Nocturnal Behavior and Mental Well-Being in University Students: Perceived Stress as a Mediating Mechanism

Abstract

In this study, the relationships between the variables of bedtime procrastination, night-time smartphone use, chronotype, perceived stress and mental well-being were examined, with a specific interest in the mediating role of perceived stress. A cross sectional correlational design was employed. The sample comprised 227 university students aged 18 to 36 years (M = 22.46, SD = 3.63), including 70 males and 157 females. Participants completed measures of bedtime procrastination, night-time smartphone use, chronotype, perceived stress, and mental well-being. Descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, Pearson correlations, hierarchical regression, and mediation analysis using PROCESS Model 4 were used to analyze the data. Bedtime Procrastination was found to be negatively associated with mental health and positively correlated with night-time smartphone use and perceived stress. Smartphone use at night was not directly linked to mental health, although it was positively correlated with perceived stress. Bedtime procrastination, smartphone use at night, chronotype, and perceived stress together accounted for 23.4% of the variance in mental well-being, according to hierarchical regression. The most powerful negative predictor of mental health was found to be perceived stress. The association between bedtime procrastination and mental health was found to be partially mediated by perceived stress, according to mediation analysis. Perceived stress also significantly mediated the link between night-time smartphone use and mental well-being, although this model showed an inconsistent mediation pattern because the total effect was non-significant while the indirect effect through perceived stress was significant. The findings highlight perceived stress as a key pathway linking nocturnal behaviors with students’ mental well-being. Student well-being programs may benefit from addressing bedtime procrastination, stress appraisal, and stress-inducing patterns of night-time digital engagement. Perceived stress may help promote better mental well-being among university students.