5 Sleep Tips for Tired First Responders

You’re Trained to Save Lives, Not to Sleep in Chaos

If you’re a first responder, you know the truth:
Sleep doesn’t come easy after 12, 24, or 48 hours of adrenaline, stress, noise, trauma, and broken routines.

Whether you’re lying awake after a rough call, struggling to come down from a night shift, or battling constant fatigue between tours — this isn’t “normal” tired. It’s cumulative exhaustion that wrecks your health, slows your recovery, and chips away at your mental clarity.

You’re not lazy (unless you're a firefighter....kidding). Your nervous system is just overloaded.
And if you want to perform, recover, and lead — you’ve got to take your sleep seriously.

Let’s fix that.

1. Shut Down Screens Before Bed

After a long shift, it’s tempting to scroll, binge, or zone out in front of a screen. But every minute of blue light exposure delays your body’s melatonin production — the hormone responsible for making you sleepy.

The fix: Shut down phones, TVs, and tablets at least 30–60 minutes before you want to fall asleep. Instead, use that time to stretch, breathe, or journal. It tells your nervous system, “We’re safe. It’s time to wind down.”

Want better sleep? Start by giving your brain the darkness it’s been waiting for.

2. Create a Wind-Down Ritual (Even After Crazy Shifts)

If you’ve ever laid in bed for an hour, unable to fall asleep, it’s not just because you weren’t tired. It’s because your nervous system had no clue it was supposed to power down.

First responders don’t get normal hours, but we can still create consistent cues to signal the brain that it’s time to rest.

Try this:

• Dim the lights

• Take a warm shower

• Do some slow breathing

• Use white noise or a fan

• Keep your phone out of the room

Even five minutes of intentional transition can help you fall asleep faster — whether it’s 9 p.m. or 9 a.m.

3. Don’t Chase Every Thought, Let Them Drift

Your body may be home, but your brain is still at the call. Still playing out scenarios. Still wired from stress, trauma, or just the adrenaline dump.

This is normal, but you can train your mind to let go.

Instead of fighting the thoughts, observe them without grabbing on. Picture them like clouds passing through the sky. You don’t need to chase, fix, or finish them. You just need to let them move through.

Pair this with slow, rhythmic breathing (4 seconds in, 6 seconds out) and you’ll send a powerful signal of safety to your body.

4. Cut Caffeine Earlier Than You Think

You might be running on coffee — but it could be wrecking your recovery.

Caffeine has a half-life of 5 to 7 hours, meaning it’s still in your system long after that afternoon or evening coffee. For first responders, the timing is everything.

If you’re working nights, stop caffeine 6 hours before you plan to sleep. If you’re on days, try cutting off by early afternoon.

Stubborn fatigue often isn’t about sleep length — it’s about sleep quality, and caffeine is one of the most overlooked disruptors.

5. Dark, Cold, and Quiet: Your Recovery Cave

Your bedroom should feel like a blackout bunker — not a living room with a pillow.

Here’s how to upgrade your sleep environment:

• Blackout curtains or eye mask

• White noise or fan to drown out external sounds

• Cool room (16–19°C or 60–67°F) for deeper sleep

• No electronics or flashing lights

• No pets in the bed (I said what I said)

Your body needs to feel safe, quiet, and detached from your work world. Build a space that tells your brain: “It’s okay to shut down now.”

Final Thoughts: Your Sleep Isn’t a Luxury, It’s How You Recover

As a first responder, you can’t afford to ignore sleep. Your reaction time, decision-making, mood, weight, metabolism, mental health and long-term health all depend on how you recover between shifts.

No one teaches us how to sleep in this job.
But now you know where to start and that change is 100% possible.

Stay Healthy