The Sleep Procrastination Paradox: The Mediating Role of Emotional Regulation Strategies in the Relationship between Personality Traits and Bedtime Procrastination

Description

Page: 227-237

Makry Gachui (Amity Institute of Psychology and Allied Sciences, Amity University, Sector 125, Noida, Uttar Pradesh)

Bedtime procrastination (BP), i.e., the act of delaying going to bed without external justifications has emerged as a significant contributor to sleep insufficiency. In today’s fast-paced society, BP has become a widespread behavior that threatens cognitive performance, emotional health, and physical well-being. This study aims to examine the mediating role of emotional regulation strategies in the relationship between personality traits and bedtime procrastination while also exploring whether culture moderates this relationship by comparing samples of Indian and American young adults. A cross-sectional design was used with 200 participants (100 Indian, 100 American). Participants completed the Big Five Personality Inventory, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), and Bedtime Procrastination Scale. Analyses included t-tests, ANOVAs, Pearson correlations, and mediation analysis using PROCESS Macro (Model 4). The results exhibited that conscientiousness negatively and neuroticism positively predicted bedtime procrastination across both cultures. While cognitive reappraisal is associated with personality traits, it does not mediate their effects on bedtime procrastination as all 95% confidence intervals included zero. These findings suggest that interventions targeting personality-linked traits may be more effective than those focused solely on emotion regulation and highlight the importance of culturally informed approaches in behavioral research.