Precision Assessment of Real-World Associations Between Stress and Sleep Duration Using Actigraphy Data Collected...

Area of Science:

• Behavioral science
• Psychology
• Sleep science

Background:

• College transition is marked by heightened stress and insufficient sleep, impacting health.
• Disentangling the temporal relationship between stress and sleep is challenging.
• Previous group-level analyses may obscure individual stress-sleep dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an individual-level linear model for precise estimation of stress-sleep associations.
• To leverage intensive longitudinal data for unbiased, person-specific analyses.
• To examine bidirectional lead-lag relationships between perceived stress and objective sleep duration.

Main Methods:

• 55 college students provided daily stress reports and wore actigraphy for sleep duration.
• An individual-level Bayesian linear model analyzed intensive longitudinal data.
• Model validated on pilot data and applied to first-year students for stress-sleep associations.

Main Results:

• Proof-of-concept confirmed sleep duration and quality associations in pilot participants.
• Most students (92%) showed negative associations between sleep duration and stress.
• Significant temporal associations varied: 39% showed stress preceding sleep, sleep preceding stress, or both.

Conclusions:

• The stress-sleep dynamic is highly person-specific.
• The individual-level model offers a precise framework for understanding real-world behavioral dynamics.
• Findings support personalized interventions for student health and well-being.