According to researchers, bedtime procrastination – that is, the tendency to delay bedtime in the absence of external obligations – is associated with specific personality traits. Amélie Boukhobza, clinical psychologist and author of the podcast You told me…deciphers this news for True Medical.
People who procrastinate all have this thing in common
If you still doubted it, it’s now clear: your teenager’s procrastination at bedtime is not due to chance. According to a new study, soon to be presented at the “Sleep 2025” annual meeting, bedtime procrastination among young adults is correlated “to specific personality characteristics”, including depressive symptoms.
To reach this conclusion, the researchers asked 390 young adults with an average age of 24 to complete a chronotypical questionnaire to assess whether they were evening people – in other words, if they preferred to go to bed late – or “morning people”, for early risers.
Participants also completed a questionnaire assessing five personality traits: neuroticism, extroversion (ease of establishing contact with others), open-mindedness, agreeableness and professional conscientiousness. They finally kept a sleep diary for almost 14 days to assess their level of procrastination.
Result ? Bedtime procrastination was associated with increased neuroticism, lower conscientiousness, and extraversion.
“Our study demonstrated that people who procrastinated at bedtime were less likely to seek out stimulating, engaging, or enjoyable activities. On the contrary, people who procrastinated at bedtime reported emotional experiences consistent with depression, notably confirming a tendency to experience negative emotions and lack positive emotional experiences,” confirms lead author Steven Carlson, a doctoral student in the psychology department at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
Still according to the expert, working on the emotional health of these young people could help limit procrastination at bedtime.
“This reflex is not only associated with poor planning, lack of self-discipline, and problems with time management, but also potentially with difficulty managing negative emotions and anxiety before bed.“, continues the researcher. “Given the pervasiveness of this behavior and its impact on sleep quality, we hope to expand this research to determine whether reducing negative emotions before bed can be an effective treatment for bedtime procrastination..”
But what does Amélie Boukhobza, clinical psychologist, think of these conclusions? And what solutions should you adopt in the event of proven procrastination? Here are his recommendations.
An attempt at internal escape
“We know it, we’re tired. It’s late. We’re still going to lack sleep. And yet… we scroll, we start a series, we do a “last thing”, a game, a spin on the phone, we hang out in the bathroom. As if we were deliberately delaying the moment to turn off the light. It’s what we call bedtime procrastination. And among young adults, this phenomenon is more and more common”, confirms Amélie Boukhobza.
However, procrastinating is not just a bad habit, nor a simple lack of will. “It is often linked to certain personality traits: impulsivity, difficulty delaying gratification, low tolerance for frustration. But not only that. Recent studies show that this behavior is also more common among people who are more sensitive to stress, anxiety or negative emotions — what researchers call a ‘high level of neuroticism’.” continues the expert.
Sometimes it’s not so much a desire to please yourself… as a way to avoid emotional discomfort. “A way of not finding yourself alone with yourself. We fill the time so as not to hear the rest. Like an attempt at inner escape,”
she analyzes.
Many also experience the evening as a finally free time. Without constraints, without pressure.
“After a long day, going to bed almost becomes an act of resistance. An unconscious way to regain some control. Except that by saving time in the evening, we end up losing it the next day. Fatigue, irritability, attention problems… the cost is real. Moreover, we often enter a vicious circle: the more exhausted we are, the more we need these little stolen moments to breathe. However, the more we prolong them… the more we become exhausted.” warns the practitioner.
The solution to stopping all forms of procrastination?
“It’s not about forcing yourself to sleep. It’s about understanding what you’re looking for by putting off that moment. A little calm? Freedom? Comfort? Or simply running away from what you feel when everything stops?” concludes Amélie Boukhobza.