By Joline Gutierrez Krueger
The Albuquerque Tribune
March 27, 2001, Tuesday
(Albuquerque, NM) - The Albuquerque Police Department proves that at least sometimes if you snooze, you win.
The department’s efforts to assure that its officers are getting their zzzzzs have won Albuquerque the restful title of “Healthy Sleep Capital” by the National Sleep Foundation.
The award the third annual Land of Nod nod the foundation has bestowed was expected to be presented today at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.
The award recognizes outstanding efforts by community health care providers, educators, civic leaders and citizens who have demonstrated a healthy commitment to healthy sleep, according to a news release.
This is the first time a city has earned the sleepytime title because of the efforts of its police force.
“We hope that the Albuquerque Police Department will represent the beginning of similar efforts in police departments throughout the country,” said Richard Gelula, executive director of the foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving public health and safety through better sleeping habits.
In 1998, the Albuquerque Police Department surveyed its officers to determine who was affected more by sleep deprivation and to what extent.
Not surprisingly, the survey indicated those officers who work graveyard shifts had higher rates of drowsy driving, daytime sleepiness, inability to cope with minor irritations and memory difficulties. The officers also had more trouble enjoying life outside work and were less physically fit.
“A worker’s sense of well-being is important because it not only affects health but also performance and overall tolerance to shift work,” said Glory Cochrane of the Police Department’s health and wellness unit.
“Several days of fatigue, sleepiness, lethargy, insomnia, gastrointestinal disorders and poor mental agility and performance are the usual complaints.”
Overtime hours or second jobs on top of overnight work were also robbing officers of their slumber.
“It used to be the officers would get off their shift, then go to court for two hours, then work chief’s overtime for four hours, then take care of their kids, sleep and go back to work,” said Officer Beth Baland, spokeswoman for the department.
As a result of the study, the Police Department began limiting the number of hours an officer works per week to 60. That includes chief’s overtime and outside employment.
“Before there was really no restrictions,” Baland said. “Now, officers are limited to 20 extra hours above their normal work schedule each week.”
The change was not met with blanket approval, Baland said.
“Some of the officers looked at overtime as the need to make that almighty dollar,” she said. “But it’s in the interest of a healthy lifestyle and a better job protecting our community.”
The Police Department is continuing to study the slumber issue in conjunction with the University of New Mexico Sleep Disorder Clinic and the National Sleep Foundation, foundation officials said.
Albuquerque is the third city to receive the Healthy Sleep Capital award.
Last’s year’s sleeper was Edina, Minn., which was recognized for the efforts of its schools to delay high school start times an idea now under consideration by the Albuquerque Public Schools.
In 1999, Walla Walla, Wash., was honored for its sleep-deprivation public education efforts.
The award is being presented in conjunction with National Sleep Awareness Week, which ends on Sunday the day most Americans lose an hour of sleep to daylight-saving time.
Copyright 2000 LEXIS-NEXIS, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights Reserved.