Daily associations among sleep, posttraumatic stress disorder, and positive affect
Shaan F McGhie1, Gabriella E Hamlett1, Marieke Meier2
1Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Journal of Traumatic Stress
|January 6, 2025
Summary
Sleep disturbances like difficulty sleeping and disturbing dreams are linked to increased posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. However, sleep issues must be substantial to noticeably impact PTSD symptoms within an individual.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sleep Science
- Trauma Studies
Background:
- A bidirectional association exists between sleep disturbances and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.
- Group-level data limit understanding of within-individual temporal dynamics.
- The impact of sleep disturbances on positive affect in PTSD requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the daily temporal dynamics of sleep disturbances and PTSD symptoms within individuals.
- To investigate the effect of sleep disturbances on positive affect.
- To differentiate within-person and between-person effects.
Main Methods:
- Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) over 14 days in 41 trauma-exposed individuals.
- Measured daily sleep disturbances (initiation, maintenance, dreams) and PTSD symptoms.
- Utilized multilevel models to analyze within- and between-person effects.
Main Results:
- Difficulty sleeping and disturbing dreams predicted increased PTSD symptoms at both within- and between-person levels.
- Higher PTSD symptom levels correlated with increased self-reported sleep difficulty.
- Average sleep difficulty predicted lower positive affect at the between-person level, but no within-person effect was found.
Conclusions:
- Sleep difficulties significantly predict PTSD symptoms, with notable between-person effects.
- Substantial sleep disturbances are needed to impact PTSD symptoms noticeably within an individual.
- Sleep disturbances may influence positive affect at an average, between-person level.
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