Sleep Health Journal Article Highlights Association Between Bedtime Procrastination and Sleep Health
Washington, D.C. (September 13, 2023): New research published in the National Sleep Foundation’s (NSF) Sleep Health journal shows bedtime procrastination was associated with poorer sleep health.
The thief of (bed)time: Examination of the daily associations between bedtime procrastination and multidimensional sleep health (Carlson, Baron, Johnson, and Williams) analyzed sleep data from nearly 300 undergraduate students at a U.S.-based university.
The authors explain bedtime procrastination is a common occurrence where sleep is delayed voluntarily in the absence of external obligations. Activities can include leisure activities like viewing social media or socializing with friends. Research findings showed that greater bedtime procrastination was associated with poorer self-reported sleep restoration, later sleep timing, less efficient sleep, and shorter sleep duration.
“Our findings demonstrated that, regardless of whether you are a night owl or morning lark, procrastinating your bedtime disrupts sleep. In our study, bedtime procrastinators reported insomnia-like sleep patterns, but further research is needed to determine the role of this bedtime behavior in sleep disorders” explained Steven Carlson, MS, the primary author on this work.
“National Sleep Foundation is committed to translating science and research for the public to help anyone and everyone be their Best Slept Self®. Towards this goal, NSF encourages everyone to prioritize their sleep. As reported in the study by Carlson and colleagues, when sleep is voluntarily postponed, people tend to sleep worse. One effective way to help prioritize sleep is through establishing a healthy sleep schedule.” said NSF Vice President of Research and Scientific Affairs, Joseph Dzierzewski, PhD.
Utilizing a personal wind-down routine in the evenings, which consists of relaxing activities like listening to calming music, meditation, or journaling can help signal that it’s time for your body to go to sleep. Along with a sleep-friendly environment that is dark, quiet, and cool, people can set themselves up for a good night’s sleep. NSF recommends putting away electronic devices an hour before bedtime to also help prevent bedtime distractions.
The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) is dedicated to improving health and well-being through sleep education and advocacy. For more information about sleep health, visit theNSF.org/sleep-health-topics.
About the National Sleep Foundation
The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation dedicated to improving health and well-being through sleep education and advocacy. Founded in 1990, the NSF is committed to advancing excellence in sleep health theory, research and practice. theNSF.org
About Sleep Health®: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation
The landmark, award-winning, peer-reviewed journal Sleep Health publishes the latest studies on the cross-section of sleep’s role in population health and the social sciences from global, multidisciplinary perspectives. SleepHealthJournal.org
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