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The sleep hygiene challenge: Follow these tips during tonight’s bedtime routine

When free of shift schedules, try these tips to get to sleep faster and achieve quality sleep

One of the themes of First Responder Wellness Week is identifying healthy sleep strategies. Dr. Rachelle Zemlok, Lexipol strategic wellness director, breaks down the power of connection and how it can reduce your stress.

Fatigue can be hazardous for law enforcement officers who must always remain alert and focused on their duties

  • Unlock Functional Fitness
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  • Building Effective Wellness Programs
  • The Power of Connection: Family, Friends Faith
FIRST RESPONDER WELLNESS WEEK RESOURCES
Because if we can’t laugh about it, we’ll never deal with it; and if we don’t deal with it, it’ll keep dealing with us — on patrol, at the console or in the middle of a 10-hour shift
As agencies confront stress, trauma and retention challenges, equine-assisted therapy addresses policing’s invisible burdens while expanding the officer wellness toolkit
When chaplains are integrated into the wellness team, officers engage earlier, recover more fully and stay connected to purpose
From hypervigilance to emotional flattening, new officers may show early stress responses that are easy to overlook
Agencies that wait until after critical incidents to address stress miss a key opportunity — academy training can prepare officers to perform and recover from day one
Leadership behavior, workload and organizational conditions — not just resilience training — determine whether officers can stay well on the job

This article, originally published in March 2023, has been updated with additional resources and updated video.

Dr. Rachelle Zemlok is a licensed clinical psychologist in California, specializing in work with first responder families, and the founder of First Responder Family Psychology, which provides culturally competent therapy to first responders and their family members. She is also the author of “The Firefighter Family Academy: A Guide to Educate & Prepare Spouses for the Career Ahead.”


She previously served as the strategic wellness director at Lexipol, supporting the content and strategy related to first responder mental health and wellness, with a special focus on supporting spouses and family members through the Cordico Wellness App.


To connect with Dr. Zemlok, please visit her website.