Recent research reveals that workplace bullying not only disrupts an employee’s sleep but also impacts their partner’s rest. This study from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the UK and universities in Spain explores how bullying by superiors or colleagues influences various aspects of sleep quality, including waking up early, difficulties falling asleep, staying asleep, experiencing insomnia symptoms like anger rumination—repeated thoughts about distressing events—and dissatisfaction with one’s sleep.
The research published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence aimed to examine how workplace bullying affects insomnia and tested whether “anger rumination,” a maladaptive coping strategy involving constant thinking about stressful experiences such as bullying, plays a role in this relationship. The findings indicate that exposure to bullying at work over time exacerbates sleep onset difficulties, staying asleep through the night, and waking up early. Moreover, feelings of anger stemming from workplace issues can contribute significantly to these problems.
Interestingly, insomnia symptoms have been found to be contagious within relationships; an individual’s sleep issues can influence their partner’s sleep quality as well. This highlights how interconnected sleep health is in intimate partnerships. “Our results show that the effects of workplace bullying are time-dependent and accumulative,” said Professor Ana Sanz-Vergel from UEA’s Norwich Business School. “Furthermore, these impacts go beyond just the individual or work setting to influence a partner’s sleep as well.”
Research methods included two studies—one following 147 employees for five days and another tracking 139 couples over two months—all participants were Spanish. Participants reported on their experiences with workplace bullying, feelings of anger related to work, and different insomnia indicators. The first study found that bullying indirectly affected sleep severity through rumination; the second also highlighted its impact on sleep satisfaction and sleep disruption.
The authors recommend that interventions for addressing workplace bullying be multifaceted. From an organizational perspective, efforts should focus on reducing stressors and promoting a healthier work environment. At the individual level, training can help employees better manage stress related to their jobs. Professor Sanz-Vergel also emphasized the need for couple-oriented prevention programs within workplaces to address insomnia contagion among partners.
This study underscores the importance of considering both workplace bullying’s immediate effects on sleep and its broader impacts on relationships. “Training on how to disconnect from work has proven efficient in minimizing the effects of bullying,” she added, while noting that further research is needed for a comprehensive understanding of the issue.
