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Do stress coping strategies influence chronotype-related differences in sleep quality?

Beeinflusst die Stressverarbeitung die mit dem Chronotyp verbundenen Unterschiede in der Schlafqualität?

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Abstract

Background

Chronotype manifestation often has a broad influence on sleep quality. One possible explanation for daytime impairments in evening types is the concept of “social jetlag”. Social jetlag is caused by an incompatibility between circadian preference and the socially accepted rhythm. This can be declared as a social stressor.

Objective

The association between chronotype, stress coping, and sleep quality was assessed in a pilot study.

Materials and methods

A total of 75 female adults aged 20–41 years participated in the study and completely answered all questions. Various questionnaires including sociodemographic data, information about sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI), chronotype (morningness–eveningness questionnaire, MEQ), and stress coping (Stress Coping Style Questionnaire, SVF78) were applied.

Results

Heightened use of maladaptive coping strategies is associated with a reduction in sleep quality. Chronotypes did not differ in terms of sleep quality and the coping strategies used.

Conclusion

Maladaptive coping strategy use seems to have a negative influence on sleep quality. Preventive education in adaptive stress coping strategies and avoidance of maladaptive stress coping thus seems useful to reduce these adverse influences on sleep quality.

Zusammenfassung

Hintergrund

Die Ausprägung des Chronotyps hat oft einen Einfluss auf die Schlafqualität. Das Konzept des „social jetlag“, welches auf die Unvereinbarkeit von Chronotyp und sozialem Rhythmus zurückgeführt wird, dient als ein Erklärungsansatz für die Alltagsbeeinträchtigungen von Abendtypen. „Social jetlag“ kann als in diesem Zusammenhang als Stressor interpretiert werden.

Fragestellung

In einer Pilotstudie wurde der Zusammenhang zwischen Chronotyp, Stressverarbeitung und Schlafqualität untersucht.

Material und Methoden

Die Studienteilnehmer, 75 Frauen im Alter von 20 bis 41 Jahren, füllten Fragebögen zu soziodemographischen Variablen, zur Schlafqualität (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI), zum Chronotyp (Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire, MEQ) und zu Stressverarbeitungsstrategien (Stress Coping Style Questionnaire, SVF78) aus.

Ergebnisse

Erhöhte Werte bei der Nutzung maladaptiver Stressverarbeitungsstrategien hingen mit einer reduzierten Schlafqualität zusammen. Die einzelnen Chronotypen unterschieden sich jedoch nicht signifikant hinsichtlich ihrer Schlafqualität und der genutzten Stressverarbeitungsstrategien.

Schlussfolgerung

Eine vermehrte Anwendung von maladaptiven Stressverarbeitungsstrategien schien einen Einfluss auf die Schlafqualität zu haben. Daraus lässt sich ableiten, dass eine präventive Aufklärung über wirkungsvolle Stressverarbeitungsstrategien angebracht erscheint, um die ungünstigen Auswirkungen von Stress auf die Schlafqualität zu reduzieren.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty for Psychology and Sports Science, Bielefeld University, P.O.P. 10 01 31, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany

    M. Zschoche &  A. A. Schlarb

  2. Faculty of Science, Department of Psychology, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany

    P. Bugl

Authors
  1. M. Zschoche
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  2. P. Bugl
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  3. A. A. Schlarb
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. A. Schlarb.

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Conflict of interest

M. Zschoche, P. Bugl and A. A. Schlarb state that they have no competing interests.

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Additional information

M. Zschoche and A. A. Schlarb contributed equally to this work.

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Zschoche, M., Bugl, P. & Schlarb, A.A. Do stress coping strategies influence chronotype-related differences in sleep quality?. Somnologie 21 (Suppl 1), 37–43 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11818-016-0088-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11818-016-0088-y

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