Sleep quality and cognitive emotion regulation strategies in occupational persons

Abstract

Objective To investigate the sleep quality and the cognitive emotion regulation strategies of highly educated professionals. Methods Totally 350 adults from different units in Beijing completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index ( PSQI), Insomnia Severity Index ( ISI), Profile of Mood States-Short Form (POMS-SF) and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ). Results ( 1 ) Among these adults, 98 ( 28% ) had sleep problems ( PSQI ≥ 7 ), 146 ( 41.7% ) were influenced by insomnia. (2) After encountering negative events in daily life, the strategies frequently used by these 350 adults included positive reappraisal, refocusing on planning and positive refocusing. (3) There are significant difference between those three groups in different ISI degree on the dimensions of catastrophizing and rumination. Specifically, sleep good group (ISI ≤ 7 ) is significant lower than mild insomnia group (7 ＜ ISI≤14)and severe insomnia group( ISI ≥ 15 ) at the mean score of catastrophizing ( t = 3.466, P =0.001; t = 2.625, P = 0.009 ) and mean score of rumination ( t = 2.332, P = 0.020; t = 1.974, P = 0.049 ).Conclusions The results suggest there be much sleep quality problem and subjective insomnia in these staff members. In face of negative life events, these staff usually use positive strategies to regulate their emotion, and those people affected by insomnia frequently use the strategies of rumination and catastrophizing more than those who are not suffered insomnia. Key words: Insomnia; Emotions; Cognition