A study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) looked at the prevalence of sleep disorders among police officers in North America. The study included approximately 5000 officers in the US and Canada, who were surveyed over the course of 2 years. It is considered to be among the largest studies ever conducted to screen for sleep disorders in the workforce.

The study found sleep disorders to be fairly common among officers, with around 40% of the officers in the study reporting sleep disorders. The study additionally found that officers with sleep disorders were probably at greater risk for related health complications and safety risks, such as on-the-job injuries, attention lapses, and vehicle accidents. The authors of the study stated that:

"It has been hypothesized that fatigue – likely due to reduced duration and quality of sleep and untreated sleep disorders – may play an important role in police officer unintentional injuries and fatalities. To date, the effect of sleep disorders on police officer health, safety, and performance has not been systematically investigated."

Many have pointed to changing shifts as one cause of fatigue at work for officers. Accordingly, shift workers should take note, as "shift work disorder" is a common work-related sleep disorder in New York for many professions.

The Bronx workers' compensation lawyers with Markhoff & Mittman have been serving injured and disabled workers in New York since 1933. If you need assistance after a work-related injury in White Plains, or if you are looking for the next step after a Social Security disability application has been denied, please don't hesitate to contact us to talk about your situation.