I have a theory. It explains why people browse the Internet until 3am, even though they’re tired and want to sleep.

Willpower is a finite resource. You need willpower to make intentional decisions–otherwise, your brain will go with your “default” behavior.

During the day, you “use up” willpower when choosing what clothes to wear, processing information at work, or any task that requires heavy thinking. By the end of the day, you’re tired and have little willpower left.

Once you start browsing the Internet at night, it takes mental effort to decide when to stop. The default choice is “one more page.”

And then you end up browsing social media until 3am.

Maybe this also explains why bad decisions are made in the middle of the night.

What do you think?