TL;DR
That late-night “you” who stays up for just one more episode is sabotaging the early-morning “you” who has to lead. It’s not about willpower. It’s about understanding why your brain hijacks your best intentions and building systems that work with your humanity, not against it. Whether you’ve heard of it or not, revenge bedtime procrastination might be making you a less effective leader.
From Personal Experience
This morning I went for my usual walk, thinking the chilly morning air would clear up the cobwebs. Halfway through, my mind was somehow…fuzzier? It almost felt like I was sleep walking. “Why did I let this happen again?” I thought to myself. I didn’t need to scroll that subreddit for restaurant owners until 11:00 PM. I remember thinking, “It’s only 11. I can still get 6 hours of sleep.”
I’m sure you know the drill…
Maybe it’s 9:30 PM on a Tuesday. You’ve been going since 6:30 AM: team meetings, vendor calls, putting out the daily fires that seem to multiply faster than you can handle them. Your partner is already upstairs, the house is finally quiet, and for the first time all day, you have a moment that belongs to you.
So you settle into the couch. Maybe it’s “just one episode” on Netflix. Or you’re scrolling through your phone, finally catching up on industry news or that podcast everyone’s been talking about. Maybe you’re doing actual work, the kind of deep thinking that never gets done during the chaos of regular business hours.
Before you know it, it’s 11:00 PM. Then 12:15. Your brain knows you should sleep, but something keeps you there, claiming these stolen hours like they’re the only freedom you’ll get.
And then 6:00 AM arrives like a sledgehammer.
The version of you that stayed up late? That person feels like a complete stranger to the exhausted leader now dragging through another day, making decisions on fumes and wondering why everything feels harder than it should.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone…and you’re not weak. You’re experiencing something researchers call “revenge bedtime procrastination,” and it’s more common than you think.
The Science Behind the Sabotage
Here’s what’s actually happening: “Revenge bedtime procrastination” describes the decision to sacrifice sleep for leisure time that is driven by a daily schedule lacking in free time, according to the Sleep Foundation. You’re literally getting revenge on a day in which you feel like you had no freedom, control, or time to yourself.
This isn’t a character flaw! It’s your brain’s response to stress and lack of autonomy. When your days are packed with decisions, meetings, and putting out fires, your mind craves the control that comes from choosing to stay awake. It’s a way of saying, “I may not control my day, but I control my night.”
The problem? Research shows that sleep-deprived brains lose the ability to make accurate judgments, and this affects everything from your decision-making to your ability to inspire your team.
McKinsey research found that after roughly 17 to 19 hours of wakefulness (that’s staying up until 11 PM or 1 AM if you got up at 6 AM), behavioral changes equivalent to drinking two glasses of wine start to kick in. If you push it to 24 hours of wakefulness, you may act as if you have drunk four glasses of wine.
Would you make important business decisions after a few drinks (rhetorical question of course)? Then why are you making them on too little sleep?
The Real Cost of This Internal War
Let’s be honest about what revenge bedtime procrastination is really costing you:
Your Leadership Presence
A Harvard Business Review study found that four out of 10 business leaders don’t get enough sleep at least four nights a week. The result? Impaired problem-solving, reduced ability to see different perspectives, and difficulty supporting your team. The exact opposite of what growing companies need from their leaders.
Your Team’s Performance
When you’re running on empty, it shows. Your team picks up on your stress, your shortened patience, and your reactive decision-making. Sleep deprivation doesn’t just hurt you, it cascades through your entire organization.
Your Business Growth
Sleep loss can cost countries up to 2.92% of their GDP due to decreased productivity, increased absenteeism, higher workplace accidents, and elevated healthcare costs. For your business, this translates to missed opportunities, poor strategic decisions, and systems that stay broken because you’re too tired to think clearly about solutions.
Your Health and Relationships
**: Chronic sleep debt isn’t just about being tired. It affects your immune system, your emotional regulation, and your capacity to be present for the people who matter most, both at work and at home.
A Different Way Forward: Rest as Strategy, Not Weakness
Here’s the mindset shift that turns the tables in your favor: **Rest isn’t the opposite of productivity. It’s what makes real productivity possible!**
When you’re well-rested, you make better decisions faster. You see solutions instead of just problems. You lead from a place of calm confidence instead of reactive chaos. Your team feels it, your family feels it, and your business reflects it.
Three Strategies To Neutralize Revenge Bedtime Procrastination
1. Reclaim Control During the Day
The urge for revenge bedtime procrastination often comes from feeling like you have no autonomy during your waking hours. Build small pockets of choice into your day: a 15-minute walk outside, lunch away from your desk, or blocking 30 minutes for strategic thinking instead of just reacting.
2. Create a “Transition Ritual”
Your brain needs help shifting from work mode to rest mode. This doesn’t have to be elaborate. It could be changing clothes, writing down tomorrow’s priorities, or spending 10 minutes with a book instead of a screen. The key is signaling to yourself that the workday is over.
3. Make Sleep Visible
Track your sleep debt like you’d track any other business metric that matters. When you see the pattern (i.e. late nights leading to poor decisions leading to more stress leading to later nights) it becomes easier to break the cycle.
The Leadership Decision
You became a leader because you’re willing to make tough choices for the long-term health of your business. This is one of those choices.
Every night you choose revenge bedtime procrastination, you’re essentially choosing to show up tomorrow as a lesser version of yourself. You’re choosing reactive leadership over strategic thinking. You’re choosing to operate from a place of depletion instead of strength.
But here’s what’s different about this choice: it’s not about perfection. It’s about awareness. Start by noticing the pattern. When you feel the urge to stay up “just a little longer,” ask yourself: *What am I really trying to get back?* Usually, it’s control, space, or time for yourself.
Then ask: *Is there a way to get this during the day instead of stealing it from my sleep?*
Your Business Deserves Your Best Self
You’ve built something real. You employ people who depend on you. You have a vision that matters. All of that deserves the version of you that shows up clear-headed, creative, and capable of leading from calm confidence instead of caffeine-fueled chaos.
The choice isn’t between working hard and sleeping more (see my article Productivity At All Costs). The choice is between running your business into the ground (and yourself along with it) or building something sustainable that grows without consuming you.
Your late-night self wants immediate gratification. Your morning self—and your business—needs strategic thinking.
Which version are you going to support?
Building a business that runs without running you into the ground requires more than just better sleep habits. It requires systems that support both your well-being and your growth. If you’re ready to stop fighting fires and start building sustainable clarity in your operations, let’s talk about what that could look like for your business.
You can grab a slot on my calendar here.
For related articles, check out:
If Everything is a Priority, Nothing Is: Business Prioritization Simplified
Why Small Business Direction Mistakes Cost More
How STUPID Goal Setting Tripled My Productivity
Resources
- Sleep Foundation – “Revenge Bedtime Procrastination: Definition & Psychology”
- Published: December 8, 2023
- URL: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene/revenge-bedtime-procrastination
- McKinsey & Company – “The organizational cost of insufficient sleep”
- Harvard Business Review – “There’s a Proven Link Between Effective Leadership and Getting Enough Sleep”
- Published: August 30, 2021
- URL: https://hbr.org/2016/02/theres-a-proven-link-between-effective-leadership-and-getting-enough-sleep
- John Clements Consultants – “The Critical Role of Sleep in Leadership and Productivity”
- Published: August 30, 2024
- URL: https://johnclements.com/the-looking-glass/business-strategy/sleep-leadership-productivity/
Photo By: Kaboompics.com
Author’s Note: Parts of this article were researched, drafted, and enhanced with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, including ChatGPT and Claude. All information has been reviewed and edited by the author for accuracy, tone, and clarity. The use of AI supports the creative process, but the ideas, perspectives, and final voice are entirely my own.