Longitudinal interplays between basic psychological need satisfaction and sleep among older adults in China

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Sleep Science
• Psychology

Background:

• Sleep quality and psychological needs are vital for well-being in aging populations.
• Self-determination theory suggests interplay between sleep and basic psychological needs (autonomy, relatedness, competence).
• Longitudinal dynamics of sleep and need satisfaction in older adults remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the longitudinal relationship between basic psychological needs satisfaction and subjective sleep in older adults.
• To examine reciprocal effects, controlling for sociodemographic and health factors.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of three waves of data (2011, 2014, 2017) from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (N=2,834).
• Structural Equation Modelling was used to test four competing models of longitudinal interplay.
• Participants reported on sleep quality, sleep duration, and psychological needs satisfaction.

Main Results:

• Both psychological needs satisfaction and sleep quality showed a decline over the seven-year study period.
• Better sleep quality consistently predicted higher levels of need satisfaction, particularly for relatedness and competence.
• Sleep quality and relatedness demonstrated significant positive reciprocal relationships, both immediate and lagged.

Conclusions:

• Longitudinal interplays exist between psychological needs satisfaction and sleep in older adults, with relatedness being a key factor.
• Interventions supporting psychological needs and promoting healthy sleep habits are essential for healthy aging.
• Findings highlight the bidirectional influence of sleep and psychological well-being in later life.