Whether there's something to do or not, you always end up staying up late; you feel tired and sleepy during the day but become energized at night; you enjoy the quiet of the late hours, always feeling like there's more to accomplish, and going to bed early feels unsatisfying; you wake up late the next day and regret staying up so late; you repeatedly resolve to sleep earlier but can't break the habit... Do these symptoms sound familiar? If you experience multiple of them, you might be following a trend—becoming someone with a late-night sleep compulsion.
To be precise, "night owl compulsion" isn't a formal medical diagnosis. We all know staying up late is bad for your health.The real question is: how do you break this habit?
Idle hands, restless nights
Li Bing, who works night shifts at a provincial government agency, has long been a night owl. During night shifts, going to bed at 1 or 2 a.m. is routine. Even on non-night-shift days, he often stays up until midnight.
He explains that with his children grown, he often returns home from work at night with nothing urgent to do. He spends one or two hours reading, surfing the web, watching TV, or browsing forums without moving. Before bed, he checks his phone for Weibo and WeChat, scrolling through posts and public accounts until sheer exhaustion forces him to toss his phone aside and fall asleep.
Late-night sleep compulsion is a form of procrastination
Guo Gongshe, a psychological expert at Shandong University Second Hospital, explains that psychology doesn't recognize "late-night sleep compulsion" as a clinical diagnosis. Based on the symptom descriptions, this compulsive late-night sleep behavior differs fundamentally from insomnia.Insomnia involves being unable to sleep despite feeling tired, while compulsive late-night wakefulness forces oneself to stay awake. It also differs from true obsessive-compulsive disorder, being at most a compulsive behavior—a habit that requires modification.
He believes these individuals either face excessive pressure, making them more prone to anxiety and worry at night, so they occupy themselves to relax or escape; or they are too idle, lacking purpose and missing essential life planning and goals.
Other psychological experts suggest that compulsive late-night wakefulness is a form of "procrastination" in psychology. Overly persistent thoughts, excessive worry, and resistance are all contributing factors, which may manifest in other aspects of life.
Plan well during the day, sleep soundly at night.
Psychological experts recommend several small strategies that may help address compulsive late-night wakefulness.
1. Those forced into late-night habits due to work should learn to manage their time better and avoid bringing work home.
2. Increase physical activity to make both body and mind crave sleep, gradually cultivating an early-bedtime routine.
3. Reserve evenings for rest—once dinner is finished, commit to complete relaxation.
4. Set an alarm to wake up one hour earlier than usual the next day—avoid sleeping in until you naturally wake up. Only when your body feels genuinely tired the following day will you be motivated to sleep earlier.