revenge bedtime: sacrificing sleep to get more joy

if you ever find yourself sacrificing sleep in favour of staying up and watching a little more netflix, reading one more chapter or just getting any kind of free time — even if that means you’ll be incredibly tired the next morning — you’re probably experiencing what the sleep foundation has dubbed “revenge bedtime.”

“for many of us, there is definitely more of an overlap between work and personal time during covid,” explains judith mendoza, an occupational therapist who specializes in insomnia at toronto’s a good sleep . “reduced personal time can drive the need to find the time to recharge or have ‘me time’ when everyone is asleep.”

“there are financial pressures, work deadlines, juggling family needs and online schooling within the constant hum of ambient anxiety that goes with living through a pandemic with multiple unknowns,” she says. “this reduced sense of control can drive a strong urge to find areas of life where we can exercise control. when we choose to go to bed is within our control.”

that cycle can also impact thinking, memory, productivity, and your ability to make decisions. your physical health is also at risk as you become more susceptible to cardiovascular problems and metabolic disorders, like diabetes, and erode immune function (which isn’t ideal during a pandemic). for sure, lack of sleep is not good, but it’s not uncommon: 40 per cent of people have had general sleeping problems since the pandemic began in 2020.

according to a 2019 survey published in the journal frontiers in neuroscience , students and women are most likely to experience revenge bedtime, along with those who tend to procrastinate in other areas of their life. you know who you are.