Date of Award

9-6-2024

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Amy Bohnert

Abstract

Adolescents in the United States do not typically attain enough quality sleep at night due to a combination of biological maturation and academic and social commitments, leading to poor cognitive, mental, and physical health outcomes. Naps may compensate for inadequate sleep; however, little is known about how napping affects nocturnal sleep and mood over time among adolescents who are poor sleepers. The present study used daily diary and actigraphy data collected over 15 days in a sample of evening-chronotype, poor sleeping adolescents (n=99; Mage=15.85 (SD=0.99); 44% Male, 55% Female; 46% White, 30% Black, 12% More than one race, 8% Other, 2% Asian, 1% American Indian or Alaska Native). The majority of participants (n=76) napped at least once during the study period, and almost one fifth of the sample (n=17) demonstrated “habitual” or frequent napping. Nap occurrence was associated with a decrease in total sleep time by 27 minutes as well as later sleep onset time that night. Later nap offset time was associated with later sleep onset time, and longer nap duration was associated with later sleep onset time and lower sleep efficiency. Napping was unrelated to the affect. Finally, late nappers demonstrated shorter total sleep time when they took a nap and when they took a longer nap as compared to early nappers. Findings indicate that napping is common and generally associated with worse nocturnal sleep outcomes among adolescents. Future work on napping is needed to guide recommendations for optimizing these daytime bouts of sleep to support healthy functioning.

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