Background <p>Internet use has become an essential component of college students’ academic and social lives. Students who experience negative emotions such as anxiety, guilt, or shame during rest periods—commonly referred to as rest intolerance—may be more prone to problematic internet use (PIU). This study aimed to examine the relationship between rest intolerance and PIU among college students, focusing on the mediating role of self-compassion and the moderating role of self-control.</p> Methods <p>Participants were 7,163 Chinese college students recruited via convenience sampling, who completed self-report measures assessing demographic characteristics, rest intolerance, PIU, self-compassion, and self-control. A moderated mediation model was conducted to test the hypotheses.</p> Results <p>Rest intolerance was significantly and positively associated with PIU. Self-compassion was negatively associated with both rest intolerance and PIU, while self-control was negatively associated with rest intolerance. Rest intolerance exerted a significant direct effect on PIU (<i>β</i> = 0.08, CI [0.06, 0.10]) and an indirect effect through self-compassion (<i>β</i> = 0.14, CI [0.12, 0.15]). Furthermore, self-control moderated both the direct and indirect pathways: high self-control attenuated the negative association of rest intolerance on self-compassion and weakened the association of rest intolerance on PIU.</p> Conclusion <p>This study reveals that self-compassion mediates the relationship between rest intolerance and PIU, and that self-control moderates both the direct and mediated pathways, offering potential guidance for prevention and intervention strategies aimed at reducing the association of rest intolerance on PIU in college students.</p>