The motivation behind better sleep: self-determination as a framework for examining sleep outcomes in college students

Abstract

Objective To examine sleep health within a self-determination framework across a diverse college sample. Participants A nonclinical sample of undergraduate students (n = 399) from a large, urban, public university in the Mid-Atlantic United States in Spring 2020. Methods Participants were recruited via an online research participation portal and received extra credit for participation. All measures were administered via an online survey. Results Basic psychological need satisfaction was associated with sleep health. This association was partially mediated by sleep hygiene but not by regulatory style. There were no racial/ethnic differences in sleep health, sleep hygiene, basic need satisfaction, or regulatory style. Men reported more maladaptive motivational styles for sleep health, and non-binary/transgender students reported worse sleep hygiene. Conclusion Basic psychological need satisfaction and sleep hygiene are critical targets for intervention across diverse college student populations. Motivation may be less critical for nonclinical interventions.