Bidirectional Associations Between Sleep and Anxiety Symptoms in Emerging Adults in a Residential College Setting
Published online on November 04, 2016
Abstract
Daily covariation of three sleep indicators (quantity, quality, postsleep restedness), anxiety symptoms, and caffeine and alcohol consumption was observed in 283 emerging adults (M age = 19.9). Participants completed web-based sleep diary surveys every morning and evening for 7 consecutive days. Cross-lagged models suggested that sleep quality and restedness (reported each morning) predicted students’ anxiety levels (reported each evening) and that anxiety levels predicted all three sleep indicators. Furthermore, pre-bedtime caffeine consumption predicted worse sleep that night. Controlling for the effects of weekdays versus weekends produced virtually identical effects to the 7-day models, although weekend alcohol consumption emerged as a predictor of postsleep restedness. These data support bidirectionality between sleep and anxiety symptoms in emerging adults attending college/university and highlight potential avenues for intervention.