Relationship satisfaction and sleep problems among college students: Serial indirect effects via relationship mindfulness and negative emotional symptoms

Abstract

Objective

This study examined relationship mindfulness and negative emotional symptoms as serial mediators between relationship satisfaction and sleep problems. Participants: Participants were 242 college students currently in a romantic relationship recruited from a large southeastern university. Methods: Participants completed self-report measures of relationship satisfaction, relationship mindfulness, negative emotional symptoms and sleep disturbances. Serial mediation analyses were conducted, covarying age and attachment orientations. Results: Students who reported higher relationship satisfaction experienced lower sleep problems. Helping explain this association a significant serial mediation model was supported by which relationship mindfulness and subsequent negative emotional symptoms mediated relationship satisfaction and sleep problems. Conclusions: The degree to which a person is more mindful during interactions with a romantic partner appears to play a key role in how relationship satisfaction and negative emotional symptoms are linked to sleep problems.

Keywords:

• Mindfulness
• negative emotion
• relationship satisfaction
• sleep

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of United States and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of Florida State University.

Funding

No funding was used to support this research and/or the preparation of the manuscript.