Abstract Introduction Sleep is essential for health and wellbeing, yet people rarely assign sleep an explicit monetary value. Although societal-level economic models quantify the costs of insufficient sleep, little is known about how individuals themselves value sleep gains or losses. Using the Sleep Value Item Bank 2.0 (SVIB-2.0) we previously identified five sleep value profiles: Unconcerned, Appreciative, Ambivalent, Devaluing, and Concerned. This study examined how people monetarily value their own sleep using the Monetary Sleep Value Questionnaire (MSVQ). We evaluated the MSVQ’s factor structure and assessed how monetary sleep valuation relates to demographic characteristics and the SVIB-2.0 sleep-value profiles. Methods This secondary analysis used data from the SRVIV survey study. Adults (N=455) across the continental US completed demographics questions (age: M=45±17; 53% female; 82% White; education: Mdn=some college ; 50% married), the SVIB-2.0, and the MSVQ. The MSVQ contained eight items assessing how much participants would need to be paid to give up increasing amounts of sleep and eight items assessing how much they would pay for guaranteed increases in sleep quality (each ranging from one hour to one hour nightly for life). We tested associations between monetary sleep valuation, demographics, and the SVIB-2.0 using latent profile analysis. Results Factor analyses supported a two-factor MSVQ structure reflecting willingness to pay for sleep versus compensation required to give up sleep. Latent profile analysis revealed meaningful associations (p.05): older age predicted lower compensation demands for sacrificing sleep, and higher income predicted greater compensation expectations. Individuals with the Sleep Devalue profile required less money to give up sleep, whereas those with the Sleep Appreciate profile were willing to pay more for better sleep. Conclusion Findings support the MSVQ as a psychometrically sound measure capturing how individuals economically value their own sleep. Monetary valuation appears to reflect distinct aspects of sleep value, meaningfully associated with demographic and sleep-value profiles. Integrating economic perspectives into sleep health research may offer novel insights for designing interventions that emphasize the personal sleep values. Support (if any)
Woolley et al. (Fri,) studied this question.