Physical activity and sleep quality: A moderated mediation model

This study sought to explore the effect of physical activity on sleep quality. We surveyed 1,076 college students using the Physical Activity Rating Scale, the Brief Resilience Scale, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Scale. The findings revealed a negative relationship between physical activity levels and incidences of poor sleep quality. Ruminative thinking served as a partial mediator in the relationship between physical activity and sleep quality. The interaction term of ruminative thinking and psychological resilience also influenced sleep quality, suggesting psychological resilience had moderating effect on the relationship between ruminative thinking and sleep quality. Specifically, ruminative thinking had a stronger effect on the sleep quality of college students with lower psychological resilience than those with higher psychological resilience. The study discovered a mechanism that potentially mediates the relationship between physical activity and sleep quality, yielding valuable strategies to enhance the sleep of college students.