The role of perceived sleep norms in subjective sleep appraisals and sleep-related illness behavior

The present investigation sought to extend extant research on subjective sleep complaints by examining their relation to perceived sleep norms. Results from two studies showed that individuals’ distress and illness behavior in response to symptoms of fatigue and non-restorative sleep was influenced...

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Published inJournal of behavioral medicine Vol. 40; no. 6; pp. 927 - 941
Main Authors Mulla, Mazheruddin M., Lewis, Jerome A., Hamilton, James C., Tutek, Joshua, Emert, Sarah E., Witte, Tricia H., Lichstein, Kenneth L.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published New York Springer US 01.12.2017
Springer
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects
Adult
Complaints
Family Medicine
Fatigue
Fatigue - psychology
Female
General Practice
Health aspects
Health behavior
Health Psychology
Humans
Illness Behavior
Illnesses
Influence
Insomnia
Male
Medical treatment
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Neurosis
Neuroticism
Peer Group
Peer Influence
Peers
Psychological distress
Self Report
Sick Role
Sleep
Sleep disorders
Social interactions
Social support
Stress (Psychology)
Symptoms
Social comparison
Neuroticism
Illness behavior
Sleep
Health perceptions and appraisals
Social norms
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Summary:The present investigation sought to extend extant research on subjective sleep complaints by examining their relation to perceived sleep norms. Results from two studies showed that individuals’ distress and illness behavior in response to symptoms of fatigue and non-restorative sleep was influenced by their perceptions of peer norms for those symptoms. Individuals who believed they experienced a greater degree of fatigue and non-restorative sleep than their peers reported more distress arising from those symptoms, and were also more likely to seek social support and medical treatment for them. Furthermore, participants who scored higher in neuroticism were more likely to believe they experienced worse fatigue and non-restorative sleep than their peers, and thus reported higher symptom-related distress, and higher likelihood of engaging in illness behaviors. These results provide preliminary evidence of the clinical relevance of perceived norms in the way individuals respond to and manage sleep related problems.
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ISSN:0160-7715
1573-3521
DOI:10.1007/s10865-017-9867-6