Physical activity, sleep and affective wellbeing on the following day: An experience sampling study.

This study aims to investigate the temporal links between physical activity, sleep and affective wellbeing in young adults. In particular, the aim was to examine whether physical activity is associated with sleep indicators in subsequent nights and, in turn, whether sleep was associated with improved affective wellbeing the next morning. Relatedly, moderation by baseline levels of depressive symptoms, sleep quality, habitual physical activity and gender was analysed. One-hundred and forty-seven individuals (85.7% female) aged 18-25 years old participated in an experience sampling study over 14 consecutive days. Participants received seven prompts per day, and answered questions about their physical activity and affective states. Every morning, participants also reported their sleep. Physical activity throughout the day was not related to sleep during the following night or to affective wellbeing the next morning. An exception to that pattern was that physical activity before 14:00 hours was associated with longer subsequent sleep duration. Better subjective sleep quality predicted affective wellbeing the next morning. Associations of physical activity, sleep and affective wellbeing were not moderated by baseline depressive symptoms, sleep quality or habitual physical activity. However, investigation of gender as a moderator revealed that moderate physical activity was associated with better subsequent sleep quality for males, but not for females. Overall, we found that physical activity is associated with better subsequent sleep for males, but not for females. Also, our study provides further evidence that better sleep quality is associated with the next morning's affective wellbeing.

Heart Rate Variability's Association with Positive and Negative Affect in Daily Life: An Experience Sampling Study with Continuous Daytime Electrocardiography over Seven Days.

Heart rate variability has been found to be related to emotional processing and emotional responses. Studies that investigated these relationships were mostly lab-based or cross-sectional. Only limited research used intensive longitudinal data, in particular investigating within-individual processes in real-life settings. This study addresses the applicability of ambulatory-assessed electrocardiograms in combination with the experience sampling methodology by investigating the associations of various HRV measures with affective states on within- and between-individual levels. A total of 26 participants aged 18-29 years (23 females) wore electrocardiograms continuously for seven days. The participants received seven prompts per day and answered questions about their affective wellbeing. The heart rate and heart rate variability measures differed between body positions and activity classes. The heart rate and ratio of low-to-high-frequency heart rate variability were consistently associated with positive affect on a within-individual (state-like) level. These associations were mainly driven by the items of feeling "enthusiastic" and "happy". No associations were found with negative affect. Overall, we found evidence that the dominance of the sympathetic nervous system over the parasympathetic nervous system was associated with higher levels of positive affect on a within-individual (state-like) level. Suggestions for the application of ambulatory electrocardiogram assessment in the study of the association between autonomous nervous system activity and ecological momentary assessment-based variables are discussed.

Investigating associations between physical activity, stress experience, and affective wellbeing during an examination period using experience sampling and accelerometry.

Previous studies reported that physical activity could buffer the negative association of psychological stress with affective wellbeing. However, the studies that examined this relation in everyday life have assessed physical activity only by self-report but not with objective measures such as accelerometry. We therefore investigated the associations of both subjectively and objectively measured physical activity with stress experiences and affective wellbeing. A total of 90 university students participated in a 10-day experience sampling and diary study during their examination period and reported about stress experiences, physical activity, and affective states. Physical activity was additionally assessed using accelerometry in 50 of the participants. Subjectively assessed physical activity and objectively assessed light physical activity were associated with feeling less stressed in the evening. Also, light physical activity during the day was associated with a smaller increase/higher decrease in feeling stressed from morning to evening. The association of stress experience with negative affect was moderated by objective light physical activity. No interactive effects of stress intensity and physical activity on affective wellbeing were found. On stressful days, physical activity may buffer the negative association between stress and affective wellbeing. Particularly light physical activity as assessed with accelerometry seems to play an important role. It may be beneficial for students' affective wellbeing to increase or at least maintain physical activity during examination periods.

The Role of the Context of Physical Activity for Its Association with Affective Well-Being: An Experience Sampling Study in Young Adults.

Physical activity and being outdoors both improve affective well-being. However, little is known about the synergistic effects between them and the influences of contextual factors such as the life domain of physical activity (work-, chores-, leisure, or sports-related) or the type of the outdoor environment (green space, blue space, or city area) on mood. This study investigates the synergistic effects of physical activity and being outdoors as well as the potential role of contextual factors on mood. A total of 158 individuals aged 18-25 years (133 females) participated in a 14-day experience sampling study. Participants received seven prompts per day and answered questions about their physical activity, contextual factors, and affective well-being. Physical activity and being outdoors were associated with concurrent higher levels of positive and lower levels of negative affect compared to being physically inactive or being indoors, respectively. However, no synergistic effects were found. Being outdoors in a city area was associated with a less positive and more negative affect than being in nature. Work- and chores-related physical activity was associated with less positive affect and more negative affect compared to sports- or leisure-related physical activity. To foster positive affect, people should schedule leisure-related physical activity in nature.