Association of sleep attitudes with sleep hygiene, duration, and quality: a survey exploration of the moderating effect of age, gender, race, and perceived socioeconomic status

Abstract

Objectives: Sleep health is becoming more widely accepted as a possible preventative strategy against chronic disease and negative psychosocial outcomes. It is important to understand whether attitudes towards sleep vary by demographic characteristics and how potential differences in sleep attitudes could impact sleep outcomes. The present study examined whether there were demographic differences in sleep attitudes and whether the interaction between demographic characteristics and sleep attitudes impacted sleep outcomes (e.g. sleep hygiene, duration, and quality). Methods: One hundred seventy-two adults from across the United States completed an anonymous survey on sleep and health. Results: Sleep attitudes varied according to age, gender, and race, with more positive sleep attitudes reported by older adults, women, and those who identified as White. Although positive sleep attitudes predicted more sleep and better quality sleep, this association varied as a function of several demographic characteristics. A more complex picture arose for the interaction between demographics and sleep attitudes predicting sleep outcomes. Conclusions: Future research should continue to discover for whom favorable sleep attitudes are beneficial and explore when and how sleep attitudes may be altered.

Sleep attitudes as a predictor of sleep outcomes: a secondary data analysis

“…Hypothesis one predicted a significant indirect effect between sleep attitudes and sleep outcomes via sleep hygiene in a more general adult sample. Earlier work also reported demographic differences in sleep attitudes (Ruggiero et al, 2019). The present study expanded consideration of demographic moderators by analyzing whether the indirect effect was modified by demographic characteristics.…”

“…Sleep attitudes, sleep hygiene, and self-reported sleep duration and quality were also measured using psychometrically sound scales. For a full description of these scales, please refer to the original paper, Ruggiero et al, 2019, that this secondary data analysis refers to. Males = 0, Females = 1; b Self-identified racial/ethnic minority = 0, Self-identified white = 1.…”

“…Previous work has found a link between sleep attitudes and sleep outcomes (duration and quality) (Ruggiero, Peach, & Gaultney, 2019 ) and importantly, has shown that this relationship also functions indirectly via sleep hygiene (Peach, Gaultney, & Ruggiero, 2018 ; Ruggiero et al, 2019 ), with more favorable sleep attitudes relating to better sleep hygiene, which, in turn, predicted better sleep outcomes. Moreover, the association between sleep attitudes and sleep outcomes varied as a function of age, gender, race, and SES, with older adults, women, and white participants reporting more favorable sleep attitudes, while race made little difference in sleep attitudes among those with lower SES, but was more pronounced among those with higher SES (Ruggiero et al, 2019 ). Furthermore, female minority participants with less positive sleep attitudes reported the least amount of sleep on weekends, and high SES males with less favorable sleep attitudes reported more weekend sleep.…”

“…Furthermore, female minority participants with less positive sleep attitudes reported the least amount of sleep on weekends, and high SES males with less favorable sleep attitudes reported more weekend sleep. Women with high SES and less favorable sleep attitudes received the least amount of sleep on weekends, indicating that having a higher SES may not always be beneficial for positive health behaviors like sleep, particularly for women (Ruggiero et al, 2019 ).…”

“…Prior research has demonstrated that attitudes toward sleep are associated with sleep hygiene, sleep duration and quality (Peach & Gaultney, 2017 ; Peach, Gaultney, Ruggiero, 2018 ). Sleep attitudes interact with varying demographic identities, such as age, gender, race, and perceived socioeconomic status (SES) (Ruggiero, Peach, & Gaultney, 2019 ). The present study hypothesized that (1) sleep attitudes would be indirectly associated with sleep outcomes (duration and quality) via sleep hygiene, and, (2) this indirect effect would be modified by specific demographic variables (age, gender, race, and perceived SES; moderated mediation).…”