Abstract
Introduction
Evidence from both experimental and daily-diary studies suggests that a single night of sleep restriction leads to higher levels of anxiety the following day. Depressive symptoms also increase the next day in healthy populations, although sleep restriction has demonstrated short-term antidepressant properties in depressed populations. Relatively little research has examined symptoms of anxiety and depression separately on days following naturally-occurring sleep restriction and whether any change from the previous day might be moderated by baseline levels of anxiety or depression.
Methods
Undergraduates completed electronic daily diaries twice per day for 14 days (N = 96). Upon waking, participants answered questions assessing their sleep, and every evening, before going to bed, completed the Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire - Short Form to assess daily levels of general distress, anxious arousal, and anhedonic depression. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory - State and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale provided baseline measures of anxiety and depression, respectively. A night of sleep restriction was operationally defined as one for which participants reported obtaining 4 hours of sleep or less.
Results
Multilevel modeling revealed that anxious arousal was higher following sleep restriction (β =.92, z=2.40, p=.017). This was moderated by baseline anxiety (β =.09, z=2.89, p=.004) and baseline depression (β =.09, z=3.39, p=.001) so that anxious arousal was even higher the next day for individuals reporting a high number of anxious and depressive symptoms. These effects remained significant after controlling for lagged anxious arousal, gender, baseline anxiety and depression, substance use, and napping. Conversely, no significant results were found when next-day general distress or anhedonic depression were examined.
Conclusion
Our results suggest that naturally-occurring sleep restriction is accompanied by increases in anxiety, but not depressive symptoms, the following day. This effect is heightened in individuals with higher baseline levels of anxiety and depression.
Support
N/A
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