The Effects of Stress on Sleep and Coping

Threatening experiences can cause high levels of stress over long periods of time, which can negatively impact both physical and mental health. Adaptive coping mechanisms are critical to mitigate the negative effects of stress. Research studies have shown that how people perceive their stress will determine how they cope with it (Lazarus and Folman, 1984). The relationship between stress and cope with poor sleep quality as a mediator, has not been previously examined. Using a dataset examining self-reported physical health and coping mechanisms in the aftermath of a threatening experience, we will examine relationships between perceived stress, cope, and sleep quality. We predict that the type of coping mechanism that participants employ in response to stress will be influenced by poor sleep quality. This study will contribute to knowledge about the efficacy of different coping mechanisms in reducing stress, and further understanding of the importance of healthy sleep as a way of coping with stress.