Facets of Impulsivity Are Differentially Linked to Insomnia: Evidence From an Exploratory Study

Abstract

This study investigated the association between insomnia and four facets of impulsivity as distinguished by Whiteside and Lynam (2001): urgency, (lack of) premeditation, (lack of) perseverance, and sensation seeking. A sample of 233 university students completed the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale, the Insomnia Severity Index, and a short questionnaire on sleep-related mentation. Correlational analyses revealed that urgency was related to insomnia severity and insomnia-related impairments in daytime functioning, and that lack of perseverance was related to insomnia-related impairments in daytime functioning. Follow-up analyses showed that the frequency of disturbing thoughts and visions during the pre-sleep period partially mediated the relation between urgency and sleep-initiation problems, and that the frequency of disturbing dreams and nightmares partially mediated the relation between urgency and sleep-maintenance problems. These findings suggest that the facets of impulsivity are differentially linked to insomnia and that urgency is associated with sleep-interfering nighttime mentation.