"Sleep well, our tough heroes!"--in adolescence, greater mental toughness is related to better sleep schedules

Mental toughness (MT) is understood as the display of confidence, commitment, challenge, and control. The aim of this study was to explore the extent to which greater MT is associated with subjectively assessed sleep among adolescents. A total of 284 adolescents (M = 18.26 years) completed a series of questionnaires assessing MT, psychological functioning, and sleep. Greater MT was significantly associated with better sleep quality, shorter sleep onset latency, fewer awakenings after sleep onset, and longer sleep duration. Greater MT was also associated with less perceived stress and less depressive symptoms. MT was directly and indirectly associated with sleep quality. Mentally tough adolescents report good sleep quality and sleep schedules, along with psychological wellbeing.