Emergency Medical Services providers are highly susceptible to sleep disorders and their inherent dangers and health complications.
They are always facing the challenge of having to work under intense pressure with little or no sleep. When sleep is constantly interrupted, or if a person must fall asleep at an irregular or constantly rotating time, it can seriously impact their physical, emotional and mental health.
Adult and Pediatric Sleep Specialist Dr. Rizwana Sultana said that for people who are working scheduled, rotating shifts several days and nights a week, alignment for their sleep schedule is particularly difficult.
“EMS providers are always on the go; it’s a very high adrenaline job,” she said. “They come home and must focus on how to relax, because their brain has been so active. My first recommendation is to establish a sleep routine. You can’t have an actual sleep schedule, because shifts will rotate, so build a routine. I have some suggestions.”
“If you look at the clock and think, ‘It’s 2 a.m.! I’m not sleeping!’ You will become anxious, and your brain must not be thinking about anything,” Dr. Sultana said. “No checking the phone. Avoid every kind of stimulation for the brain, and checking time is one of them.”
Because the brain is wired to sleep at night and be awake during the day, the body becomes stressed if it is awake at night.
“It’s very hard to achieve seven to eight hours of restful sleep when your workday is at night, and it’s a day filled with hard physical work and mental activity,” she said. “Long-term sleep loss can result in changes in our DNA, increases risk of some cancers, and can cause other health problems. The body requires sleep to recover from the extra wear and tear on the body.”
Sleep deficits also can affect memory over the long term.
“Sleep deprivation also causes roadside accidents, which is why it’s important not to drive when you are sleepy,” she said. “There are many physical and behavioral consequences to being sleep deprived.”
However, helping the brain to transition from active and awake to relaxed and ready to sleep can be achieved by creating and sticking to a routine. While adjusting to a rotating schedule is difficult, optimizing sleep is still possible.
Finding balance: Sleep schedule tips for sleep shifters
- If you leave work in the daylight, put on dark sunglasses to block out the light
- Take a relaxing bath or shower when you come home
- Try stretching and breathing exercises or meditate in a dark room
- Focus on relaxing each part of your body. Start with, “I’m relaxing my forehead.” Work your way down your body. This helps transition your brain from active to relaxed and ready to sleep
- Remove interruptions, like the cell phone or other screens or devices
- Stop drinking caffeinated beverages halfway into your shift
- Set your alarm, and do not check the time if you wake up. If you do, remain unaware of the time, just breathe deeply, focus on relaxing your body, and go back to sleep
- If you must sleep during the day when others are awake, play sounds or music that cancel the noise outside