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By Katherine Bruce

6 reasons it’s so tricky to change your bedtime procrastination routine

Does this sound familiar…

You feel tired from the moment your alarm drags you out of bed in the morning.

You spend the day promising yourself an early night. 

When the evening comes around, you find yourself going to bed late, yet again.

It’s exasperating! 

And for non-bedtime procrastinators, it sounds bonkers. Even our pets, if they could talk to us, might well say we were being ridiculous. Matthew Walker, author of the brilliant Why We Sleep says:

“Human beings are the only species that deliberately deprive themselves of sleep for no apparent gain. Many people walk through their lives in an underslept state, not realizing it.”

The trouble is that for most of us, our bedtime procrastination habit is complicated. Here are six factors that can make it tricky when you're trying to figure out how to go to bed on time.

Exhausted self-control 

Lots of studies have shown that willpower diminishes throughout the day. In this article, psychologist Roy F. Baumeister says:

“People may start the day fresh and rested, but as they exert self-control over the course of the day, their powers may diminish. Many researchers have observed that self-control tends to break down late in the day, especially if it has been a demanding or stressful day.”

You’re more likely to do exercise or anything else that requires a bit of self-discipline, if you set out to do it in the morning. Unfortunately, going to bed is (or at least should be!) done at night.

A late chronotype

Maybe you happen to be one of the 15% of people who have a late chronotype, which means you’re not wired to sleep at a ‘normal’ time. This makes it easier to succumb to bedtime procrastination.

Screens...and more screens

It’s probably never been harder to avoid bedtime procrastination. From all those dopamine-filled social media feeds to 24-hour streaming – it’s little wonder that so many of us are missing out on sleep! But as habit expert James Clear says in his Atomic Habits book:

“You don’t have to be the victim of your environment. You can also be the architect of it.”

Losing track of time

A study by Saane Naughts and colleagues found some bedtime procrastinators simply lose track of time in the evenings. The researchers called this ‘mindless procrastination’. If losing track of time is your main issue, then the answer may well be to set various alarms: one to go to bed and one to turn off the light. Definitely worth a try.

Issues behind the scenes

From ADHD to depression, bedtime procrastination crops up as a symptom of multiple other issues. Do discuss it with your doctor or other healthcare professional. 

You're stuck in a habit

At Untired Me, we're firm believers that habit can play a big part in bedtime procrastination. The Untired Me programme focuses on rewiring that habit!