The role of job demands and negative work reflection in employees' trajectory of sleep quality over the workweek.

Abstract

This study investigated interindividual differences in employees' trajectory of sleep quality over a 5-day workweek. We hypothesized that sleep quality is entrained to the rhythm of the workweek showing a linear increase from Monday to Friday. Moreover, we proposed that employees' chronic job demands (time pressure and social stress) and their negative work reflection on Sunday night moderated the sleep quality trajectory. In this study, 132 employees completed a baseline questionnaire assessing chronic job demands and age, and daily morning surveys from Monday to Friday assessing sleep quality and negative work reflection on Sunday. On average, sleep quality did not significantly change from Monday to Friday. However, negative work reflection moderated the sleep quality trajectory: When negative work reflection was high, the start level of sleep quality on Monday was lower and sleep quality displayed a linear increase over the workweek. When negative work reflection was low, employees' sleep quality remained stable throughout the week. Chronic social stress, but not time pressure, indirectly affected employees' sleep quality trajectory via negative work reflection on Sunday. Further, results revealed age differences in the effects of social stress on employees' sleep quality trajectory: The start level of sleep quality was lower and its increase over the workweek was stronger for older employees high on social stress. This study contributes to research on the dynamics of employee sleep and extends findings on age-differential effects of workplace characteristics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).