The mediating effect of bedtime procrastination between sleep quality and pregnancy-related anxiety

This study aims to investigate the mediating role of bedtime procrastination in the relationship between sleep quality and pregnancy-related anxiety in pregnant women. A total of 422 pregnant women were surveyed at the maternity clinic of a tertiary hospital in Guangzhou, China, using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Scale (PRAQ), and the Bedtime Procrastination Scale (BPS). The mediating effect of bedtime procrastination was examined via Model 4 in the PROCESS macro for SPSS. The mean scores of the participants were as follows: sleep quality (5.86 ± 2.86), bedtime procrastination (2.72 ± 0.85), and pregnancy-related anxiety (24.38 ± 6.99). Sleep quality was positively correlated with both bedtime procrastination and pregnancy-related anxiety, and bedtime procrastination was also positively correlated with pregnancy-related anxiety (all p < 0.001). The mediating effect of bedtime procrastination was 0.211, accounting for 29.80% of the total effect. Sleep disturbances, bedtime procrastination, and pregnancy-related anxiety were prevalent among pregnant women. Bedtime procrastination partially mediated the relationship between sleep quality and pregnancy-related anxiety. Interventions aimed at reducing bedtime procrastination could improve sleep quality and mitigate its impact on pregnancy-related anxiety.