0107 Bedtime Procrastination Mediates the Association Between Repetitive Negative Thoughts and Insomnia Symptoms

Abstract Introduction Introduction. Several studies have demonstrated that bedtime procrastination, or the tendency to delay bedtime in the absence of external obligations, is associated with insomnia. However, there is a lack of research on the role of bedtime procrastination in the development of insomnia symptoms. Consistent with the cognitive model of insomnia, bedtime procrastination may serve the purpose of avoiding repetitive negative thoughts associated with bedtime. Accordingly, the present study sought to evaluate the role of bedtime procrastination in the association between proneness to repetitive negative thoughts and insomnia using data from a daily diary evaluation of sleep in young adults. Methods Methods. 521 young adult participants (Mage = 24.6, SD = 6.9) completed baseline measures of worry (Penn State Worry Questionnaire) and rumination (Rumination-Reflection Questionnaire) tendencies, in addition to the Insomnia Severity Index. Participants additionally completed 14-days of experience sampling assessment, including self-report measures of nightly pre-sleep arousal and morning sleep diaries and ratings of prior-night bedtime procrastination. Structural equation models were constructed to identify the serial-mediation effect of worry and rumination on insomnia symptoms through pre-sleep arousal and bedtime procrastination. Results Results. Bedtime procrastination partially mediated the associations between rumination (β = 0.03, p = 0.006), worry (β = 0.02, p = 0.021), pre-sleep arousal (β = 0.06, p < 0.001), and insomnia symptoms. Furthermore, pre-sleep arousal and bedtime procrastination serially mediated the associations between worry (β = 0.02, p = 0.001), rumination (β = 0.02, p = 0.001), and insomnia symptoms. Secondary analyses suggest that repetitive negative thought tendencies are associated with poor subjective sleep quality, whereas bedtime procrastination was associated with longer sleep onset latency, wake after sleep onset, and shorter sleep duration. Conclusion Conclusion. The current findings suggest that bedtime procrastination may be a relevant behavioral mechanism underlying the association between propensity for repetitive negative thoughts and insomnia symptoms. In these models, ESM-assessed bedtime procrastination, but not proneness to repetitive negative thoughts, was associated with poorer daily self-reported sleep outcomes. Individuals may procrastinate their bedtime to avoid sleep-related repetitive negative thoughts. Further research is needed to elucidate the role of bedtime procrastination in the development of insomnia symptoms. Support (if any)