Endurance in staying awake prolonged and its connection to your character
A new study conducted by scientists at the University of Utah has found a correlation between late sleep behavior and negative personality traits. Steven Carlson, a doctoral student in the Department of Psychology at the University of Utah, led the research.
The study involved 390 young adults, with an average age of around 24 years, who were categorized as either "night owls" or "morning larks" based on their sleep preferences. Participants filled out a standardized questionnaire to determine their personality traits, focusing on five areas: neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness.
The study reveals that people who regularly delay their bedtime report seeking out exciting, thrilling, or entertaining activities less often. Procrastination in going to bed is linked to poor planning skills, low self-discipline, and problems with time management.
Factors Contributing to the Association
- Self-Control and Procrastination Tendencies: Individuals who procrastinate in general are more likely to delay bedtime. This behavior stems from difficulties with self-regulation, the ability to control one's thoughts, feelings, and actions according to one's goals. Studies have shown that people who struggle with self-control are more prone to procrastination, including bedtime procrastination, as they often prioritize immediate gratification over long-term goals like getting a good night's sleep.
- Lack of Effective Time Management: Poor time management skills can lead to delaying bedtime as individuals may not allocate sufficient time for sleep or may misjudge how long pre-sleep activities will take. Coupled with procrastination, this can result in a vicious cycle where tasks are put off until the last minute, further encroaching on sleep time.
- Inconsistent Sleep Schedules and Prioritization: Inconsistent sleep schedules, common among those who procrastinate at bedtime, are linked to poor nighttime sleep quality. This inconsistency can be due to a lack of planning and prioritization of sleep over other activities. For instance, staying up late to finish tasks or engage in leisure activities reflects a prioritization of immediate needs over sleep, which is essential for cognitive and physical health.
- Stress and Busy Schedules: High levels of stress and busy schedules can exacerbate procrastination behaviors. People may feel overwhelmed and seek "me time" at night, leading to delayed bedtimes. This pattern indicates a lack of effective planning and time management, as individuals are unable to balance work, personal life, and sleep needs effectively.
- Impact on Cognitive Function: Poor sleep quality, resulting from bedtime procrastination, can impair cognitive functions such as planning and decision-making. This can further exacerbate problems with time management and self-discipline.
Conclusion
Bedtime procrastination is linked to broader issues of poor planning skills, low self-discipline, and inadequate time management. Understanding these connections is crucial for addressing the root causes of bedtime procrastination and improving overall sleep quality and cognitive function.
Participants in the study kept a sleep diary for two weeks, evaluating their own procrastination behavior in going to bed. Difficulties in dealing with fears and worries can also be a cause of bedtime procrastination, according to the study results. The study's findings suggest that night owls tend to have negative personality traits, particularly in the domain of emotional instability (neuroticism).
- The study conducted by scientists at the University of Utah indicates that late sleep behavior, often associated with procrastination, may have ties to negative personality traits, such as neuroticism, which is a component of mental health.
- Poor mental health, particularly emotional instability, might be related to late sleep behavior or bedtime procrastination, according to the findings of the study conducted by Steven Carlson and his colleagues at the University of Utah.
