Is Bedtime Procrastination Related to Multidimensional Sleep Health? Evidence from Samples of Different Educational Stages (Aged 10-25) in China.

Abstract

Bedtime procrastination has been associated with poorer sleep health, but evidence for this association is not sufficient. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the relationship between bedtime procrastination and multidimensional sleep health among students at different educational stages (from elementary school to college) in China, and further examine the moderating role of psychological distress in the procrastination-sleep health link. A total of 3539 students (M_age = 15.6 [2.9] years) completed an online survey between December 17^th and 31st, 2023. Sociodemographics, bedtime procrastination, chronotype, psychological distress, and sleep health indicators were assessed. Binary logistic regression was used to estimate the association of bedtime procrastination with sleep health. The moderating effects of psychological distress were examined using the Process macro. The results showed that, from elementary school to college, scores of bedtime procrastination displayed a gradually increasing trend. Greater bedtime procrastination across different educational stages was related to poorer sleep health, including satisfaction, alertness, timing, efficiency, and regularity. However, there was no significant association between bedtime procrastination and sleep duration among elementary, middle, and high school students. Moreover, the moderating effect of psychological distress was observed among middle and high school students. The negative association between bedtime procrastination and total sleep health was attenuated in students with high psychological distress than in students with low psychological distress. The findings underscore the importance of early prevention and intervention strategies targeting bedtime procrastination.