Personality, hedonic balance and the quality and quantity of sleep in adulthood

Abstract

Objective: Sufficient and good-quality sleep is important for individual functioning. This study explored associations between personality and sleep duration and sleep quality in adulthood. The mediating role of hedonic balance and the moderating roles of age and sex were also explored.

Method: A nationally representative sample of Australian adults (n = 14,065; M_age = 44.4 years; 53.1% women) completed self-report measures of personality, sleep, hedonic balance and demographic variables (e.g. health status, employment status) in late 2013.

Results: After controlling for demographic variables, we found that high neuroticism was associated with poorer sleep quality, and both long and short sleep durations (a curvilinear relationship). Small effects were also observed relating high extraversion and low openness to better sleep quality. Hedonic balance mediated all linear and non-linear associations between personality and sleep. Additional moderator analyses showed that high openness was more strongly related to poor sleep quality among men and young adults. High neuroticism was more strongly related to poor sleep quality among men.

Conclusion: Findings indicate that personality is important for sleep in adulthood and that hedonic balance features a prominent role in this association.

Keywords:

• five-factor model
• sleep problems
• big five
• subjective well-being
• affect