Premium
No perfect sleep! A systematic review of the link between multidimensional perfectionism and sleep disturbance
Author(s) -
Stricker Johannes,
Kröger Lasse,
Küskens Anna,
Gieselmann Annika,
Pietrowsky Reinhard
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
journal of sleep research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.297
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1365-2869
pISSN - 0962-1105
DOI - 10.1111/jsr.13548
Subject(s) - sleep (system call) , perfectionism (psychology) , disturbance (geology) , sleep disorder , psychology , link (geometry) , cognitive psychology , clinical psychology , psychiatry , insomnia , computer science , biology , paleontology , operating system , computer network
Summary The view that perfectionists are prone to experiencing sleep disturbance is widely held. Yet, almost three decades of empirical research have yielded conflicting results. Whereas some researchers viewed perfectionism as a risk factor for sleep disturbance, others spoke of “adaptive” or “positive” forms of perfectionism in the context of sleep. The multidimensional conceptualisation of perfectionism may resolve this disagreement. Thus, this systematic review aimed to clarify the perfectionism‒sleep disturbance link using the widely accepted two‐dimensional perfectionism model, differentiating perfectionistic concerns (defined by worries over imperfections) and perfectionistic strivings (defined by excessively high personal standards). A systematic literature search returned 24 relevant empirical studies. Perfectionistic concerns were robustly linked to sleep disturbance. Perfectionistic strivings displayed comparatively small and inconsistent relations with sleep disturbance. Finally, cross‐sectional mediation studies suggested that psychological distress and dysfunctional cognitive processes might underlie the perfectionistic concerns‒sleep disturbance link. These findings show that considering perfectionistic concerns in explaining, predicting, and treating sleep disturbance may be a promising approach. In contrast, perfectionistic strivings appeared neither universally adaptive nor maladaptive. We identified several critical gaps in the empirical literature and point towards future research directions, highlighting the need for more longitudinal studies.