Bedtime procrastination

Whether you actually go to bed when you meant to — the nightly gap between intention and lights-out.

Bedtime procrastination — going to bed later than you intended, with no external reason for the delay — is a validated construct measured by the Bedtime Procrastination Scale (Kroese, De Ridder, Evers & Adriaanse, 2014). It's about self-regulation rather than your body clock (that's chronotype), and the scale measures degree. 'Revenge bedtime procrastination' is the popular name for one motive: delaying sleep to reclaim free time after a day that didn't feel like your own. (Bedtime Procrastination Scale (Kroese et al., 2014))

Groups

• Lights out on time — When I decide it's bedtime, I go — no detours.
• The gentle drifter — Most nights I'm close — give or take one more chapter or episode.
• The serial postponer — I regularly stay up later than I meant to, for no real reason — and I know it.
• The revenge bedtime procrastinator — Late nights are how I claim back time for myself after a demanding day.
• No set bedtime — I don't aim at a bedtime in the first place, so there's nothing to postpone.

Related topics

• Chronotype (body clock)
• Sleep position
• What helps you sleep
• How you dream
• How much sleep you need

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