Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Psychology
Document Type
Dissertation
Abstract
Unfinished tasks are common stressors for working adults, yet their implications for sleep health remain unclear. Drawing from the stressor-detachment model, the present study examines how daily experiences of unfinished tasks in both the work and home domains impact sleep health through ruminative cognitions, namely affective rumination and problem-solving pondering. In doing so, this study advances existing work on unfinished tasks and ruminative cognitions by 1) situating these processes within the dynamic context of one workweek, 2) extending these processes to the nonwork domain, and 3) examining family-supportive supervisor behaviors (FSSB), a resource that improves one’s ability to manage work and nonwork demands, as a buffer to the effects of unfinished tasks on ruminative cognitions, thereby protecting employee sleep. Using a daily diary design, 176 participants completed two surveys per day for 3 to 4 working days within one workweek (Level 1 N = 699) to capture within-person associations between unfinished tasks, ruminative cognitions, and sleep quality and quantity. At the between-person level, FSSB was examined as a moderator of the daily relationships between unfinished tasks and ruminative cognitions. Results indicate that on days when employees experience more unfinished work and nonwork tasks than typical, their sleep quality is impaired via increased affective rumination before bed. Additionally, days characterized by more unfinished work tasks were associated with increased problem-solving pondering before bed. Although FSSB did not function as a moderator, it was negatively related to both work-related and nonwork-related affective rumination at the between-person level. Together, these findings can be used to inform practical strategies aimed at improving sleep and well-being among working adults.
Date
3-26-2026
Recommended Citation
Perkins, Hannah E., "What Keeps You Up at Night? The Effect of Domain-Specific Unfinished Tasks, Ruminative Cognitions, and Supportive Supervisors on Employee Sleep" (2026). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 7050.
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/7050
Committee Chair
Zhang, Don C.
LSU Acknowledgement
1
LSU Accessibility Acknowledgment
1