A saleswoman in Ho Chi Minh City, Mai's days are a whirlwind of endless meetings, numerous emails, and urgent work requests. Arriving home, her body craves rest, but her mind fiercely resists.

"If I close my eyes now, today will end without me doing anything for myself," Mai thinks, prompting her to open her laptop. Not for work, she aimlessly browses the web, finishes a half-watched movie, or simply scrolls through her phone. Despite suffering from memory decline, dull skin, and persistent fatigue the next morning, Mai maintains this habit as a vital ritual for psychological equilibrium.

Staying up late to work or play games leads to many health consequences. *Illustration: Pexels*.

Similarly, for 31-year-old Khoi, the moment his children's bedroom doors close at 21h30 brings a sigh of relief. Instead of going to bed, he tiptoes to the living room to turn on his game console. At 1h30, the TV screen casts a bluish light on Khoi's tired yet satisfied face. "I know staying up late is harmful," Khoi says, "but it is the only time of day I do not have to cater to anyone. I get to live for myself."

Both Mai and Khoi exemplify "revenge bedtime procrastination" (RBP), a phenomenon describing the deliberate sacrifice of sleep for leisure activities to reclaim control over time after a day dominated by external factors. According to Master Vuong Nguyen Toan Thien, a clinical psychologist and professional director at Lumos Center for Psychological Counseling and Therapy, the core conflict of RBP lies in individuals being aware of the harm of staying up late, yet still engaging in it due to a psychological need that overrides biological demands.

While prevalent, RBP is not classified as a mental disorder in the WHO's International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR). In current medical literature, it is considered a behavioral symptom stemming from a deficit in self-regulation rather than an independent pathology. However, behavioral studies on young adults and students reveal an alarming rate: approximately 40% to 50% of participants report high RBP scores, closely linked to technology usage and daytime stress levels.

This phenomenon is particularly acute among those aged 16 to 40, encompassing Gen Z and Millennials, who face significant pressure for performance and continuous social connection. A study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health indicated that individuals with low self-control at the end of the day are more prone to revenge bedtime procrastination, especially when they feel their daytime hours are "not their own." For adolescents, this motivation arises from demanding academic schedules; for adults like Khoi, it is a reaction to the dual burden of work and family.

Mechanistically, RBP presents a paradox: the pursuit of comfort paradoxically leads to chronic stress. Reducing sleep for entertainment creates a negative feedback loop. Sleep deprivation impairs frontal lobe function—the brain region responsible for decision-making and behavioral control—further weakening one's ability to resist nighttime temptations. The consequences are a comprehensive decline in physical health (reduced immunity, fatigue) and cognitive abilities (difficulty concentrating, emotional dysregulation), trapping individuals in a cycle of low productivity and continued loss of daytime control.

Master Thien emphasizes that since RBP is a behavioral issue, solutions do not involve medical intervention but rather require cognitive and lifestyle restructuring. The key to breaking this vicious cycle is to address the root need for autonomy. Instead of confining leisure needs to late nights, experts recommend establishing firm boundaries for personal time during the day. This includes proactively scheduling short breaks, practicing sleep hygiene by disconnecting from electronic devices 30 minutes before bed, and, most importantly, learning to decline after-hours work requests. Only when the need for life control is healthily satisfied during the day can individuals relinquish the detrimental "revenge" at night.

My Y