Sleeping to Support: An Examination of the Relationship Between Leader Sleep and Positive Support Behaviors

Abstract

Although research has documented the relationship between sleep and workplace outcomes among general employees, less research has focused on the role of sleep among workplace leaders. Drawing from the work, nonwork, and sleep theoretical model (Crain et al., 2018), the current study investigates emotional exhaustion the link between leader sleep quantity on a constellation of positive leader support behaviors (i.e., general supervisor support, family supportive supervisor behaviors (FSSB), and sleep leadership) rated by both the leader and their direct employee. To gain a deeper understanding of the role of sleep in these relationships, this study examines the interaction between sleep quantity and quality on emotional exhaustion. Overall, I hypothesized that leader sleep quality at Time 1 will moderate the indirect effect of leader sleep quantity at Time 1 on general supervisor support, FSSB, and sleep leadership at Time 3 via emotional exhaustion at Time 2. Results indicated that no hypotheses from this study were supported. However, unexpected findings suggested significant direct effects from leader emotional exhaustion at Time 2 to employee-ratings of general supervisor support, FSSB, and sleep leadership at Time 3. Results also revealed a significant moderating effect of leader insomnia symptoms at Time 1 on the relationship between leader sleep duration at Time 1 and employee-ratings of sleep leadership at Time 3, as well as employee-ratings of FSSB at Time 3. Finally, there was a significant moderating effect of leader sleep dissatisfaction at Time 1 on the relationship between leader sleep duration at Time 1 and leader-ratings of sleep leadership at Time 3. Results from this study may inform future workplace interventions as well as public health campaigns focused on improving sleep health.