Associations between sleep hygiene and insomnia severity in college students: cross-sectional and prospective analyses.

This study examined the prevalence of diverse sleep hygiene behaviors and their associations with insomnia severity in two independent samples of college students from a cross-sectional (N=548; mean age=19; 59% female; 71% White) and a two-wave short-term prospective (N=157; mean age=19; 71% female; 76% White) study. A total of 12% to 13% of students reported clinically significant insomnia. On average, students reported frequent engagement in inconsistent sleep-wake schedules and lounging and worrying/thinking about important matters in the bed. Improper sleep scheduling, behaviors that promote arousal near bedtime, and uncomfortable sleeping environments were positively associated with cross-sectional insomnia severity. After controlling for other well-established risk factors, only improper sleep scheduling remained significant. Prospectively, baseline improper sleep scheduling predicted insomnia severity at a 2-month follow-up after controlling for baseline insomnia severity and other well-established risk factors. Together, findings suggest a potential unique role of improper sleep scheduling in insomnia among college students. PMID: 25311289 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Behavior Therapy - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Behav Ther Source Type: research