Sleep quality in students: Associations with psychological and lifestyle factors

Abstract

Disturbed sleep is prevalent in adult populations and has been associated with negative health outcomes. This cross-sectional study assessed how psychological and lifestyle factors relate to subjective sleep quality in university students. In a large (N = 1114) sample of Dutch university students we assessed chronotype (Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire), depressive symptoms (Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms), cognitive emotion regulation styles (Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire), and substance use (caffeine, alcohol, smoking, cannabis), and analysed whether these factors were related to subjective sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index). The sample was predominantly (77.8%) female, mean age 21.1 (SD = 2.9) years, and 42.8% had clinically significant poor subjective sleep quality. More eveningness (B = −.05, p = .001), more depressive symptoms (B = .31, p = .001), less use of the emotion regulation strategy ‘putting into perspective’ (B = −.06, p = .02) and smoking (B = .53, p = .02) were independently associated with poorer subjective sleep quality. More eveningness, more depressive symptoms, less use of the emotion regulation style ‘putting into perspective’ and smoking were independently associated with poorer subjective sleep quality in a large sample of Dutch university students.