Associations between Sleep and Work-Related Cognitive and Emotional Functioning in Police Employees

Abstract

Aim We aimed to examine the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between sleep and work-related impaired cognitive and emotional functioning in police employees. Methods This study included 410 participants (52% men) employed in a police district in Norway at baseline, of which 50% also participated in the study at 6 months later follow-up. The questionnaires included items measuring work schedule, sleep length, insomnia, as well as impaired cognitive and emotional functioning at work. Results The results showed that insomnia was related to impaired work-related emotional functioning measured at baseline, and to impaired cognitive functioning measured at both baseline and follow-up. Sleep length and rotating shift work were not associated with future decline in cognitive or emotional functioning. Conclusion Our study indicates that the relationship between insomnia and emotional functioning at work may be transient, whereas insomnia can be related to both immediate and future impaired cognitive functioning. Replication of the findings in larger samples is advised. The findings call for an emphasis on the prevention and treatment of sleep problems among police employees as a mean of maintaining and improving cognitive and emotional functioning at work, and thereby reducing the risk for impaired performance and negative health and safety outcomes.

Occupation-Induced Fatigue and Impacts on Emergency First Responders: A Systematic Review

“…These findings align with current research that cognitive fatigue slows attentional awareness and increases accidents, performance errors, and poor decision making [118]. Similar results were found in shift workers [13,107,[119][120][121], military personnel [31,122,123], the police [119], and athletes [14,[124][125][126] demonstrating the negative impacts in cognitive performance due to fatigue.…”

Types and Contributors to Occupational Fatigue

“…A decreased physical, emotional, or social well-being can negatively contribute to fatigue. Emotional dysregulation seems to have the most significant impact on health factors such as injury (37), medication use (23), and sleep disorders (129). Each in turn negatively affects another.…”

“…O ccupational fatigue is common in professions that provide continuous services over 24 hours, such as nurses (5,35), physicians (16,99), military (51,106), paramedics (30,108), firefighters (44, 75,148), police (112,129), transportation (14,109,116), and other vital services (14,76,123). For example, in Australia, 80% of on-call workers reported being fatigued regularly (149).…”

Influencia da Qualidade do Sono na Qualidade de Vida no Trabalho de Policais Militares

“…1 Essa profissão lida constantemente em ambientes estressantes e com risco de morte e não possuem uma boa qualidade do sono devido ao trabalho intenso o que acarreta problemas de saúde e, consequentemente, influenciando negativamente a qualidade de vida no trabalho (QVT). 2,3 Os policiais que não possuem uma boa qualidade vida no trabalho estão mais susceptíveis aos afastamentos e ausências no serviço desfalcando o efetivo nesses períodos. 3 A QVT pode ser entendida como sinônimo de satisfação, motivação, possibilidade de crescimento, bem-estar, humanização do trabalho, participação nas decisões de gestão e capacitação para realizar as tarefas de trabalho.…”