What is "Revenge Bedtime Procrastination"
Popular media personality and socialite, Kourtney Kardashian is known for capturing beautiful moments from her life and sharing them on her social media, but her recent story stood out from the rest. It featured an image of her lounging on her bed way past her bedtime. "R U Guilty Of Revenge Bedtime Procrastination?" is how the text on her image read. So what's that you ask? Have you heard your friends complaining about not getting enough sleep? Have you, yourself experienced tired mornings due to exhaustion and lack of sleep? You may be experiencing "Revenge Bedtime Procrastination". Revenge bedtime procrastination elaborates on the decision taken by an individual to sacrifice sleep for leisure time which is lacking because of their daily schedule.
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Where Does The Term Stem From?
The word "revenge" attached to the concept of bedtime procrastination became popular on social media and is trending currently because many individuals are consciously choosing bedtime procrastination. "Revenge bedtime procrastination" reportedly emerged from an expression in Chinese that reflected frustration tied to long, stressful work hours that left little time for personal enjoyment. According to BBC, "it's not clear exactly where this term came from. The earliest mention was in a blog post dated November 2018, although its origins likely predate this. The post's author – a man from Guangdong province – wrote that during the workday he “belonged to someone else,” and that he could only “find himself” when he got home and could lie down. This revenge bedtime procrastination was sad, he wrote, because his health suffered, but it was also “great” because he got a bit of freedom."
Those who have high-stress jobs that do not allow them any free time during the day may choose to indulge in revenge bedtime procrastination as a way to gain leisure time and entertainment, even at the cost of their sleep. Though sleep procrastination may be tempting at that very moment, the results may prove harmful to health.
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What Are The Known Side Effects?
The constant late nights followed by early mornings can stress out an individual in ways they may not be aware of. Not getting enough sleep can seriously affect an individual's physical, mental, and emotional health. It may cause short-term as well as long-term consequences. Understanding the symptoms, causes and effects has become the need of the hour, because of the growing cases of bedtime procrastination. In revenge for bedtime procrastination, sleep is usually curtailed in favour of activities that offer more immediate enjoyment and entertainment. Watching TV, spending time with friends, playing video games, or mindless scrolling on social media are a few examples of bedtime procrastination.
Bedtime procrastination can have many serious effects, sleep deprivation being the most common one. Without enough hours of sleep, the mind and body can face a negative impact. Insufficient sleep degrades the power of the mind regarding decision-making, thinking, and memory. It may worsen physical health, making people prone to cardiovascular problems and metabolic disorders like diabetes. The lack of sleep is directly linked to irritability and even mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety.
The best way to deal with the symptoms of bedtime procrastination would be to visit a doctor as soon as you start to show symptoms of sleep deprivation and sleeplessness without any apparent reason.
Source: BBC
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