Written by: Nev Amp, Practice Consultant, Rural Alive & Well

We all know that sleep makes us feel better, and that going without sleep makes us feel worse, so why is it that we so often compromise our sleep? One reason may be due to the concept of ‘revenge bedtime procrastination’.

You may not have heard of the phrase ‘revenge bedtime procrastination’ but that doesn’t mean that you don’t do it.

We all crave balance in life; time for work and commitments, and time to switch off from responsibilities. Unfortunately, work and daily commitments tend to intrude on our free time.

That means that switching off or having ‘free time’ in each day can feel almost impossible.

In an effort to try and regain balance or some sense of control over our lives, we can start to compromise our time spent sleeping (referred to as revenge bedtime procrastination).

This can look like staying up late, eating late, drinking alcohol, watching yet another episode of your favourite tv show, or just trying to gain back as much ‘free time’ as possible.

You might be thinking, ‘and what’s the harm in that?’.

Well, sleep is essential to our survival. Contrary to popular belief, our body is hard at work during sleep.

Sleep assists in:

• Healing and repairing the heart and blood vessels

• Balancing hormones that regulate stress and hunger

• Regulating our blood sugar levels
• Assisting in proper immune system functioning

Below are some positive sleep habits that you can try out:

• Establish a realistic bedtime and stick to it; keep in mind that adults need 7-8hrs of sleep per night.
• Have a comfortable sleep environment (dark room, comfortable mattress, pillows, sheets, etc.)
• Switch off technology at least an hour before bedtime
• Stay away from caffeine, alcohol and large meals in the hours leading to bedtime
• Manage stress and worries before going to bed (get organised for the day ahead, set priorities, delegate tasks, problem solve issues you have control over, and scheduling in ‘worry time’)
• Exercise during the day
• If you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep within 20 minutes, get out of bed and do something calming, like reading a book. When you start to get sleepy again, head to bed.
• Know when to contact your GP (diagnosable sleep disorder like insomnia or sleep apnoea are common sleep conditions)

If you’re still not convinced the benefits of sleep is worth missing out on that ‘free time’ you have at the end of the day, then our challenge to you is this: What boundaries do you need to set in place during the day so you can go to bed early and feel like you achieved more than just ‘work and chores’.

To start moving towards better sleep habits, contact our team today!