Perceived Stress, but Not Rumination, Mediates the Relationship Between Trait Mindfulness and Sleep Quality in Young Adults

Objective: Poor sleep among young adults is prevalent, yet the mediating variables are largely understudied, and there is limited relevant work utilizing objective sleep measures. The present study investigated the mediating effects of perceived stress and rumination in the relationship between trait mindfulness and subjective and objective sleep quality in young adults.
Methods: A total of 170 healthy adults (aged 18– 37, M = 20.8, SD = 2.9) self-reported on trait mindfulness, perceived stress, and rumination. The primary (N = 140) and secondary (N = 30) samples both completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to assess subjective sleep quality. The secondary sample (N = 30) additionally provided sleep diaries, as well as wrist-worn actigraphy data for assessing objective sleep quality. A mediation analysis was conducted to assess the effect of trait mindfulness on sleep quality with perceived stress and rumination as mediators.
Results: Trait mindfulness was positively associated with better subjective sleep quality; this was fully mediated by perceived stress, b = − 0.08, 95% CI [− .12, − 0.06]. Rumination was negatively associated with subjective sleep quality but did not mediate the relationship between trait mindfulness and sleep quality, b = − 0.01, 95% CI [− .03, 0.02]. Only trait mindfulness was correlated with diary-based sleep ratings, and none of the measures were associated with actigraphy-based sleep quality.
Conclusion: This study indicates that perceived stress is an important mediator in the relationship between trait mindfulness and subjective sleep quality among young adults, rather than rumination. These findings have implications for mindfulness-based therapeutic approaches to address the high prevalence of sleep disorders among young adults, adding mechanistic detail to the literature.

Keywords: mindfulness, perceived stress, rumination, sleep