Deliberately delaying one's bedtime by staying awake to watch series or scroll through social media (the phenomenon of bedtime procrastination).

noli's read

The phenomenon shared by Carla is scientifically well-documented under the name 'bedtime procrastination' (or 'revenge bedtime procrastination'), a concept formalized in 2014 by the team of researcher Floor Kroese. A 2022 meta-analysis conducted by an international team confirms that this habit is directly correlated with shorter nights, poorer recovery, and a feeling of daytime fatigue. Regarding the direct impact of screens, a vast 2025 observational study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry shows that nocturnal smartphone use and streaming in bed significantly reduce the duration and overall quality of our rest. Furthermore, work led by Liu in 2025 demonstrates that the duration of social media use right before turning off the lights is one of the major triggers for this voluntary delay. Behavioral research explains this need as a quest for compensation: after a busy day, scrolling becomes a way to grant oneself a moment of personal freedom. Carla's observation is therefore perfectly validated by science, which instead suggests we cultivate real moments of disconnection during the day to protect our evenings.

the sources

1. 1Kroese FM, De Ridder DTD, Evers C, Adriaanse MA. 2014