Don’t let bedtime procrastination disturb your mental health
Jun 17, 2025, 10:02 AM
A new study from the University of Utah found that people who put off their sleep are more likely to experience symptoms of depression. (Canva)
(Canva)
SALT LAKE CITY — A new study from the University of Utah found that people who put off their sleep are more likely to experience symptoms of depression.
Related: How much sleep do you really need? Experts say it depends
According to clinical psychology graduate student Steven Carlson, frequent digital media use is usually what’s keeping people from going to bed at night.
“We do know from previous studies that far and away what people are doing in the evening while they’re procrastinating bedtime is being on their phones or watching TV, engaging in some kind of digital media use, which is largely enjoyable, but despite that, might be negatively impacting their sleep.”
How to sleep better
The first thing Carlson said you can do to ensure your sleep health is to try maintaining a consistent bedtime throughout the week, even on the weekends.
“That can really help set a habit that can help have a little bit of resilience to bedtime procrastination. But if you find that that’s difficult for you … you can set an alarm for yourself to kind of cue you to go to bed on time. Or you can try to develop a new kind of bedtime routine.”
Carlson explained that bedtime procrastination could also come from feelings of anxiety. He said a lot of people start to look at their phones before bed to cope with those feelings.
In that case, Carlson suggested taking part in relaxation exercises.
“Even just having a pen and paper away from the bed, so you can jot down your worries as you are trying to fall asleep. That way, you can get the worries kind of out of your head and onto the paper.”
Need some extra help?
If you are struggling with bedtime procrastination or other sleep-related problems, effective treatments are available.
“Reach out to your physician or ask for a referral to a behavioral sleep medicine provider because these treatments are effective with really low risk,” Carlson said. “… So they can be really helpful for managing maybe some of those difficulties with health and mental health that people might be experiencing.”
