A longitudinal study on the bidirectional association between mindfulness and insomnia: The mediating role of negative affect

Prior studies suggest that mindfulness interventions are viable for alleviating insomnia; however, the potential bidirectional link between mindfulness and insomnia warrants a longitudinal study. This study investigates the bidirectional link between mindfulness and insomnia and the mediating role of negative affect. We tracked and surveyed 254 students from a university in East China on mindfulness, negative affect, and insomnia over 2 months and collected their reports at baseline (Time 1), 1 month later (Time 2), and 2 months later (Time 3). Random intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs) were employed to examine the bidirectional links among these variables. The results revealed mixed support for reciprocal links between mindfulness and insomnia, showing bidirectional links only between Time 2 and Time 3 but not between Time 1 and Time 2. Negative affect mediated the negative link between mindfulness and insomnia. Although elevated negative affect predicted decreased mindfulness, insomnia did not predict negative affect longitudinally, and negative affect did not mediate the longitudinal link from insomnia to mindfulness. Accordingly, our findings suggest that mindfulness-based interventions for insomnia may benefit from prioritizing components that target negative affect, which may trigger an upward spiral that improves sleep and sustains mindfulness.