OBJECTIVES : Sleep disturbance is a risk factor for poor physical and mental functioning, and higher morbidity and mortality. This study evaluated the multidimensional relationship between loneliness, stress, social support and sleep problems.

METHODS : A cross-sectional study design was utilized to conduct an online survey of adults (> 18 years) using convenience and snowball sampling. Sleep problems, loneliness, stress and social support were assessed using Jenkins Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire, UCLA Loneliness Scale, Perceived Stress Scale and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, respectively. Appropriate acknowledgments were received from the Institutional Review Board of the University. Factorial analysis and Cronbach’s alpha were used to assess validity and internal consistency of each construct within Stress Buffering Model. Hierarchical regression was used to determine the association between loneliness, stress, social support and sleep problems.

RESULTS : Out of 543 responses, 474 usable surveys were included. A majority of them were female (75%), white (89%), and had the mean age of 23.9 years. Factor analysis indicated loading patterns consistent with the theorized factor structure for all the scales. Cronbach’s alpha values were good to excellent (0.73 – 0.91) that was comparable to the original scales. In the fully adjusted model, loneliness and stress were significantly associated with sleep problems. Additionally, sleep problems was also found to be significantly associated with sleep medication/supplement use. The model explained 36.4% of the variance and was a significant predictor of sleep problems, F(14,446) = 18.08, p < 0.001.

CONCLUSIONS : This study provides a comprehensive view of the association of loneliness, stress, social support and sleep. Study findings indicated that an individual with stress and loneliness will be more likely to suffer from sleep problems. Since our study focused on acute sleep problems of a small sample, future studies can explore chronic sleep conditions in a sample representative of general population.