Cambridgeshire Police Federation chair Liz Groom has encouraged members to take advantage of a two-part webinar offering expert advice on managing sleep.
The webinar saw Oscar Kilo, the National Police Wellbeing Service, team up with sleep expert Dr Sophie Bostock for the online sessions, which have been designed specifically for police officers.
“Thankfully, the Force is full of staff whose dedication to their jobs goes above and beyond. This will come at a cost, however, for some, when it comes to the quality of their sleep,” said Liz.
“That’s why I think this webinar is so important. Getting more or better sleep is easier said than done for such hard-working people, and they are provided with real practical advice on how to do that here.”
In Part 1 of the webinar, Dr Bostock shared her expertise on the systems that control sleep and used examples from colleagues in policing to help audience members understand what healthy sleep management can look like in the profession.
Highlighting the Catch-22 situation that can arise from behaviour being more difficult to change as sleep deprivation worsens, the keynote speaker emphasised the need for change that is easy to put into practice.
“The science behind cycles of poor sleep was explained in a very relatable and accessible way, and proper steps were given on how to reset your mind and body beyond just getting an early night,” Liz continued.
Part 2 saw the discussion of longer-term sleep disorders, such as insomnia, that police officers may be susceptible to due to factors such as shift work and operational stressors.
Both parts of the webinar are available for Federation members to watch for free on the Oscar Kilo website and Liz says they will benefit every viewer.
“Those who attended the sessions have given themselves the knowledge to achieve one of the biggest wellbeing boosts possible – anyone else who watches the recordings will do the exact same.”
Members should log into their Oscar Kilo account, or create an account for free, to access Part 1 and Part 2 of the sleep webinar.