Poor sleep quality is common and associated with negative health outcomes, yet the role of everyday sleep-related habits remains unclear. This study investigated how sleep-related habits were associated with sleep quality, and whether sleep quality was better explained by individual habits or broader sleep-habit patterns. Participants completed a seven-day diary assessing sleep-habits and sleep quality. Habits were analyzed both individually and as broader helpful and unhelpful habit-patterns using two-level linear models. At the individual-habit level, substance and nicotine use were associated with poorer sleep quality, whereas other habits were not. At the broader pattern level, unhelpful habit patterns were negatively associated with sleep quality, whereas helpful habit patterns were not. 

Furthermore the composite model provided a better fit, and baseline sleep quality did not moderate the association between the broader composite scores and sleep quality. These findings suggest that sleep-habits are not equally relevant for sleep quality and that interventions may benefit most from being tailored, while prioritizing reductions in unhelpful sleep-habits.