The Role of Obsessive Beliefs including Responsibility, Perfectionism, and Importance of Thoughts in Sleep Quality

Research on sleep in people with obsessive-compulsive symptoms is scarce and scattered, but there is growing research literature showing that obsessive-compulsive symptoms are often associated with sleep disorders. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of obsessive-compulsive beliefs including responsibility, perfectionism, and importance of thoughts on sleep quality. For this purpose, a sample of 200 university students of Tehran Universities was selected by available sampling. Data were collected by using two questionnaires Obsessive-Compulsive Beliefs Questionnaire (2005) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Questionnaire (1989). The results showed that there was a significant relationship between obsessive beliefs including responsibility, perfectionism, and importance of thoughts and quality of sleep. Also, obsessive beliefs predict sleep quality (p <0.05). In addition, among obsessive beliefs, importance of thoughts is the strongest predictor of sleep quality. Given these findings and the role of sleep hygiene in the occurrence and treatment of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, concurrent attention to obsessive-compulsive beliefs and sleep quality in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms is recommended.