When it’s time to sleep

November 14, 2008 07:22 AM •

Do you have trouble sleeping after a long shift, especially after a graveyard shift? You’re not alone. Millions of Americans suffer from mild to severe sleeping disorders. Sleeplessness can result in blurred vision, difficulty focusing, tunnel vision, diminished response to visual and audible stimuli, decreased short-term memory, and irritability...all things that jeopardize your safety. Here are some tips to getting better shut-eye that’ll save you a lot of heartache and better ensure your safety down the road.

Wear sunglasses on the way home after a night shift. Bright sunlight will fool your body into thinking it’s time to wake up...when it’s really time to get ready to sleep.
Give yourself a chance to mentally and physically wind down after your shift. Deep breathing exercises and positive visualization are very effective. Also, designate a period of time (try about 30 minutes) as your “worry time”. Make lists of the things you have to do, create plans to get them done and when your time is up...STOP THINKING.
Don’t use alcohol as a means of making yourself tired. Although you may feel like you’re helping yourself relax, you’re actually increasing your chances of fragmented, restless sleep.
Don’t go to bed stuffed or starving. Eat right at the right times. Avoid eating just before you’re scheduled to get off duty or just before getting into bed.
Start and follow a routine before going to bed (brush your teeth, put on your pajamas, turn off the house lights...). This becomes a cue for your body to start getting tired, no matter the time of day you’re doing it.
Make sure your bedroom is as dark as possible. A healthy investment might be a set of very heavy window shades that block out all incoming light.
Set your alarm clock, then hide it along with your watch. Time pressure takes a serious toll on efforts to fall asleep. The less tempted or able you are to glance at the time, the more likely you are to relax.
Keep your room at a comfortable temperature. Temperatures that are too cold or too hot will agitate you and make sleeping difficult.
Try using “white noise” like a fan or a commercial “sleep sound” machine, to filter distracting outside noise.

Corrections

Scott Buhrmaster

Scott Buhrmaster is Vice President of Training and Editorial for Police1.com, which was awarded the “Quill & Badge Award” for Excellence in Journalism by the International Association of Police Unions. He is also the Publisher of Police Marksman magazine and has served as Contributing Editor for Law Officer magazine. He has been a member of the law enforcement training community since 1989, when he began work as Director of Research with Calibre Press, Inc., producers of The Street Survival Seminar.

Throughout his tenure at Calibre, Buhrmaster was involved with virtually every aspect of the company’s officer survival training efforts, from the planning, creation and marketing of the organization’s award-winning textbooks and videos to developing and securing training content for the Seminar. In 1995, he was named Director of the Calibre Press Street Survival Newsline®, an Internet-based officer survival training service he helped found. In less than five years, Newsline readership grew from 25 officers to more than 250,000 in 26 countries, making it one of the most popular training vehicles in law enforcement history. His efforts now focus on providing training and information to the nearly 400,000 officers worldwide who visit Police1.com every month.

Prior to joining Police1, Buhrmaster, who also serves on the National Advisory Board of the Force Science Research Center and stands as an active member of the American Society for Law Enforcement Training and the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association, was President of The Buhrmaster Consulting Group, an international consulting practice for the law enforcement training sector and the publishing industry. Scott may be reached at buhrmastergroup@comcast.net.