The national study published yesterday found that 26 percent of the officers reported that they fall asleep driving at least once a month because of excessive drowsiness.
Massachusettts State Police officers, however, had markedly lower rates of sleep problems such as obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, and shift work sleepiness -- most likely, the researchers said, because of a mandatory fitness test that state officers must pass every two years to hold onto their jobs.
Not getting enough ZZZs takes a physical and mental toll. As is common for workers that often put in long hours with overnight or rotating shifts, this was a weary bunch: Excessive fatigue was reported by nearly 29% of the officers.
And when people get tired on the job, they tend to lose focus and make mistakes. Researchers found that police officers who had a sleep disorder reported making more administrative errors and safety violations. Fatigue also shortened their tempers, and they admitted to showing more uncontrolled anger toward a citizen or suspect.
Skimping on sleep also led to more drowsy driving, which may be as dangerous as drunk driving. Nearly half of the participants in this study admitted to falling asleep behind the wheel. For about one-quarter of them, this happened once or twice a month.
The findings also suggest that depression and burnout were more common in police officers who had a sleep disorder than in those who did not.
Robbed of shut-eye, a police officer's on-the-job exhaustion or untreated sleep condition is an occupational hazard. Because these men and women often carry guns and need to think quickly in difficult situations, these stolen hours of slumber can influence their work performance, health, and the public safety, the researchers say.
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