A Daily Diary Study on Sleep Quality and Procrastination at Work: The Moderating Role of Trait Self-Control

A Longitudinal Investigation on the Reciprocal Relationship of Problematic Smartphone Use with Bedtime Procrastination, Sleep Quality, and Mental Health Among University Students

Background

Problematic smartphone use (PSU) is linked to various mental health issues, but the relationship between PSU, bedtime procrastination, and mental health symptoms is unclear. Sleep factors related to PSU and its mental health effects have been understudied. This study explores the longitudinal associations between PSU, bedtime procrastination, sleep quality, and mental health in university students.

Methods

In this study, a total of 683 university students participated by completing questionnaires on Smart Phone Addiction (SAS) scale, Bedtime Procrastination Scale (BPS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Depression, Anxiety Stress Scales 21 (DASS-21) across two different time points with six-months interval between them. The participants were selected using a cluster sampling technique from Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan. A cross-lagged model was utilized to assess the longitudinal association between these variables.

Results

Statistically significant reciprocal associations were found between PSU, bedtime procrastination, and mental health symptoms. PSU at Time 1 significantly predicted PSU at Time 2, bedtime procrastination at Time 2, sleep quality at Time 2, and mental health symptoms at Time 2. Bedtime procrastination at Time 1 predicted PSU at Time 2, sleep quality at Time 2, and mental health symptoms at Time 2. Sleep quality at Time 1 predicted bedtime procrastination at Time 2 and mental health symptoms at Time 2. Mental health symptoms at Time 1 predicted PSU at Time 2 and sleep quality at Time 2.

Conclusion

The research findings have significantly advanced understanding of the longitudinal connections between PSU, bedtime procrastination, sleep quality, and mental health indicators. This enhanced comprehension is instrumental for psychological practitioners in devising targeted interventions to mitigate such issues among the university student demographic.

Procrastination and risky health behaviors: a possible way to nurture health promotion among young adults in Italy

Background

The study's main objectives were to evaluate the distribution of levels of procrastination and its relationship with sleep quality, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and skipping breakfast, as a proxy measure of an unhealthy dietary pattern, among Italian university students.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted at the "Magna Græcia" University of Catanzaro in the Southern part of Italy, using stratified random sampling techniques. Eligible students were sent an anonymous online survey aimed at assessing sociodemographic characteristics, procrastination levels using the Pure Procrastination Scale, sleep quality using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, smoking status, alcohol consumption using WHO's Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Tool, and breakfast habits.

Results

The study included 518 participants with a mean age of 23 year. More than half of the sample was enrolled in medicine or life science majors and the procrastination mean score was 15 (±5.9 SD). Being procrastinators was significantly more frequently among students who were poor sleepers, hazardous alcohol consumers and breakfast skippers. When analyzing the clustering of risky behaviors, it was found that as the number of risky behaviors increased, the procrastination score exhibited an exponential increase.

Conclusion

The study findings showed that university students who engage in procrastination tend to adopt risky health behaviors. The data gathered could be useful to derive targeted interventions aimed at groups more exposed to harmful health behaviors and to encourage institutional policies to promote healthy lifestyles within universities. Universities can act as hubs for cultivating a culture of well-being and promoting a healthy environment.

Postponing sleep after a stressful day: Patterns of stress, bedtime procrastination, and sleep outcomes in a daily diary approach

Sleep problems and stress are common among students and are associated with negative effects on academic performance as well as mental and physical health risks, but studies exploring mediating factors between stress and sleep on a daily basis are scarce. This study aimed to investigate the relationship of daily stress, Bedtime procrastination (BP) (i.e., postponing bedtime without external reasons), and sleep outcomes controlling for trait factors such as self-control. N = 96 students at a German university (M = 22.2 years, SD = 4.0) wore a sleep-tracking wearable (Fitbit Charge HR) for two weeks to assess sleep duration and to calculate the gap between the intended time to go to sleep and the objectively measured time of falling asleep. Stress, intended time to go to sleep, and sleep quality were assessed via daily diaries. Established questionnaires were used to measure trait self-control, trait BP, and smartphone addiction. Multilevel analyses indicated that more stress experienced during the day was associated with more BP (b = 2.32, p = 0.008), shorter sleep duration (b = -3.46, p = 0.003), and lower sleep quality (b = 1.03, p = 0.005) after controlling for several trait factors. The association of daily stress with sleep outcomes (quality and duration) was partly mediated by BP. Our findings indicate that BP might be one factor that contributes to stress-linked decreases in sleep duration and quality. Potential reasons for stress-related later time to fall asleep-like higher physiological arousal or stress-related worries-should be investigated in future studies.

Buffering or boosting? The dynamic curvilinear relationship between work-related use of information and communication technologies after-hours and wok procrastination

Work-related use of information and communication technologies after-hours (W_ICTs) blurs the boundaries between work and non-work domains, representing a typical boundary-crossing behavior that affects employees' lives and organizational development. Drawing on the Job Demands-Resources theory, this study develops a dynamic curvilinear model of the impact of W_ICTs on work procrastination, considering intrinsic motivation (self-efficacy and enjoyment) and regulatory focus (prevention focus). Empirical testing of the research hypotheses is conducted through a survey involving 817 employees with standard working hours (e.g. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). The results indicate that W_ICTs can be regarded as both inhibitors and promoters, with a U-shaped impact on work procrastination and an inverted U-shaped effect on self-efficacy and enjoyment. The mediating roles of self-efficacy and enjoyment are significant. Moreover, prevention focus moderates the relationship between W_ICTs and enjoyment, whereas the moderating effect between W_ICTs and self-efficacy is insignificant. This dynamic curvilinear relationship may explain the inconsistent results of prior studies regarding the relationship between W_ICTs and employees' negative behaviors. It contributes to expanding research on the outcomes of W_ICTs and the antecedents of work procrastination. Moreover, the proposed influence mechanism between W_ICTs and work procrastination has not been established from the perspective of intrinsic motivation and prevention focus. Hence, this study responds to scholars' calls and adds to the existing research on how W_ICTs affect work procrastination. These research findings enhance the current understanding of the effects of W_ICTs and offer valuable insights for organizations to effectively manage W_ICTs and address work procrastination behavior in practice.

Assessing Between- and Within-Person Reliabilities of Items and Scale for Daily Procrastination: A Multilevel and Dynamic Approach

Intensive longitudinal data (ILD) has been collected to capture the dynamic fluctuations of procrastination; however, researchers have typically measured daily procrastination by modifying trait measures (e.g., adding a time reference "today") without adequately testing their reliabilities. The main purpose of this study was to use an advanced approach, dynamic structural equation modeling, to assess the between- and within-person reliabilities of a widely used six-item measure of daily procrastination. A total of 252 participants completed retrospective measures of various types of trait procrastination and daily measures of procrastination over 34 consecutive days. The results showed that the entire scale for daily procrastination and five of its six items had high between- and within-person reliabilities, but one item had much lower reliabilities, suggesting that this item may be inappropriate in everyday contexts. Furthermore, we found moderate to strong associations between the latent trait factor of procrastination and trait measures of procrastination. In addition, we identified substantial between-person variation in person-specific reliabilities and explored its relevant factors. Overall, this study assessed the reliabilities of a daily measure of procrastination, which facilitated future studies to obtain more reliable and consistent results and to better estimate the reliability of ILD.

Sleep and mental health among youth experiencing homelessness: A retrospective pilot diary study

OBJECTIVES

The goal of this study was to describe the nightly sleep conditions of youth experiencing homelessness, and examine the association between sleep and mental health, both cross-sectionally and using diary data.

METHODS

n = 147 youth (ages 16-24) experiencing homelessness completed a baseline survey assessing self-reported sleep and depressive and anxious symptoms. A subsample of n = 49 completed a follow-up 7-day diary study measuring nightly sleep conditions and daily depressive and somatic symptoms.

RESULTS

According to baseline data, the majority of the sample (71%) reported sleeping less than 7 hours per night on average, and feeling like they did not get adequate sleep, especially among youth identifying as LGBTQ. In a qualitative follow-up question, the plurality attributed poor sleep to mental health woes. Cross-sectionally, youth with lower levels of self-reported sleep quality (more daytime fatigue and insomnia) reported higher levels of depressive and anxious symptoms. The diary data indicated that the most common nightly complaints among shelter utilizers are lack of privacy, noise, and uncomfortable temperatures. Multilevel models suggest that poor sleep conditions predicted higher levels of somatic symptoms the following day, after controlling for baseline levels of depressive and anxious symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the role environmental context plays in sleep health and its subsequent impacts. Individuals experiencing homelessness lack autonomy over their sleeping environments, and thus cannot make adjustments such as reducing disruptions such as noise, temperature, and light. Importantly, these less-than-ideal sleeping conditions contribute to pre-existing health disparities and may have long-term implications.

What complex factors influence sleep quality in college students? PLS-SEM vs. fsQCA

Introduction

Sleep quality has a significant impact on the health-related quality of life, particularly among college students. This study proposes a framework for identifying factors that influence college students' sleep quality, including stress, self-control, bedtime habits, and neighborhood environment.

Methods

The study employed a cross-sectional analytical approach on a convenience sample of 255 medical students from a private university in China during the 2021/2022 academic year, of which 80.39% (205) were women. Two complementary methodologies, partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), and fuzzy sets qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), were utilized in the study.

Results

The results of the PLS-SEM analysis suggest that Stress and Self-control act as mediating variables in the model, with Bedtime habits and Neighborhood environment influencing sleep quality through these variables. Additionally, the fsQCA analysis reveals that Bedtime habits and Neighborhood environment can combine with Stress and Self-control, respectively, to influence sleep quality.

Discussion

These findings provide insight into how multiple factors, such as Stress, Self-control, Bedtime habits, and Neighborhood environment, can impact college students' sleep quality, and can be used to develop intervention programs aimed at improving it. Moreover, the use of both methodologies enables the expansion of new methodological approaches that can be applied to different contexts.

Shadow of cyber ostracism over remote environment: Implication on remote work challenges, virtual work environment and employee mental well-being during a Covid-19 pandemic

This study aimed to identify the influence of workplace cyber ostracism on employee online work engagement and employee mental well-being with the mediating roles of remote work challenges such as loneliness, procrastination, work-home interference, and ineffective communication. As amidst lockdown due to COVID-19, the data was collected from 303 respondents through an online questionnaire that was distributed in virtual groups among friends, relatives, and other fellows who were working in the private sector organizations of Pakistan. The hypotheses were tested using the partial least square structural equation modeling PLS-SEM technique. The findings of this study showed that workplace cyber ostracism has a positive and significant impact on employee online work engagement and employee mental well-being. Moreover, results also demonstrated that loneliness, ineffective communication, procrastination, and work-home interference positively and significantly mediate the relationship between workplace cyber ostracism, employee online work engagement, and employee mental well-being. Furthermore, discussion, implications, and limitations were also discussed in this research article.

Daily Implications of Felt Love for Sleep Quality

This study introduces the concept of felt love as the monadic experience of love, a parallel of dyadic love, and presents a study examining the relationships between daily felt love and sleep quality across 28 days. Before beginning the daily protocol, participants answered 60 questions assessing common situations that may make people feel loved. These questions were used to establish a consensus on the meaning of felt love for the specific participants under study. During the daily life study, participants (N = 52) provided self-reports via smartphone surveys for 28 days. Each morning upon waking, participants assessed their subjective sleep quality, and each evening positive affect was assessed with a set of 5 questions. Participants also rated how much they felt loved at 6 semirandom times throughout the day. Felt love measures were aggregated to obtain daily means and individual means across the study. Variability in felt love was quantified by calculating within-day and between-day standard deviations. Multilevel modeling was used to account for repeated measurements for each participant across the study, and the final model includes age, sex, positive affect, and felt love as predictors of sleep quality. Participants who reported higher positive affect and higher within-day felt love variability reported better overall sleep quality. However, overall mean levels of felt love did not significantly predict sleep quality, nor were there effects at the daily level. These results suggest that experiencing a range of felt love intensities within an average day is associated with better sleep quality.

Validation of the Chinese Version of the Procrastination at Work Scale

The purpose of this study was to validate the Chinese version of the Procrastination at Work Scale (PAWS), a recently developed scale aimed at assessing procrastination in the work context. We translated the PAWS into Chinese and conducted exploratory factor analysis on participants in sample A (N = 236), resulting in a two-factor solution consistent with the original PAWS. In sample B (N = 227), confirmatory factor analysis showed that a two-factor, bifactor model fit the data best. Configural, metric, and scalar invariance models were tested, which demonstrated that the Chinese version of the PAWS did not differ across groups by gender, age, education, or job position. Validity testing demonstrated that the scale relates to work engagement, counterproductive work behavior, task performance, workplace well-being, and organizational commitment. This study indicated that the Chinese version of the PAWS could be used in future research to measure procrastination at work in China.

Longitudinal relationships among problematic mobile phone use, bedtime procrastination, sleep quality and depressive symptoms in Chinese college students: a cross-lagged panel analysis

BACKGROUND

Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have found that problematic mobile phone use, bedtime procrastination, sleep quality, and depressive symptoms are strongly associated. However, studies are inconsistent regarding whether problematic mobile phone use predicts depressive symptoms or vice versa, and sleep factors have been infrequently focused on in this regard. In addition, few studies have examined the longitudinal associations and directions of effects between these factors. Therefore, this study aims to explore the longitudinal relationship among problematic mobile phone use, bedtime procrastination, sleep quality, and depressive symptoms in college students.

METHODS

Overall, 1181 college students completed questionnaires on problematic mobile phone use, bedtime procrastination, sleep quality, and depressive symptoms at two time points 12 months apart. A cross-lagged model was used to examine the longitudinal relationship between these factors.

RESULTS

Cross-lagged analyses showed significant bidirectional relationships of problematic mobile phone use with bedtime procrastination and depressive symptoms. Additionally, there were also significant bidirectional relationships of sleep quality with bedtime procrastination and depressive symptoms. Problematic mobile phone use predicted subsequent sleep quality one-way, and bedtime procrastination predicted subsequent depressive symptoms one-way.

CONCLUSIONS

This study further expands our understanding of the longitudinal and bidirectional relationships among problematic mobile phone use, bedtime procrastination, sleep quality and depressive symptoms and helps school mental health educators design targeted interventions to reduce problematic mobile phone use, sleep problems, and depressive symptoms among college students.

Predicting Delay in Goal-Directed Action: An Experience Sampling Approach Uncovering Within-Person Determinants Involved in the Onset of Academic Procrastination Behavior

Academic procrastination involves the delayed implementation of actions required to fulfill study-related tasks. These behavioral delays are thought to result from momentary failures in self-regulation (i.e., within-person processes). Most previous studies focused on the role of trait-based individual differences in students' procrastination tendencies. Little is known about the within-person processes involved in the occurrence of procrastination behavior in real-life academic situations. The present study applied an event-based experience sampling approach to investigate whether the onset of task-specific delay behavior can be attributed to unfavorable changes in students' momentary appraisals of tasks (value, aversiveness, effort, expectations of success), which may indicate failures in self-regulation arise between critical phases of goal-directed action. University students (N = 75) used an electronic diary over eight days to indicate their next days' intentions to work on academic tasks and their task-specific appraisals (n = 582 academic tasks planned). For each task, a second query requested the next day determined whether students' task-related appraisals changed and whether they implemented their intention on time or delayed working on the respective task (n = 501 completed task-specific measurements). Students' general procrastination tendency was assessed at baseline using two established self-report questionnaires. Stepwise two-level logistic regression analyses revealed that within-person changes in task-related appraisals that reflected a devaluation of the study-related tasks increased the risk for an actual delay. The risk to delay decreased when students maintained a positive attitude toward the task. Students' general procrastination tendency did not predict individual differences in their task-specific delay behavior. We discuss these findings in light of the growing effort to understand the within-person processes that contribute to induce procrastination behavior under real-life academic conditions and illustrate how this knowledge can benefit the design of tasks and instructions that support students' self-regulation to their best.

An Experience-Sampling Study on Academic Stressors and Cyberloafing in College Students: The Moderating Role of Trait Self-Control

Student cyberloafing is a relatively new educational phenomenon and is getting to be an outstanding issue that educators have to face. It is necessary to find out important factors that aggravate cyberloafing. Using an experience sampling method, this study examined the relationship between academic stressors and cyberloafing. Once a week for five consecutive weeks (T1–T5), 134 undergraduate students assessed the extent of academic stressors and cyberloafing of that week through an electronic questionnaire. Additionally, participants completed a trait self-control scale at Time 2. Results of two-level regression analysis showed that academic stressors were negatively associated with cyberloafing at the within-person level (i.e., week-to-week changes), but not at the between-person level. Furthermore, this relationship pattern was only observed in students with low trait self-control, while those with high trait self-control were less likely to cyberloaf regardless of academic stressors. These findings suggest that cyberloafing can fluctuate over periods, especially for individuals who lack self-control. Future research should consider cyberloafing from a dynamic perspective of individual-context interaction. Several practical implications are also discussed.

Sleep Quality and Self-Control: The Mediating Roles of Positive and Negative Affects

This study examined the mediating roles of both positive and negative affects in the relationship between sleep quality and self-control. A sample of 1,507 Chinese adults (37% men; mean age = 32.5 years) completed self-report questionnaires measuring sleep quality, positive and negative emotions, and self-control. Poor sleep quality was positively correlated with negative affect and negatively correlated with positive affect and self-control. Positive affect was positively correlated with self-control, while negative affect was negatively correlated with self-control. Both positive and negative affects significantly mediated the relationship between sleep quality and self-control. Improving individuals' sleep qualities may lead to more positive emotions and less negative emotion, and these mood changes may increase resources for self-control. Regulating positive and negative affects may reduce the negative effects of poor sleep quality on self-control.

Effects of treatment of sleep disorders on sleep, psychological and cognitive functioning and biomarkers in individuals with HIV/AIDS and under methadone maintenance therapy

BACKGROUND

Poor sleep is a major complaint of people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and undergoing methadone maintenance therapy (MMT). We tested the impact of three different sleep-improving interventions (trazodone; sleep hygiene training; sleep hygiene training + trazodone) on sleep, psychological functioning and biomarkers in males with HIV and undergoing MMT.

METHODS

A total of 75 male outpatients (mean age: 39.6 years) participated in a 12 week intervention. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the following conditions: trazodone 50 mg/d (TRAZ); sleep hygiene training (SHT); sleep hygiene training and trazodone (SHT + TRAZ). At baseline, and six and 12 weeks later, participants completed questionnaires covering subjective sleep and daytime sleepiness, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. In parallel, their cognitive performance (working memory; sustained attention) was assessed. Biomarkers (cortisol, BNDF, CD4⁺) were assessed at baseline and at the end of the study.

RESULTS

Over time, sleep disturbances decreased and daytime functioning and overall sleep quality improved. More specifically, both sleep disturbances and daytime functioning improved in the two SHT conditions from baseline to week 6. Daytime functioning remained stable from week 6 to week 12. Over time, in all conditions symptoms of depression and anxiety declined from baseline to week 6 and remained lower from week 6 to week 12. Daytime sleepiness, symptoms of insomnia and sleep-disordered breathing remained unchanged. Sustained attention performance improved over time from baseline to week 6 and remained high through to week 12. Biomarkers remained unchanged.

CONCLUSIONS

In males with HIV and undergoing MMT, treating sleep disturbances over a period of six to 12 weeks had a positive impact on aspects of sleep disturbance, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and cognitive performance. The results indicate that sleep hygiene training, either as stand-alone or in combination with trazodone, can produce positive results.

Academic Self-Efficacy and Postgraduate Procrastination: A Moderated Mediation Model

Studies in recent years have shown that academic procrastination in postgraduates is very common and has a negative impact on their mental health. Therefore, we conducted this study to explore the influencing mechanism of postgraduate academic procrastination. In this study, based on the Temporal Decision Model (TDM) of procrastination and the strength model of self-control, we administered a questionnaire survey to 577 full-time postgraduates (351 females, 226 males) to explore the influence mechanisms and gender differences of motivational and volitional factors on academic procrastination. Our results indicated significant differences in academic self-efficacy between females and males. Academic self-efficacy was positively correlated with academic self-control and negatively correlated with academic procrastination; academic self-control was negatively correlated with academic procrastination. Academic self-control had a completely mediating effect in the influence of academic self-efficacy on academic procrastination. Gender variables moderated the influence of academic self-efficacy on academic self-control and thus significantly moderated the mediating effect of academic self-control. Specifically, academic self-control had a stronger mediating effect between academic self-efficacy and academic procrastination for female postgraduates. Our findings may provide guidance for postgraduates who exhibit academic procrastination and extend the theory of academic procrastination.

Do procrastinators get worse sleep? Cross-sectional study of US adolescents and young adults

Procrastination is a widespread habit that has been understudied in the realm of health behaviors, especially sleep. This study aimed to examine the cross-sectional relationships between procrastination and multiple dimensions of sleep in a large national sample of US adolescents and young adults. A random sample of 8742 students from 11 US universities provided self-reports of procrastination (measured by the General Procrastination Scale-Short Form with scores ranging from 1 to 5) and sleep behaviors including social jetlag (the absolute difference between mid-sleep times on weeknights and weekend nights), sleep duration (mean weekly, weeknight, and weekend night), insomnia symptoms (trouble falling/staying asleep), daytime sleepiness, and sleep medication use. Multiple linear regression and Poisson regression models adjusted for socio-demographic and academic characteristics as well as response propensity weights. Higher levels of procrastination were significantly associated with greater social jetlag (β = 3.34 min per unit increase in the procrastination score; 95% CI [1.86, 4.81]), shorter mean weekly sleep duration (β = −4.44 min; 95% CI [-6.36, −2.52]), and shorter weeknight sleep duration (β = −6.10 min; 95% CI [-8.37, −3.84]), but not weekend night sleep duration. Moreover, procrastination was associated with insomnia symptoms (Relative Risk (RR) = 1.27; 95% CI [1.19, 1.37]) and daytime sleepiness (RR = 1.32; 95% CI [1.27, 1.38]), but not sleep medication use. The results were robust to adjustment for anxiety and depressive symptoms. Procrastination was associated with greater social jetlag, shorter sleep duration, and worse sleep quality. If causal, the results suggest that interventions to prevent and manage procrastination might help students to improve their sleep health.

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Procrastination is associated with multiple dimensions of sleep in adolescents and young adults.

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Procrastination is associated with greater social jetlag.

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Procrastination is associated with shorter sleep duration.

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Procrastination is associated with increased risk of insomnia symptoms and daytime sleepiness.