Our goal is to reach 60 departments and 700 first responders. We start September 1, 2025.

WHAT IS SLEEP?

Sleep is an essential biological function that plays a vital role in maintaining health and well-being. It allows the body to repair and restore itself, consolidate memories, and regulate emotions.

Sleep is a physiological state characterized by:

Reduced consciousness: A reduced state of awareness abd responsiveness to external stimuli.
Rest: Time away from activity to recover and reduce stress.
Body and brain changes: Sleep allows for changes in brain wave activity, hormone levels, and body temperature.
Cyclic pattern: There are cyclical sleep stages, including non-REM (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

Talking about sleep doesn’t make you lazy or unproductive. Just the opposite in fact. Prioritizing sleep prioritizes performance, safety, and is backed by science.

Sleep Awareness Training

Interested in learning more about TSPST’s Sleep Awareness Training?

Fill out our contact for, we will email you confirmation of your selected day and time.

WHAT IS SLEEP?

The Purpose of Sleep

Sleep serves as a vital part of every day. It’s a restorative function that helps to repair nearly every system in the body:

Performance increases when you are alert and cognitive function is high. Your muscles are not fatigued. Your reaction times enable you to achieve peak performance and be at your best.
Sleep allows the body to repair cells and tissues, synthesize proteins, and release hormones for growth and healing.
The body's metabolism and temperature drop while sleeping, allowing it to conserve and restore energy.
The brain remains active during sleep, consolidating memories, processing information learned during the day, and removing toxins that build up while you are awake.
Sleep strengthens the immune system, helping the body fight off illnesses and infections.
Sufficient sleep is crucial for regulating mood and managing stress.

Sleep Deprivation

Sleep deprivation is a condition that occurs if you don't get enough sleep. Sleep deficiency is a broader concept. It occurs if you have one or more of the following:

You don't get enough sleep (sleep deprivation).
You sleep at the wrong time of day.
You don't sleep well or get all the different types of sleep your body needs.
You have a sleep disorder that prevents you from getting enough sleep or causes poor-quality sleep.

Sleep deficiency is linked to:

Chronic health problems, including heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity, and depression.
Sleep deficiency is also linked to a higher chance of injury in the job.
Mistakes linked to tragic accidents.

A common myth is that people can learn to get by on little sleep with no negative effects. However, research shows that getting enough quality sleep at the right times is vital for mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety.

Benefits of getting enough sleeP

Physical Health

iproved hormone levels
Reduces chances of obesity, heart disease, cancer, dementia
Improves performance at work
Improves recovery from a workout or injury

Mental Health

Recovery from traumatic events
Regulating mood,
Improving emotional control,
Enhancing cognitive functions like memory and attention,
Overall feeling of reduced stress
Improved problem solving and creativity

Future Health

Reduces the risk of getting Alzheimers, Parkinson’s, Dementia

Sleep Recovery

Adopt a sleep routine that works for you. Whenever you get to sleep, no matter what shift you are on, make a specific plan to sleep and follow through on your intentions. Sleep recovery practices include establishing a consistent sleep schedule with set bedtimes and wake times, creating a dark, cool, and quiet sleep environment, avoiding stimulants like caffeine and alcohol, limiting screen time before bed, getting regular daylight exposure and exercise, and avoiding large meals or late day naps.

Protect your sleep plan. Talk about it with your family and bed partner. List of hacks can be downloaded here.

What can you do:

Reduce alcohol
Reduce caffeine consumption and stop 6-8 hours before sleeping
Take a nap to reduce the pressure to fall asleep. Remember the length of time and what time of day you take a nap matters for the most effectiveness. Caffeine naps are a real thing.
Reduce light in your bedroom. Wear a sleep mask and use ear plugs.
Learn the right time to exercise and take a hot shower before bed.
Get morning sunlight and evening red light exposure

If you consistently struggle with sleep, consider consulting a healthcare provider to rule out underlying issues and learn management strategies.

Our goal is to reach 60 departments and 700 first responders. We start September 1, 2025.