To overcome bedtime procrastination, one should use predefined 'if-then' action plans (implementation intentions) by identifying the obstacle and the corrective behavior in advance (e.g., 'If it is 10:30 p.m. and I am scrolling, then I will put down my phone and brush my teeth'), rather than relying solely on willpower.

noli's read

This advice draws directly on the concept of 'implementation intentions,' a behavioral regulation strategy theorized by psychologist Peter Gollwitzer. A landmark meta-analysis (Gollwitzer & Sheeran, 2006) covering 94 studies confirms that these 'if-then' plans have a strong and measurable impact on achieving well-being goals. Specifically regarding sleep, two randomized controlled trials (RCT) published in 2019 in the journal Psychology & Health demonstrate that this technique significantly reduces time lost to procrastination before sleep. Another recent work (Sezer et al., 2025) confirms that a daily routine based on this method reduces bedtime procrastination by approximately 16 minutes per night. However, behavioral specialists qualify this principle for highly stimulating habits: when faced with infinite screen scrolling, passively modifying one's environment in advance (such as charging one's phone outside the bedroom starting at dinner) often proves more robust than attempting to trigger a conscious rule at the exact moment the brain is captivated by a dopamine flow.

the sources

1. 1Kroese FM, De Ridder DTD, Evers C, Adriaanse MA. 2014
2. 2Gollwitzer PM, Sheeran P 2006