Strategies for controlling sleep-related intrusive thoughts, and subjective and objective sleep quality: how self-reported poor and good sleepers differ

Abstract

Objectives

Along with changes in subjective and objective sleep patterns, metacognitive control of intrusive and unwanted thoughts at bedtime has been shown to significantly influence sleep quality. The present study examined individual differences between self-reported poor and good sleepers’ thought control strategies, as well as their subjective and objective sleep quality, considering adults in a broad range of ages.

Method

The study involved 147 individuals aged 18-79 years, divided into self-reported poor and good sleepers using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Participants’ thought control strategies were assessed using the Thought Control Questionnaire for Insomnia - Revised (TCQI-r). Subjective sleep parameters were recorded in a sleep diary, and objective sleep parameters were measured over 7 days using actigraphy.

Results

Self-reported poor sleepers employed aggressive suppression, reappraisal and worry strategies more than self-reported good sleepers. On logistic regression, the use of reappraisal and worry strategies distinguished between poor and good sleepers, while age did not. Self-reported poor sleepers objectively had a much longer sleep onset latency, a shorter total sleeping time, and a lower sleep efficiency, as well as subjectively longer times awake again after sleep onset, and a lower sleep efficiency than self-reported good sleepers.

Conclusion

Together with some subjective and objective sleep parameters, the use of certain thought control strategies (reappraisal and worry, in particular) seems to be one of the crucial aspects accounting for individual differences between self-reported poor and good sleepers.

Keywords:

• Actigraphy
• Good and poor sleepers
• Individual differences
• Metacognition
• Sleep
• Thought control strategies

Acknowledgements

This work was carried out within the scope of the project ‘use-inspired basic research’, for which the Department of General Psychology of the University of Padova has been recognized as ‘Dipartimento di eccellenza’ by the Ministry of University and Research.

The authors would like to thank Nicola Cellini, and the sleep laboratory at the University of Padova, for supporting our research. Particular thanks go to Enrico Toffalini for his helpful suggestions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).