Cross-sectional associations of subjective sleep quality, chronotype and social jetlag with perceived stress in a sample of Irish adults

To examine the relationships between subjective sleep quality, chronotype and social jetlag with perceived psychological stress in a sample of Irish adults. An observational cross-sectional study of 400 adults. Subjective sleep quality was assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, chronotype and social jetlag were assessed with the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire, and psychological stress was measured with the Perceived Stress Scale. Correlational, groupwise and path analyses were applied to the data to examine the relationships between perceived stress and sleep variables, age and sex. Bivariate correlation analyses revealed statistically significant associations between both social jetlag and mid-sleep on free days and perceived stress (small effects), and moderate associations between subjective sleep quality and perceived stress. Groupwise analysis revealed that individuals in the high perceived stress group displayed greater social jetlag and poorer sleep quality, but no difference in chronotype, when compared to those with low or moderate stress. Path analysis revealed a moderate reciprocal relationship between subjective sleep quality and perceived stress, no direct effects of chronotype or social jetlag on perceived stress and a small indirect effect of average nightly sleep duration on perceived stress mediated through subjective sleep quality. Chronotype and social jetlag have minimal relationships with perceived stress, whilst subjective sleep quality has a moderate reciprocal relationship with perceived stress. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41105-026-00640-0.