EMS1 published an article yesterday, “How to protect sleep-deprived EMS personnel,” in which the main point is the danger of driving home while sleep deprived.
Sleep is also essential for processing traumatic incidents. REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is when our brains put them to rest. Anything that interferes – lack of sleep, alcohol, some medications, sleep apnea – makes it harder to process the day’s emotions. Poor sleep sets you up for post-traumatic stress disorder.