Associations between Sleep Quality and Irritability: Testing the Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation

Abstract

Objectives: Irritability and sleep problems are common symptoms that span a range of internalizing and externalizing mental health disorders. While poor sleep has been associated with symptoms related to irritability (e.g., anxiety and depression), few studies have directly tested the association between sleep quality and irritability and whether the association is direct or mediated by a separate mechanism. 

Method: The present study used self-report measures to test whether sleep is associated with trait irritability in 458 adults aged 19–74 years (58% female; 79% White), and whether this association is mediated by emotion regulation. Confirmatory factor analyses were carried out to support the use of scores from these measures. 

Results: Controlling for anxiety and depression symptoms, results showed a direct association between poorer sleep quality and increased irritability (β = .25, p < .001) that was not mediated by emotion regulation. 

Conclusions: Our findings underscore the important link between sleep and irritability, both of which are common features of mental health difficulties, prompting further inquiry into the directionality of the findings and potential mediators. This work has notable clinical implications for sleep as a possible intervention target for individuals with high irritability.

Keywords: sleep, irritability, emotion regulation, factor analysis