Examination of Sleep Health dimensions and their associations with perceived stress and health in a UK sample

Background: Sleep health is a relatively new multidimensional concept, however there is no consensus on its underlying dimensions. A previous study examined potential indicators of sleep health using an aggregated sleep health measure. However, the psychometric properties of which are yet to be determined. . The primary aim of the current study was to assess the factor structure, reliability and validity of this measure A secondary aim was to explore the relationships between sleep health and perceived stress, in addition to physical and mental health Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 257 adults from the UK aged 18-65 years (78.4% female, mean age=29.39 [SD=11.37]). Participants completed 13 Sleep health items, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory, Insomnia Severity Scale, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Perceived Stress Scale and SF-12 Health Survey. Results: The measure exhibited good internal consistency (α=.785) and construct validity as determined by associations with existing sleep measures. Principle components analysis was conducted and four factors emerged; sleep quality (α=.818), sleep adaptability (α=.917), sleep wellness (α=.621) and daytime functioning (α=.582). Adaptability (β=-241) was strongest predictor of perceived stress, and daytime functioning was strongest predictor of physical (β =.322) and mental health (β =.312). Conclusions: Sleep health is a multidimensional construct comprising four distinct but related dimensions. The importance of sleep health in terms of lower perceived stress and better mental and physical health is highlighted.