The Value of Sleep for First Responders

Leah Kaylor, PhD, MSCP  - Author of bestselling book - If Sleep Were a Drug

In the world of first responders—law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics, and dispatchers—sleep is often the first casualty of service. Shift work, unpredictable callouts, and high-stress environments create chronic sleep deprivation that erodes mental, physical, and emotional resilience. Yet, despite overwhelming evidence linking sleep to performance, health, and judgment, many in public safety still view rest as optional or even weak. Reframing sleep as a tactical advantage—one as vital as body armor or situational awareness—is essential to sustaining operational readiness and protecting those who serve.

The Biological Cost of Sleep Loss

Sleep is not a passive state but a biologically active process critical to cellular repair, immune regulation, and neurocognitive recovery. During deep slow-wave sleep, the brain clears metabolic waste through the glymphatic system, restoring alertness and focus. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep consolidates memory, regulates emotion, and integrates experiences from the day. When these stages are cut short, the results are profound—reaction time slows, decision-making falters, and emotional control diminishes.

For first responders, this impairment translates into real-world risk. Research shows that being awake for 18 hours produces cognitive deficits equivalent to a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05%, and after 24 hours, performance mirrors that of 0.10%—well over the legal driving limit. Fatigued responders are more likely to misinterpret threats, overreact under stress, and commit procedural or tactical errors. In policing and emergency medicine, these split-second mistakes can be devastating. 

Sleep and Emotional Regulation

The psychological demands of emergency service require not only technical skill but emotional control. Sleep directly modulates the amygdala—the brain’s alarm center—and its communication with the prefrontal cortex. When sleep-deprived, the amygdala becomes up to more reactive. This creates a heightened threat response, irritability, and difficulty de-escalating tense situations.

For first responders repeatedly exposed to trauma, sleep loss amplifies vulnerability to stress, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress injury. Insomnia is both a risk factor and a symptom of trauma-related disorders, leading to a vicious cycle in which hyperarousal disrupts sleep, and poor sleep intensifies emotional dysregulation. Addressing sleep disturbances early is a critical form of psychological armor—preventing small stress injuries from compounding into operational burnout.

Health and Longevity Risks

The health consequences of chronic sleep debt are staggering. Regularly missing sleep or keeping inconsistent hours throws the body’s internal clock off balance—an effect linked to higher rates of heart disease, metabolic problems, and certain cancers. Sleep deprivation also undermines immune function, leaving first responders more susceptible to infections. Similarly, without adequate restorative sleep, the body’s ability to repair tissue and recover from physical strain or injury is significantly reduced, increasing the risk of lingering pain and re-injury. These physiological effects erode not only career longevity but also post-retirement health—a cost often invisible until years later.

Operational and Safety Implications

Sleep impacts every domain of first-responder performance: situational awareness, memory recall, communication, and motor coordination. When people in high-stakes professions are sleep-deprived, their reaction times slow, attention falters, and judgment declines. Research shows that inadequate sleep increases the likelihood of errors, accidents, and poor decision-making in critical situations.

Despite these findings, sleep remains a neglected component of operational training. Many agencies emphasize physical fitness standards while overlooking recovery protocols. A growing body of research suggests that implementing structured fatigue-risk management—similar to aviation and medical systems—can dramatically reduce errors and improve safety outcomes.

Strategies for Sleep Optimization

Improving sleep in a 24/7 profession requires both cultural change and individual strategy. At the organizational level, rotating shifts forward (day to evening to night) rather than backward, limiting extended overtime, and providing protected rest periods can align schedules more closely with natural circadian tendencies. Incorporating sleep-education programs into academy and in-service training helps normalize rest as a component of readiness.

Individually, responders can enhance sleep by maintaining consistent sleep and wake times—even on days off—using blackout curtains or eye masks, and limiting caffeine, alcohol, or nicotine. Strategic napping (20–30 minutes) before night shifts can boost alertness without producing grogginess. For those struggling with chronic insomnia or trauma-related nightmares, evidence-based treatments such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) and Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT) have shown strong efficacy.

Reframing Sleep as Tactical Readiness

Changing the culture of sleep in first-responder communities begins with leadership. Command staff and supervisors set the tone—whether sleep is treated as a performance tool or a personal weakness. Encouraging open dialogue about fatigue, modeling healthy sleep habits, and integrating rest metrics into wellness initiatives can shift the narrative from “sleep when you’re dead” to “sleep so you stay alive.”

Sleep is not a luxury or indulgence—it is operational fuel. For those entrusted with public safety, optimizing rest is not merely about feeling better; it is about thinking faster, reacting wiser, and living longer. Every responder deserves the biological advantage of a well-rested brain.

-Leah Kaylor, PhD, MSCP

Enjoyed this piece? You’ll love my book If Sleep Were a Drug, where I dive even deeper into the science of sleep and how to use it to optimize your brain and body.

If you or a family member are having any issues with mental health or relationships, please reach out for help. Responder Health (responderhealth.com) is an organization that offers resources specifically for first responders and their families. Responder Health provides confidential and full-service solutions that support first responders through stress and traumatic events, and provides them with the education, resources, and community they need to live healthy, happy lives. Our peer advocate hotline (253)243-3701 offers a confidential 24-hour crisis referral service for all public safety employees, all emergency services personnel, and their family members nationwide.