Anyone else doing revenge bedtime procrastination instead of going straight to sleep?

[RevengeBedtimeProcrastinator]

As per my new username, really.
'Revenge bedtime procrastination' is a phrase which describes the clawing back of me-time by a person who finds they have insufficient time to relax and unwind during the course of a normal day, and thus find themselves compensating by putting off sleep in order to spend time doing something -however trivial- just for themselves.

I do this big time, even though I know I really ought to sleep. I work late almost every night, and rarely shut my laptop before midnight, yet I can't seem to just be able to 'go to bed' without first resetting by doing something innane and mindless. I've decided that it's fruitless to beat myself up about it so I thought I'd start a thread and see what other revenge bedtime procrastinators get up to.

Tonight, I'm polishing off a bit of ice cream and watching a random snippet of The Durrells, aiming for sleeping at 1:20.

Anyone else?

Yes ha ha! I am awful for this. Counterproductively, when I have been very very busy with work, I award myself even more revenge bedtime procrastination. Have been known to work till 4am and then stay up till 5/6am doing RBP. Usually involves YouTube or watching TV shows I've already seen. Sometimes with a little G&T

I was gardening at 10.30pm
I am now scrolling mumsnet because if I go to sleep, tomorrow will come and I am absolutely dreading work tomorrow.

I am so tired its unreal.

Ah, my people!
Nice to know we're in good company.

Yes to the counterintuitive 'rewarding' of more RBP when most frazzled. WTF?

Yes to the 'if I go to bed, tomorrow will come' thinking. We've a series of audits / quality control / deep dives taking place at work in the coming weeks, and I know I will be thinking 100% along these lines.

Night night.

Oh dear.

Oh god yes I do this all the time

Currently watching Emergency Helicopter Medics, alone 😆

Bloody hell, OP - are you me?! I do this all the time. It's beyond stupid, but I can't help it - I need that mindless me-time! Case in point: reading and posting on Mumsnet at 2.30am instead of sleeping, as though I don't have to be up again for work in a few hours. I am being such a twat to myself, really!

I may or may not have laid a peel and stick tile floor at 2am once. I've also been known to stay up until sunrise reading a particularly engaging book, or potting up herbs. Rbp has to be exclusively leisure, and quiet, so no aerobics, power washing or drilling holes to put up pictures etc

Also, does anyone else do the opposite of this and try to go to bed early if there is something exciting happening the next day in order to 'make it come faster'?

Yes!!😁

@burblish @Bigearringsbigsmile @canuckup @SusanSHelit Just catching up with this again. I take particular comfort in your strong recognition, burblish! And Susan, those are very much the types of things I get up to too. It's quite nuts. I don't do the reverse though, I figure RBP is too ingrained...

I go to bed but unlike my husband who can fall asleep instantly I have read to wind down my brain.

Yep, I'm doing it right now, switching between scrolling MN and reading my book. I do this every single night. I make a giant cup of tea, put a protective blanket on my bed, and lift the dogs up so they can have a cuddle and a nap. They LOVE it.

2 weeks ago I decided I need to try (again!!) to go to bed earlier, and the earliest has been 1130pm, which is an improvement.

It frustrates the heck out of me, and I can't seem to stop it. And then every morning I'm so tired and suffering!
And it's not being unable to sleep either; i can fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

If anyone has tips on how to curb it, I'd love to hear them!

My people!
I can't watch TV during the day as my children don't permit it so I hardly watch TV. Then, every month or so, I stay up til midnight watching something.
THEN, I also spend however long doing my nightly Instagram scroll.
I've found the best way for me is to constantly have a good book on the go so I stay off screens. Although it doesn't really solve much as I stay up late reading!

It's like my child brain takes over and I get so much secret pleasure out of not going to bed...but the only person who suffers is me.