Parent to Parent: Discussing 'Revenge Bedtime Procrastination'

Feeling tired and sleep-deprived are things you might be feeling, and it holds especially true for parents. In this week’s Parent to Parent, we are tackling what is coined as ‘Revenge Bedtime Procrastination.’

With homeschooling her three boys plus managing a full-time job, Ashley Black looks forward to the end of the day to relax.

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"As soon as I get into bed, I know I need to put the phone down, but I find myself going down the rabbit hole of TikTok, and everything I have missed on Instagram. Then you get up and it’s midnight and you have to get up at 5. It’s like ok this is not working, and I do it constantly," said Ashley.

Dr. Rashmi Kudesia actually wrote a whole article about it on Houston Moms Blog.

"At the end of the day, we should probably just be going to sleep and getting those 7-8 hours. Oftentimes, what we end up doing is feeling consciously or subconsciously like hey this is my me time. My boss can’t tell me what to do, my kids are asleep, I am in charge of myself and we fill that time with silly stuff on our phone or devices," said Kudesia, who is a board-certified in Obstetrics & Gynecology, Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, and Lifestyle Medicine.

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Her most important title is mom. She caught herself trying to find that ‘revenge time’ herself.

"I did get the TikTok video at the point that it says you have been scrolling for too long, time to take a break! That was like a slap in the face, I was like clearly I am doing something wrong," she said. "We know all of the different things that can contribute to good high-quality sleep, which is a lot more than just the hours that you are in the bed. It is kind of the brain waves that we have and the patterns that we have and the restorative effect of sleep. That’s not going to happen if we are falling asleep straight from looking at a device and passing out."

Here are some helpful tips, according to the Sleep Foundation:
- keep a constant bedtime and wake up time
- stop using electronics at least half an hour before bed
- avoid caffeine late in the afternoon or evening
- have a stable routine to prepare for bed nightly

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To read Dr. Kudesia’s article on Houston Moms Blog, click here.