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Bedtime procrastination during the second COVID-19 lockdown in Portugal
André Oliveira1, Beatriz Pereira1, Pedro Rosário1
1Psychology Research Center, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
Insights
Bedtime procrastination, delaying sleep without external reasons, was common during Portugal's COVID-19 lockdown. Lack of routines, particularly nighttime work or study, was linked to increased tiredness and sleep delay.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sleep Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Bedtime procrastination, the intentional delay of sleep, may be exacerbated by pandemic-related lifestyle changes.
- The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated new routines and responsibilities, potentially impacting work-life balance and sleep behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate bedtime procrastination during the second COVID-19 lockdown in Portugal.
- To examine the relationship between bedtime procrastination and sociodemographic factors, sleep routines, daily fatigue, mealtimes, and pre-sleep activities.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional online survey was administered to 560 adults in Portugal.
- Data collected included information on bedtime procrastination, sleep duration, daily fatigue, dinnertime, and evening activities.
Main Results:
- Over 79% of participants reported bedtime procrastination during lockdown.
- Bedtime procrastination was associated with increased perceived daily fatigue (rpb=.33, p<.01).
- Delaying bedtime correlated with later mealtimes (rpb=.19, p<.01) and engaging in evening study/work (rpb=.39, p<.01).
Conclusions:
- Lack of structured routines, particularly scheduled nighttime study or work, appears to contribute to bedtime procrastination.
- Findings highlight the impact of pandemic-induced lifestyle shifts on sleep behaviors and well-being.
Introduction:
Bedtime procrastination is the deliberate delay of the time an individual goes to bed in the absence of external reasons. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed families to establish new routines and ways of managing newfound roles and responsibilities. This scenario is likely to exacerbate bedtime procrastination due to, for example, a challenge in balancing professional and personal life.
Objective:
The aim is to present preliminary findings regarding bedtime procrastination and its relation to sociodemographic characteristics, sleep routines, perceived daily fatigue, dinnertime, and activities performed near bedtime, during the second lockdown in Portugal.
Material And Methods:
A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with a sample of 560 adults.
Results:
During home confinement, most people (79.46%) delayed their bedtime. However, this delay does not seem to be affecting the number of hours of sleep, as 88.60% were sleeping the recommended or appropriate number of hours. Nevertheless, most of the participants reported feeling tired throughout the day (53.04%), and individuals who reported to have procrastinated their sleep are those who reported more tiredness (r pb=.33, p<.01). Additionally, bedtime procrastination is positively associated with findings related to dinnertime (e.g., dinner between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., r pb=.19, p<.01) and with engagement in activities near bedtime (e.g., studying/working, r pb=.39, p<.01).
Conclusion:
Current data shows relationships between bedtime procrastination and most of the studied variables. Specifically, findings indicate that lack of routines, especially scheduled nighttime routines (e.g., studying/working near bedtime), may have contributed to bedtime procrastination during the second lockdown in Portugal.
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