This study aimed to investigate the relationships between cognitive emotion regulation (CER) strategies, resilience, and insomnia and the underlying mechanism that explains the relationships. Six hundred and fifty-three middle-aged and old people recruited from community service centers in Henan province completed questionnaires related to CER strategies, resilience, and insomnia. Results showed refocus on planning and positive reappraisal negatively predicted insomnia, and catastrophising, rumination and self-blame positively predicted insomnia. Moreover, maladaptive emotion regulation strategies (especially catastrophising) mediated the relationship between resilience and insomnia. The findings suggest the middle-aged and elderly with insomnia tended to employ maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and had lower resilience. Maladaptive emotion regulation strategies buffered the positive effect of resilience on sleep.
Keywords: Cognitive strategies; insomnia; resilience; sleep quality; the middle-aged and elderly.