Relationships between insomnia, negative emotionality and attention control

Abstract

Cognitive models propose that insomnia is maintained by negative cognitive activity (such as worry and rumination) and somatic anxious arousal. Attention control (ability to focus attention, control thought) may also influence insomnia, as it is thought to protect against negative cognitive activity. The main aims of the study were to test specific hypotheses concerning: (i) relationships between insomnia and worry, rumination and somatic anxious arousal; (ii) whether insomnia is also associated with poor attention control; and (iii) whether the predicted association between insomnia and negative emotionality (combination of worry, somatic anxious arousal and rumination) is influenced by individual differences in attention control. Participants were 196 young adults who completed the following questionnaire measures: Insomnia Severity Index, Penn State Worry Questionnaire, Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire Anxious Arousal Scale, Ruminative Responses Scale, and Attention Control Scale. Results indicated that worry, rumination, and somatic anxious arousal each independently correlated with insomnia. Moreover, insomnia was not only associated with the overall index of negative emotionality (combination of worry, somatic anxious arousal and rumination), but also with the interactive effect of poor attention control and negative emotionality. Thus, poor attention control may further contribute to sleep difficulties in individuals with high negative emotionality.