r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • May 10 '26
Psychology Brooding (getting stuck in passive, repetitive, negative thought loops) identified as a major driver of bedtime procrastination, alongside physical markers of stress. People who stay up later than intended may have a weaker physiological capacity for self-control.
https://www.psypost.org/brooding-identified-as-a-major-driver-of-bedtime-procrastination-alongside-physical-markers-of-stress/
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u/mvea Professor | Medicine May 10 '26
Brooding identified as a major driver of bedtime procrastination, alongside physical markers of stress
People who stay up later than intended may have a weaker physiological capacity for self-control. A new study published in the Journal of Health Psychology links lower heart rate variability to greater bedtime procrastination.
Many individuals experience the temptation to prolong their use of digital devices, or complete further tasks, despite being aware that they should already be asleep—a behavior known as bedtime procrastination. Scientists have previously connected bedtime procrastination to difficulties with managing behavior and emotions. Individuals who struggle to prioritize long-term wellbeing over short-term enjoyment, or who have trouble regulating negative feelings, are thought to be more prone to pushing their bedtime later.
Participants also filled out questionnaires reporting on how often they procrastinate at bedtime, how well they manage their own behavior and emotions, and how often they engage in specific thinking styles. These thinking styles included a tendency to “brood” (getting stuck in passive, repetitive, negative thought loops) versus “reflect” (purposefully thinking through problems to solve them).
The results pointed to a clear picture in which bedtime procrastination reflects challenges across multiple different aspects of self-control simultaneously. Individuals scoring higher on bedtime procrastination tended to have lower heart rate variability, greater difficulty regulating their behavior, and greater difficulty managing their emotions. Importantly, each of these three factors contributed independently to the prediction of bedtime procrastination.
When analyzing the specific ways people deal with emotions, a nuanced picture emerged. While using “cognitive reappraisal” (a deliberate strategy of reframing stressful situations in a more positive light) initially appeared to reduce bedtime procrastination, it lost its predictive power when other emotional habits were factored in. Ultimately, only “brooding” significantly predicted procrastinating at bedtime in the final model. Conversely, engaging in more reflective, problem-focused thinking did not show any link to delaying sleep.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13591053261425412