The influence of sleep on subjective well-being: An experience sampling study

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sleep Science
• Well-being Research

Background:

• Existing research links sleep to subjective well-being (SWB), but within-person dynamics remain underexplored.
• Understanding how daily sleep variations affect mood and life satisfaction is crucial for student mental health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the influence of various sleep parameters on SWB at both within- and between-person levels.
• To identify which specific sleep factors most consistently predict next-day positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction.

Main Methods:

• Multilevel analyses were conducted on data from 109 university students over a 2-week experience sampling period.
• Both self-reported and actigraphy-measured sleep data (latency, duration, satisfaction, social jetlag, efficiency) were collected.
• Subjective well-being components (positive affect, negative affect, life satisfaction) were assessed daily.

Main Results:

• Higher sleep satisfaction (both within- and between-person) significantly predicted all components of next-day SWB.
• Self-reported sleep onset latency and duration also showed some associations with SWB components.
• Only sleep satisfaction emerged as a consistent predictor of SWB across both within- and between-person analyses.

Conclusions:

• Sleep satisfaction is the most critical sleep-related factor influencing students' daily subjective well-being.
• Interventions aimed at improving student SWB should prioritize enhancing sleep satisfaction alongside sleep patterns.
• Future research should focus on mechanisms linking sleep satisfaction to psychological well-being.