Officer Responsible for His/Her Own Shift Strategy
Regardless of how enlightened the workplace or home may be, it comes down to the officer practicing sound shift management. As noted above, about eight hours of sleep is essential to avoid the adverse effects of fatigue. Even with sleep, shift adjustment will take some time, and extended operations may still tax the officer’s endurance.
As difficult as it is to eat properly on night shift, one should try to maintain a balanced diet, avoid junk food and drink plenty of fluids. Some research suggests that protein-based meals can help alertness when going on duty, while carbohydrates tend to decrease alertness for going off duty. Caffeine in coffee or soft drinks seems to be a healthy way to maintain alertness with few side effects unless overused. Two to four cups of coffee (or their equivalent) will raise maximum awareness, after which excessive use may increase headaches, sweating, restlessness and irritability. Women seem to keep caffeine in their systems longer than men, and they may want to avoid it late in the shift after which they plan to go home to sleep.
Medications can cause disruptions in the sleep cycle or types of sleep, resulting in emotional or physical tiredness on waking. Antidepressants, sleep aids and tranquilizers can all affect the quality of sleep. While alcohol and antihistamines may make one drowsy, they also diminish the quality of sleep. Newer medications such as melatonin and Provigil are promising in helping reset the biological clock, but there have not been long-term studies on possible adverse effects. Herbal preparations, though touted as natural, may have transient effects but are mainly psychological.
In general, four to six hours before going off duty, avoid stimulants such as caffeinated beverages and nicotine. Alcohol should also be avoided before going to bed.
Faced with fatigue and several hours of work, the shift can seem to go on forever unless alertness can be stimulated. Singing, washing the face with cold water, and going for a walk can help increase alertness but usually only briefly if one is tired. Exposure to bright lights before going on duty and working in bright light whenever possible can facilitate adjustment.
Short Naps Only Work for Some People
Napping is appearing in the safety, law enforcement and corrections literature more often, but in many departments, this still violates policy or is not feasible in small departments with few staff. Napping for 10 to 40 minutes before going on duty has been found to delay the onset of fatigue. Less than 10 minutes has little effect, and more than 40 may interfere with normal sleep onset.
For some officers, napping may result in sleep inertia or a period lasting for several minutes after waking in which one is still groggy and lacks clear thinking and coordination. In these cases, napping even on breaks or meal times at work is unadvisable. While napping is an issue, it is unlikely to go away due to its effectiveness, but officers should do it before going on duty and before sleep debt has occurred.
As campus security has evolved through the decades, the need for officers to work nights has also increased. The adverse effects of these shifts can be minimized by using scheduling that is compatible with the biological clock, educating families to shift-proof their homes and lifestyle, and training the officer to adopt effective sleep and shift adjustment skills. Officers can then work with both eyes open.
Related Articles:
- 2011 Salary Survey & Industry Census Results: K-12 Schools & School Districts
- 2011 Hospital Salary Survey & Industry Census Results
- 2011 Salary Survey & Industry Census Results: Universities
David X. Swenson Ph.D. is a licensed forensic psychologist in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and associate professor of management at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minn. He is a consultant and can be reached at [email protected].
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