Delaying Sleep Time: A Multidimensional Investigation of Personality Traits and Neural Correlates of Bedtime Procrastination

Many people struggle with being adherent to health-related decisions, including the right time to go to sleep. Bedtime procrastination is common among evening chronotypes, leading to poor sleep and its negative consequences on health. Studies suggest that evening chronotypes tend to be more present-oriented and show lower self-control compared to morning types. However, current literature has poorly explored other dimensions that could be involved in the decision of procrastinating bedtime, including risk-taking behaviour and interoceptive afferences. In this ongoing research, we find that, in line with the literature, bedtime procrastination is positively associated with eveningness, daytime sleepiness, low self-control, and present-oriented time perspective. Moreover, we observe that higher interoceptive ability in self-regulation and in the tendency not to worry about negative sensations are negatively correlated with bedtime procrastination. In parallel, exploring risk-taking behaviour and approach motivation at different times of the day, we show a weak and negative correlation between bedtime procrastination and daily risk-taking difference, so that as procrastination increases, participants report larger risk-taking behaviour in the evening compared to the morning. Our preliminary findings can help to reveal why people do not make good decisions for their sleep health. The relationship between bedtime procrastination and frontal alpha asymmetry is also investigated with a preliminary analysis.