Abstract
Introduction
Many adults experience poor sleep quality, and personality traits have emerged as
important predictors of self-reported sleep. However, it is still unclear whether
personality predicts sleep quality independent of other correlates, including mood,
emotion regulation, and hyperarousal.
Aims and method
The aim of this study was twofold. First, using an online survey, we assessed the
relationship between perceived sleep quality (defined here as the total score of the
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) and personality in 498 Italians (M age = 26.6 ± 7.4 years, 353 Female). Second, using multiple regressions, we investigated whether
this association was independent of affect, emotion regulation strategies, and hyperarousal.
Results
Results replicate previous findings, showing that neuroticism is the best personality
predictor of sleep quality in Italians. When examined separately, hyperarousal explained
the most variance in sleep quality (R2 = .18), followed by personality traits (R2 = .12), affect (R2 = .12), and emotion regulation strategies (R2 = .01). However, when all predictors were entered into a single regression model (R2 = .20), only agreeableness, positive affect, and hyperarousal remained statistically
significant.
Conclusion
Overall, our data replicate the association between personality and perceived sleep
quality in Italians, showing that neuroticism is the best predictor of worse sleep
quality. Finally, we also demonstrate important roles for hyperarousal and positive
affect, but not for emotion regulation strategies. Results have implications for applied
research and interventions that may want to identify individuals at risk for poor
sleep.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 23, 2017
Accepted:
March 4,
2017
Received in revised form:
February 28,
2017
Received:
December 16,
2015
Footnotes
☆The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
☆☆Support for K. A. Duggan was provided by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health under award number T32HL007560. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Identification
Copyright
© 2017 National Sleep Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
