Interplay among bedtime procrastination, sleep patterns, and subjective wellbeing in the Indian population: An observational study.

Background: Sleep deprivation is a common problem in society, and bedtime procrastination (BtP) has become a significant cause of poor sleep among healthy individuals across various countries.

Aim: To study BtP, sleep behavior, and subjective well-being in the Indian population.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. The recruited participants were evaluated using the BtP Scale, World Health Organzation-5 Well-Being index, Patient Health Questionnaire-2, Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2-item, Munich Chronotype Questionnaire and Single-Item Sleep Quality Scale.

Results: A total of 401 participants were recruited for the study. Symptoms of anxiety were higher in the female participants compared to males. Among females, there was a significant positive correlation between BtP score with symptoms of anxiety (r = 0.23) and depression (r = 0.15) and a negative correlation with subjective wellbeing (r = -0.23). A significant negative correlation was found between the ages of women and BtP score (r = -0.15). Among the male participants, there was a significant negative correlation of age with BtP score (r = -0.3) and anxiety (r = -0.19). Here, too, the BtP score was positively correlated with depression (r = 0.18) and anxiety (r = 0.35).

Conclusion: BtP worsens anxiety, depression, sleep quality, and subjective well-being. It needs to be targeted for the promotion and prevention of mental health.