than necessary, but this eats up your free time and gives you fewer opportunities to do the things you enjoy.

Get the work done in a reasonable amount of time, even if you haven't checked everything off your to-do list. It will always be waiting for you in the morning.

Another thing you can do is avoid meetings that come too late in your schedule. Meetings tend to become overloaded, throwing your schedule out of sync, so block your schedule for the last hour of your work day to prevent colleagues and clients from scheduling meetings too close to "home time".

Those who postpone bedtime fall into a vicious cycle that they cannot break. Over time, this becomes your routine, but it causes problems staying awake and functioning properly during the day.

Taking steps to view bedtime differently can help you sleep more soundly at night without putting it off.