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Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms as Mediators of Trait Mindfulness and Sleep Quality in Emerging Adults

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Abstract

Sleep quality tends to be poor among emerging adults (ages 18–25). Poor sleep quality has short- and long-term health consequences, including decreases in cognitive function and mood and reductions in immune function. Trait mindfulness, or observing experiences without becoming emotionally aroused or passing judgment, has been linked to increased sleep quality in emerging adults, but little research attention has examined mechanisms that may explain this relationship. Because mindfulness has been associated with reductions in both anxiety and depression, and anxiety and depression are associated with more sleep disturbances, it is possible that mindfulness may operate on sleep quality through reductions in both anxiety and depressive symptoms. This study examined the links between mindfulness, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and sleep quality in 283 emerging adults. Results indicated that higher levels of mindfulness were related to better sleep quality through lower levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Post hoc analyses indicated that mindfulness was also associated with fewer sleep disturbances and less daytime sleep dysfunction through lower levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms. However, higher levels of mindfulness were associated with longer sleep duration, better sleep efficiency, and better subjective sleep quality only through fewer depressive symptoms and higher levels of mindfulness were associated with shorter sleep latency only through anxiety. Results suggest that mindfulness may be an effective tool for increasing sleep quality in emerging adults.

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Author notes

  1. Leah M. Bogusch

    Present address: Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, 43403, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychological Sciences, University of Indianapolis, 1400 East Hanna Avenue, Indianapolis, IN, 46227, USA

    Leah M. Bogusch & Erin M. Fekete

  2. Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, Palo Alto University, 1791 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA

    Matthew D. Skinta

Authors
  1. Leah M. Bogusch
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  2. Erin M. Fekete
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Correspondence to Erin M. Fekete.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Bogusch, L.M., Fekete, E.M. & Skinta, M.D. Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms as Mediators of Trait Mindfulness and Sleep Quality in Emerging Adults. Mindfulness 7, 962–970 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-016-0535-7

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