Background/objectives: To examine the relationships between state affect and sleep health at within- and between-person levels among health science students.
Methods: A correlational design was used and 54 health science students were included. The participants completed baseline and 7-day ambulatory assessments in a free-living setting. Daily sleep and affect were measured using the Consensus Sleep Diary and Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Mixed-effect models were used to examine the effects of affect on sleep health.
Results: The participants were 19.8 (SD, 0.6) years and 92.6% were females. Approximately 40% had poor sleep quality. Controlling for the potential confounders (e.g., age, sex, and bedtime procrastination), higher within-person negative affect predicted shorter sleep duration, lower sleep efficiency, longer sleep onset latency, and less feeling rested. Higher between-person negative affect predicted shorter sleep duration. Higher within-person positive affect predicted longer sleep onset latency. Higher within- and between-person positive affect predicted more feeling rested.
Conclusions: Negative affect was most consistently associated with sleep health at the individual level. Affect regulation should be considered when delivering personalized interventions targeting sleep health among health science students.
Keywords: daily diary; emotion; health science; mixed-effect model; sleep duration; sleep quality.