{"id":26385,"date":"2021-05-17T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-17T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.saatva.com\/sleep-tips-for-first-responders\/"},"modified":"2023-08-25T19:11:20","modified_gmt":"2023-08-25T19:11:20","slug":"sleep-tips-for-first-responders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saatva.com\/blog\/sleep-tips-for-first-responders\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Tips to Help First Responders Get Better Sleep"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It was already tough before the pandemic for on-duty first responders to get a good night\u2019s sleep. The nature of their work\u2014whether emergency medical personnel, firefighters, members of the military, or law enforcement officers\u2014puts them front and center at emergencies and disasters. Besides the stressful work, long and varying shifts<\/a> and odd hours can impact their sleep. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s more challenging than ever these days, as first responders help maintain the frontlines of the battle against the coronavirus on top of their regular responsibilities. And when your job requires alertness and sharp thinking, getting adequate sleep can make the difference between a successful assignment and an accident\u2014or worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First responders and sleep deprivation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A study published in the Journal of Emergency Medical Services<\/em> found that 80% of the 1,843 firefighters and EMS study participants reported getting less than seven hours of sleep per day<\/a>, compared to 35% of the general population. Almost 29% said they wake up feeling exhausted four or more days per week. Approximately 30% reported a sleep disorder diagnosis, and only about half rated their sleep quality as \u201cgood\u201d or \u201cvery good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That sleep deprivation can have serious consequences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A major study by the International Fire Chiefs Association examined the effects of sleep deprivation<\/a> on firefighters and emergency medical personnel. It found that sleep deprivation is associated with increased errors in tasks requiring alertness, vigilance, and quick decision-making. Long work hours can also lead to chronic sleep loss, which can reduce clear thinking and cause depression, stress, and irritability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou kind of sleep on edge,\u201d says Shawna Hahn, a full-time firefighter and paramedic for nearly 20 years with three different fire stations in western Virginia: Amissville Fire and Rescue<\/a>, North Mountain Fire and Rescue Company<\/a>, and Warrenton Volunteer Fire Company<\/a>. \u201cI sleep kind of anxiously, expecting to get woken up.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Besides radio traffic, one reason for sleeping on edge has been what Hahn describes as \u201cthe loud and obnoxious and startling\u201d klaxon that traditionally would ring or blast out the signal to summon the first responders to a call. \u201cIt\u2019s like a ship horn going off and the lights come on,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hahn cites research showing that firefighters were having heart attacks<\/a> because they were startled from a dead sleep to wide awakeness. Most of the old klaxons have been replaced in recent years by a series of tones that tell everyone in the station to get ready to roll. Hahn describes the tones as a \u201ckinder and gentler\u201d way to be awakened for a call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Besides her firefighting and paramedic duties, Hahn, like many other first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic, is helping to administer vaccines. The day before our phone interview, she was at the station for five or six hours getting needles into arms\u2014600 that day, 1,500 the previous weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If she isn\u2019t busy enough with her professional work, Hahn is the mom of spunky little Rory and is working on a master\u2019s degree in business management with a concentration in emergency management. How, you might wonder, does she get any sleep at all? \u201cWe still have to live a life,\u201d she says, adding, \u201cBy the time I get to bed, I fall asleep as soon as I hit the bed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related: 6 tips to help nurses get better sleep<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tips to help first responders get better sleep<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I asked Hahn for a few pointers she could offer to other first responders trying to get the rest they need to be their best at work. Here’s what she suggests:<\/p>\n\n\n\n