Sleep advice for serving and retired armed forces and emergency servicesSaturday, 28 September 2019 | Best Beds Direct Sleep advice for serving and retired armed forces and emergency services With ex-service employees amongst our team, we know all too well the issues faced by people who have worked irregular shifts, had high-pressured jobs, and have experienced work-related health problems which reduces the quality of their sleep. That’s why, at Best Beds Direct, we’re proud to offer a 10% discount to any serving and retired armed forces and emergency services personnel. It’s a well-known fact that soldiers deal with a lack of sleep whilst deployed, and this often continues after returning home or retiring from service. Many veterans only manage to get five-six hours of sleep per night – a lot less than the recommended eight hours of sleep per day. This can be caused by a number of things, such as having to adjust to new time zones, adapting to ‘normal’ life back at home, recovering from shift patterns, and dealing with mental or physical health issues. As a result, the quality and quantity of sleep is the most common complaint on post-deployment surveys. Emergency services personnel, such as firefighters, nurses, and the police, also work long hours, irregular shifts, and often deal first-hand with people in often life-threatening, time-pressured situations. Higher-activity jobs can be stressful, and heightened levels of stress has been linked to difficulties in falling asleep (and staying asleep). Workers with rotating shifts commonly report disturbed sleep, resulting in excessive sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, and an increased reliance on sugary snacks and caffeine to stay awake during long working hours. This is due to the circadian rhythm (your body’s internal timekeeper) becoming misaligned with the outside world – it makes you drowsy at night, and wide awake during the day… not helpful, if this is when you’re meant to be catching up on sleep following a night shift! The sleep symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are also profound, and can worsen PTSD too. These symptoms include severe insomnia, terrifying recurrent dreams or nightmares, sweating, rapid heartbeat, and inability to fall back asleep once woken. The list of potential consequences of missed sleep is lengthy and worrying. It includes:
Luckily, the internet is rife with tips for shift workers and veterans struggling to get enough sleep – we’ve collated these for you below:
If you’re a serving or retired armed forces or emergency services worker, and would like help with finding a new bed or mattress, please don’t hesitate to contact our team for support – we would be happy to answer any questions you may have, and can apply a 10% discount to your order. |
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