Perceptions of short and long sleepers: Prototype favorability and willingness to reduce sleep

Objective: Few studies have explored sleep-related beliefs in the context of health behavior models. We compared perceptions of short versus long sleeper prototypes and examined whether these perceptions predict willingness to reduce sleep. Participants: College students at a private university in the northeastern United States (Study 1: N  =  119; Study 2: N  =  140). Methods: In two between-subjects experiments, we assessed favorability ratings of short (5-5.5 h/night) and long (9-9.5 h/night) sleeper prototypes. Study 2 assessed participants' willingness to reduce their own sleep. Results: Short sleeper prototypes were rated less favorably than long sleeper prototypes in linear regression models (p < .001). In Study 1, this association was moderated by participants' self-reported sleep duration (p  =  .04). In Study 2, higher favorability ratings of short sleeper prototypes were associated with greater willingness to reduce sleep (p  =  .01). Conclusions: College students view short sleepers more favorably than long sleepers. Findings may inform sleep health interventions for young adults.