By Sameer Kawash

A fire-service career is defined in part by sacrificing sleep for the benefit of protecting and helping others. For many, this is a deal to simply accept irregular and often unrestful sleep on and off the job.

Yet, a career filled with poor sleep quality can lead to many negative outcomes right away, and as you age. Fortunately, that “deal” to accept poor sleep isn’t one anyone has to accept. 

Most people’s jobs offer a limited amount of paid time off each year. We don’t get to dictate how much time we get, but we definitely get to decide how we spend that time.

Now replace “paid time off” in that thought with “sleep” and you’ll see the connection. You often don’t have much control over how much sleep you can get, but the quality of that sleep is actually up to you. When you’re on vacation, you want to get away, forget work, do things you enjoy, and make the most of that limited time. If you begin to think of your sleep the way you think about your vacations, you’ll see sleep as time you want to make the most of. 

Would you rather do a little prep and have great sleep like a great vacation, or just take whatever comes and hope your sleep (or vacation) turns out OK? And the best part is there are easy ways to get more out of your sleep.

Here are five tips for taking charge of the quality of your sleep. Some you can apply at the station, some are more effective at home. Experiment and find what works. 

1. Safety Naps

In general, avoid napping after 3 p.m. to avoid being alert that night. That said, if you’re on tour and at a busy station, nap when you can. 

Try to keep the sleeping part of a nap to no more than 20 minutes. Any longer and you may wake up  groggy, disoriented, and not ready to perform at your best.

2. Step Away from the Screen

There is conflicting evidence about the impact of bright light and blue light on sleep quality. But as part of unwinding and preparing for sleep, it can’t hurt to avoid bright lights and stop looking at phone and TV screen 30-60 minutes before you want to be asleep.

Plus, scrolling on your phone or watching high-action shows puts your mind in active mode and not where you want it for quality sleep.

3. Chill Out

Your brain has to relax as much as your body does. Create a relaxing routine that helps your mind and body unwind in the 30-60 minutes before you want to be asleep.

Try stretching, meditation, reading (paper books), or anything you find relaxing that does not involve lots of mental stimulation. Yes, you can read under dim lights. It won’t strain your eyes, you just get used to it, and it’s actually really relaxing.

4. Really Chill Out

Keep your bedroom (or dorm) cold, 60-67°F or 15.5-19.4°C cold. A warm room may make you sleepy, but the sleep will be light and less valuable.

Try a warm shower before sleep. Your body will respond to the warmth with a subsequent drop in body temperature, which is key to deep, restorative sleep.

5. Give Your Stomach a Break

If at all possible, eat your last meal more than one hour before sleep. Processing food when you’re trying to sleep can be very disruptive to your sleep cycles.

To avoid that nighttime snacking hunger, eat more protein, 30-50 grams at each meal. When your protein intake is high enough, your hunger sensations vanish.

Finally, limit alcohol always and especially near sleep time. One or two drinks will significantly impair your sleep. That sleepy feeling you get from alcohol isn’t even close to the same as healthy, restorative sleep. 

Try all of these, some of them, or try just one. None require huge effort, and even a little experimentation can yield noticeable improvements. Taking on a mindset that treats sleep like precious time for yourself, like a vacation, is a powerful step towards improved sleep.