Sleep procrastination. Have you ever heard of it? Even if you haven’t, chances are you’re doing it, at least some of the time. Let’s dive into sleep procrastination so you can spot this snooze-wrecking habit—and bust it for good!

What Is Sleep Procrastination?

According to this Instagram post by our friend Dr. Michael J. Breus, AKA The Sleep Doctor, sleep procrastination is when you put off bedtime to reclaim personal time. 

You might find yourself:

• Scrolling social media
• Watching Netflix (or an endless loop of cat videos)
• Reading
• Online shopping
• Engaging in an abundance of other non-productive, time-sucking activities

Not that all of these things are non-productive, of course. But if you’re not careful, before you know it, you’ve lost track of time and you’ve cut into your precious sleeping hours. As we know from the Sleep Deep pillar of the 8 Pillars of a Nutritious Life, poor sleep quality and quantity trickle down into our daily lives.

No bueno!

So what is one to do?

How to Avoid Sleep Procrastination

Your first step should be to calculate your bedtime, then work backward from there. This article shares with you the exact process that Dr. Breus advises, based on REM sleep cycles.

Once you have your ideal bedtime, use these tips to create a plan for avoiding sleep procrastination:

• Make time for yourself throughout the day—and earlier in the day!—so you’re not trying to squeeze in “me time” late at night
• Set an alarm to turn off your TV or electronics
• Have an accountability partner who will make sure you’re sticking to your plan
• Try a “power-down” hour before you go to bed

More from our founder Keri Glassman, RD, and Dr. Michael Breus

Want even more sleep procrastination tips? Check out this discussion between Nutritious Life founder Keri Glassman, who is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Dr. Michael Breus:

 

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