Neurophysiological and Personality Correlates of Sleep and Quality of Life

Background: Sleep is an important health factor across the lifespan. Poor sleep has been linked to significant negative health outcomes, including an increased risk for chronic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, depression, and obesity. Identifying individuals at risk for poor sleep quality may allow for the use of targeted interventions to help reduce the potential for these negative health consequences. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to expand on the current limited literature exploring subjective sleep quality in the framework of the RST to better understand the possible relationships among sleep, BIS/BAS, EEG frontal asymmetry, and health-related quality of life. Methods: The current study analyzed a data set consisting of 75 healthy undergraduate students who were enrolled in a psychology or neuroscience course (Ages: 18-39, M = 20.15, SD = 3.01). The study took place in the Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory within the Department of Psychology at East Carolina University. Participants completed a battery of subjective self-report measures exploring sleep, personality, and quality of life. The participants also completed an EEG recording for the purpose of collecting relative frontal asymmetry baseline data. Results: Directional bivariate correlational analyses were performed to explore the neurophysiological aspects of sleep quality and quality of life in the framework of the RST. Specifically, those who self-reported higher levels of behavioral inhibition also reported higher levels of insomnia, poorer sleep quality components (duration, disturbance, daytime dysfunction, overall sleep quality), and lower health-related quality of life. Further, baseline EEG frontal asymmetry was found to be associated with components of sleep quality and health-related quality of life. Discussion: The results of this study were examined in the framework of the RST. Implications for future direction and clinical intervention are discussed