Policemen Don't Get Enough Sleep

A whopping 40 percent of all police officers suffer from a sleeping disorder, while 46 percent of them admitted to falling asleep or nodding off behind the wheel. What is even worse is that the vast majority of such cases were not properly diagnosed or treated, a new study learned.

Sleep disorders may put a huge strain on their health, safety and work performance, say researchers behind the work. The team analyzed more nearly 3,670 police officers through online or on-site screenings, LiveScience reports.

The most widespread conditions affecting officers were obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which is the collapse of superior airways during sleep, moderate to severe insomnia and shift-work disorder. OSA affected 1,666 of all police officers in the study.

“Police officers frequently work extended shifts and long work weeks, which in other occupations are associated with increased risk of errors, unintended injuries, and motor vehicle crashes,” Brigham and Women's Hospital expert Shantha M. W. Rajaratnam explains.