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For those of us who work nightshift, the ever daunting task of balance between family, physical activity, emotional well-being, and nightshift, is never ending. I stumbled upon a few important points on how to adjust better. Just thought I would pass them along:
--Interest, opportunity or sense of danger: Seeing a potential suspect, interacting with people in crisis, or confronting a hazardous situation is naturally arousing and helps heighten your state of alertness.
--Muscular activity: Sitting in a radio car hour upon hour can diminish alertness, just as walking around a warehouse or park for a security check can help keep you alert.
--Time of day on circadian clock: Like everyone else, we tend to be least alert from midnight to dawn, and again right after lunch, while reaching peak alertness in the morning and early evening.
--Sleep bank balance: If you've acquired a substantial sleep debt during the previous several days because of overtime, off-duty court appearances and staying up to play with your kids after shift, you'll be less alert than if you're properly rested.
--Ingested nutrients and chemicals: The coffee and doughnuts you eat at 2 A.M. help wake you up with a combined surge of caffeine and sugar—but within an hour you experience a "crash" and have difficulty staying awake, as your system's overreaction to them suddenly leaves you with low blood sugar.
--Environmental light: Cruising the darkened streets, you're fighting sleep in the quiet predawn hours, but sunrise fills you with new energy.
--Temperature: As you start to feel drowsy in the autumn, you roll down a window and let the cool, dry air blow on your face to help you stay awake. Nine months later, the heat and humidity of a summer night make you even drowsier.
--Sound: The even hum of tires on the road drones like a lullaby as the shift stretches on, but listening to radio chatter or a partner yak away help stimulate alertness.
It's easy to see how managers and supervisors, as well as officers themselves could use knowledge of these "switches" to try to enhance alertness and stave off the negative effects of fatigue and nighttime drowsiness on the job—and on the way home from a long nightshift.
--Interest, opportunity or sense of danger: Seeing a potential suspect, interacting with people in crisis, or confronting a hazardous situation is naturally arousing and helps heighten your state of alertness.
--Muscular activity: Sitting in a radio car hour upon hour can diminish alertness, just as walking around a warehouse or park for a security check can help keep you alert.
--Time of day on circadian clock: Like everyone else, we tend to be least alert from midnight to dawn, and again right after lunch, while reaching peak alertness in the morning and early evening.
--Sleep bank balance: If you've acquired a substantial sleep debt during the previous several days because of overtime, off-duty court appearances and staying up to play with your kids after shift, you'll be less alert than if you're properly rested.
--Ingested nutrients and chemicals: The coffee and doughnuts you eat at 2 A.M. help wake you up with a combined surge of caffeine and sugar—but within an hour you experience a "crash" and have difficulty staying awake, as your system's overreaction to them suddenly leaves you with low blood sugar.
--Environmental light: Cruising the darkened streets, you're fighting sleep in the quiet predawn hours, but sunrise fills you with new energy.
--Temperature: As you start to feel drowsy in the autumn, you roll down a window and let the cool, dry air blow on your face to help you stay awake. Nine months later, the heat and humidity of a summer night make you even drowsier.
--Sound: The even hum of tires on the road drones like a lullaby as the shift stretches on, but listening to radio chatter or a partner yak away help stimulate alertness.
It's easy to see how managers and supervisors, as well as officers themselves could use knowledge of these "switches" to try to enhance alertness and stave off the negative effects of fatigue and nighttime drowsiness on the job—and on the way home from a long nightshift.
