Nature and Science of Sleep

Behavioural and Psychological Factors in Sleep Health: Measures, Trajectories, and Interventions

Sleep health is multidimensional, encompassing regularity, satisfaction, alertness, timing, efficiency, and duration, each linked to physical and mental well-being. Existing research has largely addressed external exposures such as digital device uses and light, or biological mechanisms such as circadian rhythms. Behavioural and psychological factors are equally important yet remain less well understood, partly because they are difficult to measure. Such factors include rumination, worry, pre-sleep arousal, emotion regulation, sleep-related conflict, sleep scheduling, and bedtime routines. Self-report instruments are susceptible to recall and social desirability bias, while objective sleep monitoring may not fully capture cognitive and emotional experiences. This Collection focuses on the assessment measures, developmental trajectories, and intervention implications of behavioural and psychological factors in sleep health, aiming to advance both conceptual understanding and methodological rigor in this underexplored area.

Accurate measurement of behavioural and psychological factors is essential for identifying modifiable targets, understanding causal pathways, and evaluating intervention effects. If these factors are poorly measured, associations with sleep health may be attenuated or misestimated, and interventions may fail to engage the intended mechanisms. Valid and responsive measures are also needed to track changes over time and to capture heterogeneity across individuals and developmental stages. Sleep disturbances affect roughly one-third of the global population and are established risk factors for cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, depression, and cognitive decline. Improving how we measure behavioural and psychological determinants will strengthen both etiological research and the development of scalable, personalized, and culturally adaptable interventions to reduce the burden of poor sleep.

This Collection invites submissions on the measures, trajectories, and interventions related to behavioural and psychological factors in sleep health. Topics of interest include:

• Development and validation of measures for cognitive-affective processes such as rumination, worry, and pre-sleep arousal
• Ecological momentary assessment, daily diary, and ambulatory methods for capturing behavioural and psychological factors in real time
• Longitudinal and life-course studies examining how these factors evolve and predict sleep health
• Personality traits and individual differences as vulnerability or resilience factors
• Social-psychological processes including loneliness, perceived stress, and social support
• Psychological and behavioural interventions such as CBT-I, mindfulness, and behavioural activation, with attention to measurement of intervention targets and outcomes

Submissions may include original research, reviews and evaluations, clinical and epidemiological studies that align with the journal’s scope. We particularly encourage experimental, longitudinal, interventional, and clinical-population submissions alongside psychometric and diagnostic studies. 

Keywords: Sleep health; Behavioural medicine; Sleep assessment; Cognitive-affective processes; Psychological interventions

­­All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo a full peer-review; the Guest Advisor for this Collection will not be handling the manuscripts (unless they are an Editorial Board member).

Please review the journal scope and author submission instructions prior to submitting a manuscript.

The deadline for submitting manuscripts is 15 October 2027.

Please contact Thalia Geiger at thalia.geiger@taylorandfrancis.com with any questions or requests for discount codes relating to this Article Collection.

Meet the Guest Advisors

Dr. Runtang Meng

Dr. Meng is a researcher and educator specializing in health psychology, behavioural medicine, and public health, with an interdisciplinary approach to real-world health applications. His research integrates behavioural and psychological factors in health, with a particular focus on sleep and health, and encompasses assessment measures and scale development, with an emphasis on test development, validation, and interpretation. He contributes actively to the academic community through editorial roles and peer review, and has established an international network of collaborators. His work aims to advance methodological rigor and evidence-based assessment in sleep and health research.

Prof. Esther Yuet Ying Lau

Dr. Lau is a registered clinical psychologist and an impact-oriented clinical scientist. She is dedicated to enhancing human flourishing through her work in sleep-circadian behaviours and mental health, from a neuropsychological-spiritual perspective. Esther’s current research projects mainly focus on the effects of daytime and night-time sleep gains on neurocognitive functioning and mental health in young adults.

Prof. Karen Spruyt

Dr. Karen Spruyt’s research integrates sleep, neurodevelopment, epidemiology, and innovative approaches including polysomnography, wearable technologies, and data-driven methods, with a particular focus on children with neurodevelopmental and rare disorders. She has published extensively in pediatric sleep and contributes actively to international research, education, and professional initiatives in sleep health, including through the International Pediatric Sleep Association, European Sleep Research Society and the World Sleep Society. Her work aims to advance evidence-based pediatric sleep research, education, and precision approaches to improve sleep and developmental outcomes.