Leading well: How working conditions shape early childhood leaders’ sleep quality and well-being

Educational leaders have stressful jobs that have only intensified in recent years. They often feel unprepared for the demands of the role; high workloads and time pressures cut into time for personal relationships, interests, and sleep. Research suggests that sleep quality, one particular aspect of sleep behavior separate from sleep duration, is likely an important part of educational leaders’ ability to lead effectively, manage workload and responsibilities, and be there for staff and students. However, few studies have examined the role of sleep quality in educational leaders’ well-being, particularly for early childhood education leaders. The present study focuses on examining the associations among working conditions, well-being, and sleep quality via structural equation modeling with a national sample of over 1000 early childhood leaders in the US. We found that leader demands, as opposed to resources, were the strongest predictors of sleep quality. However, the effects of leader demands and resources were both indirect, mediated by personal health behaviors and physical and psychological well-being. Alternative model tests revealed that the relationship between working conditions, well-being, and sleep quality is likely bidirectional.