Why is it a bad idea?
Because we feel like we've accumulated years of fatigue? More seriously, I know that staying up late isn't a good plan, mainly because it disrupts our natural circadian rhythm 😵. We shorten our nights, so our disrupted biological clock is forced to shorten sleep cycles (I talked about this in my article on polyphasic sleep).
Obviously, all this isn't without consequences on our body, because in the long term, we increase the risks of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and even… depression. Indeed, with fatigue, we are less focused, our memory is impaired, and consequently, we can get caught in a vicious cycle.
>>> Read; What are the symptoms of depression?
I admit, it's been so long since I took on this bad habit that I can't say when it started. But it's clear that emotional and physical fatigue has accumulated 😥…
Why do we do it?
To be honest, I've been aware for several years that staying up late is a bad idea 💤. I've seen the harmful consequences of this bad habit. However, I'd like to point out the main cause of this behavior: society and, more specifically,
work.
📌 As psychologist Katie Turner explains, we all need to decompress, so we try to make up for the hours lost working. And the only free time we have during the week is in the evening, when it's time to go to bed 😫. |
Going to bed means moving on to the next day, and when we haven't done the things we wanted to do, going to bed becomes a source of anxiety. We're not ready to move on to the next day 😖!
At least, that's how I personally feel. I've had insomnia problems recently because I keep thinking about all the things I could have done and all the things I won't be able to do on time.
How to break this vicious cycle?
I can't stretch the days, unfortunately, and neither can you. So, what do we do 🙃? Don't worry, I didn't start this article without thinking of some ideas. Anyway, I think we can work on two fronts:
👉 The desire for short-term gratification
In the first case, sleep expert Li Åslund explained that we focus too much on the short term and immediate rewards. In fact, there's a kind of FOMO hiding behind night owls.
For example, I know I tend to want to binge-watch my series to make sure I don't miss anything and avoid spoilers. However, wouldn't it be better to let that happen and be in good shape the next day 😓?
Sleep requires sacrifices, and since unfortunately, we need to work and thus earn a salary to pay for our lives, we have to sacrifice other things. In the long term, we'll really see the difference, we'll feel generally more refreshed, and so what if we get spoiled on the latest episode.
👉 Lack of organization
Yes, I admit it, and so does my therapist, I am a very disorganized person. As a result, I often get overwhelmed by things and end up procrastinating. That's really the heart of the problem, procrastination.
Often, we feel like we're doing more by staying up late, but in reality, not so much. We're less focused, less fresh, so we tend to slack off rather than do the tasks we had planned. At least, that's my case again. It was by talking to my therapist that I realized this. It's necessary to have good organization and well-defined and precise tasks to escape this unconscious phenomenon.
The more organized we are, the more rested we'll be. This is how we reclaim the time lost to work: by being more efficient during our waking moments. So, are we going to bed early tonight 😴? Deal!
The editorial opinion: Understanding the whyIf you've followed along this far, you might be, like me, a fan of those extended evenings that seem to steal time itself. But as you've understood, this theft is more of a fool's bargain where we trade hours of sleep for accumulating fatigue.
If you find yourself scrolling for hours, counting sheep, or rehashing the day's events instead of falling into the arms of Morpheus, maybe it's time to seek a little help. A professional, a psychologist, could help you untangle the threads of your sleepless nights. Going to bed early tonight is good, but understanding why we didn't do it before is even better. And for that, a little professional help is welcome. So, dare to make that appointment? 😉
🤗 Understanding, accepting, being happy... It's here and now!
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But also:
Sources: "Internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for adolescents with insomnia: Feasibility and preliminary efficacy" by Li Åslund // Katie Turner Psychology
