Staying up late even when you know you shouldn't? It's more serious than you think

You've finished another grueling day of work. The chores are done, your kids are fast asleep, and it's finally time for some much-needed self-care and relaxation.

But it's midnight. You know it's probably time for bed, yet you decide to binge that Netflix show or surf social media for the next two hours instead.

This decision to sacrifice sleep for leisure time is called revenge bedtime procrastination, and experts say actually doing more harm than good.

"The paradox is that you're really only hurting yourself," says Dr. Sabrina Romanoff, a clinical psychologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "Although you might be motivated by taking back control over your time, you're also taking away the valuable resource of sleep."

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Why we sabotage our sleep

Revenge bedtime procrastination stems from a lack of free time during the day. It can affect anyone with little control over their busy daytime schedules, from high school students to parents.

"People with really busy schedules tend to think, 'Well, I really deserve to relax. I deserve to take some time to myself,'" says Amy Morin, a licensed psychotherapist. "So rather than go straight to sleep, they want to go do something they find immediate enjoyment in."

Part of what makes these behaviors feel good in the moment is that they're inefficient and carefree. In a way, it allows people to get "revenge" for their 9-5 frustrations.

"When people feel they have little control over their time during the day, they tend to work out that frustration by staying up later and compensating with purely self-indulgent activities," Romanoff says.

Revenge bedtime procrastination has also worsened during the pandemic. Stepping into your home after work used to trigger relaxation. But now, many people are working from home, and they're absorbing the strain and overlap of their work and home lives.

"We no longer have fixed boundaries between the two, and must learn to maintain them independently to prevent the feeling like you are living at work and losing your place of refuge," Romanoff adds.

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Deprioritizing sleep isn't the answer to de-stressing

While we all need leisure time, skipping out on sleep isn't the way to do it.

"You might think that by watching late-night TV shows, you'll feel really good, but often times people then feel guilty the next day for wasting that time, for not getting enough sleep," Morin says. "And then they're cranky, tired, feeling overwhelmed."

As a result, people often end up being more sleep-deprived and less productive at work, leading to working longer hours and staying up late again to make up for it.

If you're really looking to treat yourself to some self-care, the best thing to do is get some rest. According to both experts, sleep is crucial for improving our memory, allowing us to tolerate stress and regulating our mood throughout the day.

"Mood disorders such as depression and anxiety involve symptoms relating to poor sleep quality, disturbed sleep, insomnia and hypersomnia," Romanoff says.

Morin adds that people who have preexisting mental health issues tend to experience a worsening of their symptoms if they aren't sleeping enough.

"Sleep deprivation can cause them to feel overwhelmed, rundown, and they'll have more difficulty regulating their emotions – even something small they can handle on a regular day can seem like a really big deal," Morin says.

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Morin and Romanoff have offered suggestions to stop your revenge bedtime procrastination habits.

• Prioritize one leisure time activity: Rather than watching a full two-hour movie before bed, watch 20 minutes of it so you still feel like you're accomplishing something fun without sacrificing too much sleep.

• Cultivate a consistent bedtime routine: Shut off bright lights before bed, avoid social media and go to bed at the same time each night. This can indicate to your body that it's time for rest, and allow you to fall asleep faster.

• Don't work from bed: For individuals working from home, working from bed can lead to several problems related to associating your bed with work stress. Instead, create a designated workspace to further separate work from home.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sleep problems: Tired? It might be revenge bedtime procrastination