This scene is just too familiar: You know you've got a big day tomorrow. You tell yourself to sleep early so you can wake up at 5:30 a.m. to have enough time to prep. But, the desire to just check Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok for one *last* time before going to bed is simply irresistible. You find yourself doomscrolling on your phone until 2 a.m. You accept defeat and just convince yourself to power through and just drink a triple espresso shot latte. Then when nighttime comes again, you have difficulty snoozing because of your more-than-usual caffeine intake. Your sleepless cycle has begun and you know you could only make up for it on the weekend.
You want to stop this ~madness~ that's why you have reached this part of the article. Don't worry, there is hope, but you'll need to be committed to it.
According to the book The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D, the staying-up-late habit is not about forcing yourself to learn how to sleep early. It's about saying "no" to the stuff that is stopping us from hitting the hay. Here's an excerpt from her bestselling book:
"If you know you could use more sleep but you find yourself staying up late anyway, consider what you are saying 'yes' to instead of sleep. This same willpower rule applies to any task you are avoiding or putting off when you can't find the will, you might need to find the won't."
So when nighttime comes, and you catch yourself doomscrolling on TikTok again, ask yourself if saying "yes" to random videos is more valuable than saying "yes" to sleep. There's nothing wrong with entertaining yourself at night. Maybe you can just set a time limit to your doomscrolling sesh to have more snooze time?
*If you're still having a hard time falling asleep, try these methods or consult your doctor or a somnologist.
- Having Trouble Sleeping? Give The 4-7-8 Breathing Technique A Try
- This Tried-And-Tested Technique Will Help You Fall Asleep In *Two Minutes*
The Willpower Instinct is available at Fully Booked stores and at their official Lazada store.