Positive psychological traits predict future sleep quality and quantity: exploring emotion regulation as a common mediator.

Objective: Mindfulness, self-compassion, gratitude, and optimism have each been associated with better sleep quality and quantity; however, their collective and relative contributions to future sleep outcomes remain unexplored. The current study therefore investigated whether baseline levels of these positive psychological traits could predict subsequent sleep quality and quantity. In addition, emotion regulation was examined as a potential common mediator of the relationships between each of the positive traits and sleep.

Methods and measures: A prospective, correlational design was employed. Student participants (N = 220) completed self-report measures of mindfulness, self-compassion, gratitude, optimism, emotion regulation and sleep quality and quantity at three separate time-points, each approximately 12 wk apart.

Results: Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that, collectively, the positive traits at baseline predicted better sleep quality and quantity 12 wk and 24 wk later. Optimism emerged as a unique predictor of sleep at each time-point, with higher levels of optimism predicting better sleep. Maladaptive emotion regulation mediated the relationships between optimism and sleep and self-compassion and sleep.

Conclusion: Findings are consistent with the idea that positive psychological traits might help to facilitate good sleep quality and quantity and indicate that reductions in maladaptive emotion regulation may underpin associations between some positive traits and sleep.