This blog post we’re dedicating to Beth.
Since the Christmas holidays, she’s been going to bed too late and paying for it the next morning.
Feeling sluggish, and overly tired in the morning, she wants another hour or two of shut-eye before getting on with the rest of her day. But then when she gives in and sleeps in, giving herself that extra hour or two, she feels like a loser.
Poor, slow-moving Beth.
Probably the easiest way to end this self-inflicted torture is to change behavior not in the PM but in the AM.
Another way to say this is to go ahead and enjoy your last late-night binge. You’re good and tired now. And you should be – it’s way past midnight. But before you go to bed, set as many alarms and wake-up signals as you can because the next morning, you’re going to drag yourself out of bed, regardless of how exhausted you are.
Rise and shine with the first alarm set for 6 am.
The good news here, of course, is the next evening, because of lack of sleep the night before, you’ll have broken the disruptive cycle of staying up too late. You’ll be so sleepy and tired you’ll want to hit the pillow early.
You should wake up naturally, but just to be on the safe side, it’s probably a good idea to set the alarm. But if you keep this early-to-bed/early-to-rise pattern up for a few more nights; you’ll no doubt wake up naturally at your desired hour.
Problem solved! Sort of.
Because most of us are like Beth. We’ve been at this “late to bed/sluggish in the morning sleep cycle more than once.
So I guess the real question is why do we develop this cycle in the first place? When we know it feels like an intentional action that undermines our progress and prevents us from accomplishing our goals, why do we do it anyway? Are there any tips and techniques to banish this behavior once and for all?
There are lots of theories on why we develop this self-sabotaging behavior.
As it turns out there could be several reasons, we develop what researchers call, “Bedtime Procrastination,” or in some cases, it’s called, “Revenge Bedtime Procrastination.”
According to Wikipedia, the cause of Bedtime Procrastination usually centers around simply losing sight of the time and so we miss our regular bedtime.
With Bedtime Procrastination, we are voluntarily delaying going to bed. We’re sacrificing sleep for personal time. That happens to all of us from time to time and seems logical to me, especially if it happens only occasionally.
But over time Bedtime Procrastination can lead to sleep deprivation and impact both our mental and physical health.
Another bedtime issue is called Revenge Bedtime Procrastination . It has been defined as an attempt to have control over the night due to a perceived lack of influence and control over the events of the day. Bedtime procrastination has been linked to shorter sleeping time, poorer sleep quality, and of course, higher tiredness during the day.
And so, we have Bedtime Procrastination, stress and anxiety, and Revenge Bedtime Procrastination.
Let’s take a quick look at all three with some simple ideas on how you can “put them to bed” so you will go to bed.
Bedtime Procrastination
This may be the easiest one to conquer. You’re just losing track of the time and going past your bedtime.
This one I solved fairly easily with my Fitbit. I simply set a nightly reminder on my watch to alert me when it is time to start getting ready for bed. Sure, some nights I brush it off – ignore it. But that’s rare. For me, it works like a charm. Simply set a reminder to put down the book, turn off the TV, and finish the last phone call of the night. Seems to work like a charm.
Stress and Anxiety
Let’s look at the gut punch of anxiety and stress.
We all know this one. Our mind loops around the same track. We keep going over the same upsetting conversation, or we worry over a question that just doesn’t have a clear-cut answer.
When all that buzzing is going on in our head, it’s hard to quiet the noise and get some rest. Here’s a thoughtful partial list from BetterUp. For the entire list/article follow this link.
During the Day
· Focus on what is within your control
· Eat healthy/exercise
· Develop a mantra
Before going to bed
· Develop a nightly routine and stick to it
· Avoid stimulants
· Practice mindfulness
Revenge Bedtime Procrastination
This one might be the hardest one to crack. But here are a few suggestions, and links to longer articles if you think this might be your issue.
· Reframe your mindset – don’t view sleep as an obligation
· Plan ahead
· Seek professional help if need be
· additional articles: BetterUp SleepFoundation Reddit
As always, we hope this helps. Sweet Dreams! ❤️
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