The role of self-control in adolescent sleep: Evidence from ecological momentary assessment data

Adolescence is characterized by age-related biological and psychological changes that increase preference for later wake times and bedtimes. However, wake times are constrained by early school start times, meaning that adolescents must act against pressures for delayed bedtimes if they are to obtain sufficient sleep. This context presents a significant self-control challenge. Yet, few studies have examined the dynamic, and possibly reciprocal, association between daily levels of self-control and sleep during this period.

Leveraging 2 weeks of intensive longitudinal data from 159 North Carolina public school students (M_age = 12.20, SD = 1.07; 47% female), this study used dynamic structural equation modeling to examine cross-lagged associations between self-reported self-control (perceived capacity, failures) and sleep (bedtime, duration, quality) while accounting for the carryover effect of previous-day's levels and covariates of self-control and adolescent sleep.

Perceived capacity for self-control and failures to accomplish necessary activities were fairly stable and impervious to previous day's sleep duration, bedtime, and sleep quality. Self-control (higher capacity, fewer failures) was associated with better sleep quality, and fewer failures, on average, were associated with more stable bedtimes. However, participants slept later on days when they reported higher-than-average capacity and fewer-than-average failures of self-control.

Self-control and sleep were generally stable over time, but bedtime and sleep duration were vulnerable to deviations from usual daily capacity and failures of self-control. Findings suggest a broader role of daily levels of self-control in behavior regulation and call for further investigation of the dynamic between self-control and sleep in the context of adolescence.