Bedtime Procrastination Linked to Extraversion But Not Excitement-Seeking

A new study found that bedtime procrastination in young adults was associated with specific personality traits, including extraversion, higher neuroticism, and lower conscientiousness.1 Bedtime procrastination was also linked to depressive tendencies.

“Bedtime procrastination is not only associated with poor planning, low self-discipline, and time management problems, but also potentially due to difficulties managing negative affect and anxiety prior to bed,” said lead author Steven Carlson, doctoral candidate in the psychology department at University of Utah in Salt Lake City, in a press release.2

The study will be presented at SLEEP 2025, the 39th annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, from June 8 – 11 in Seattle. The abstract was recently published in an online supplement of the journal Sleep on May 19, 2025.

Bedtime procrastination, linked to insufficient sleep, is often driven by technology use and difficulties with self-regulation. However, little is known about what personality tests are associated with bedtime procrastination.

Investigators sought to assess associations between bedtime procrastination and Five Factor Model personality traits: neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and consciousnesses. They aimed to determine whether bedtime procrastinators had unique associations with personality compared to evening chronotypes.

The study included 390 young adults (mean age, 24 years) who completed questionnaires addressing personality (NEO-PI-3) and chronotype (Morning- Eveningness Questionnaire). Participants also completed 14 daily assessments of bedtime procrastination and sleep diaries. The team used correlational and regression analyses to assess associations between bedtime procrastination, chronotype, and personality scales.

The analysis showed bedtime procrastination, eveningness, and later habitual bedtime were all negatively linked to conscientiousness (P < .001). Bedtime procrastination (P < .001) and eveningness (P = .005) were linked to neuroticism. Additionally, bedtime procrastination was negatively associated with extraversion (P < .001).

Even after adjusting for chronotype, bedtime procrastination was still significantly associated with extraversion, neuroticism, and lower consciousness. The only extraversion domains not significantly linked to bedtime procrastination were the excitement-seeking facet.

“Our study demonstrated that individuals who habitually procrastinate their bedtime were actually less likely to report seeking out exciting, engaging, or enjoyable activities,” Carlson said. “Instead, bedtime procrastinators reported having emotional experiences consistent with depression, specifically endorsing a tendency toward experiencing negative emotions and lacking positive emotional experiences.”

The study also found that facets of openness (higher aesthetics and actions) and agreeableness (lower trust and altruism and higher modesty) were linked to bedtime procrastination.

“Given the ubiquity of this behavior, and its impact on sleep health, we hope to extend this research to determine whether reducing negative emotions prior to bedtime can be an effective treatment for bedtime procrastination,” Carlson said.

References

1. Steven Carlson, Paula Williams, 0155 Depressive and Dysregulated: Examining Personality Factors Among Bedtime Procrastinators, Sleep, Volume 48, Issue Supplement_1, May 2025, Pages A70–A71, https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsaf090.0155

2. Study identifies personality traits associated with bedtime procrastination. EurekAlert! June 4, 2025. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1086199. Accessed June 8, 2025.