Borderline Personality Traits and Insomnia Severity: A Sequential Mediation Model of Maladaptive Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies and Pre-Sleep Arousal

Background: This study examined how borderline personality traits influence insomnia severity.Methods: Self-report data from 230 adult women were included in the final analysis, to assess borderline personality traits, cognitive emotion regulation, pre-sleep arousal, insomnia severity. Sequential mediation analysis was conducted.Results: The sequential mediation of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation and pre-sleep arousal in the relationship between borderline personality traits and insomnia severity was supported.Conclusions: Individuals with higher borderline personality traits use cognitive emotion regulation strategies that amplify negative emotions during everyday stressful situations, which, in turn, elevate pre-sleep arousal and contribute to greater insomnia severity. From a therapeutic perspective, interventions targeting maladaptive emotion regulation strategies used in response to daily stress, alongside techniques aimed at reducing pre-sleep arousal (e.g., relaxation training), may be particularly beneficial for alleviating insomnia symptoms in this population.