UTA study links police fatigue to performance risks

Police understand the importance of sleep—but for many, the nature of the job makes it hard to get enough of it.

A new study from The University of Texas at Arlington, published in Policing: An International Journal, explores how sleep deprivation affects police and their performance on the job.

The interdisciplinary study—led by UT Arlington professors Christine Spadola (social work) and Christi Gullion (criminal justice), along with criminal justice and social work professors from Florida Atlantic University and the University of Missouri-Kansas City—included in-depth interviews with 10 police supervisors and officers from two municipalities and one university campus. Participants shared candid accounts of how sleep deprivation impacts their work and home life.

One officer noted that many public encounters involve citizens who simply want to be “heard,” but a sleep-deprived officer may not have the patience to give them the time they need.

“When you get the proper sleep and you’re not tired or cranky, you’ll give them that extra 10 minutes they need to just explain to you why they did what they did,” the officer said. “You don’t get the proper sleep, you’re a little bit more short with people, and that tends to lead to complaints.”

All 10 supervisors and officers interviewed reported getting seven hours of sleep or less per night, placing them in the sleep-deprived category, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society. The dangers of sleep deprivation are well-documented, especially in high-stakes professions such as policing. Studies have linked inadequate sleep to increased risks of critical incidents, injuries and accidental deaths. By contrast, sufficient sleep improves reaction time, emotional reactivity and overall health.

Dr. Spadola said that police officers tend to be more sleep-deprived than the general public. Previous studies have found that 40% of police officers show symptoms consistent with sleep disorders.

“What stood out to me was that the officers knew sleep was important,” Spadola said. “They’d say, ‘I know I should go to bed at 9 p.m., but how do I shut my mind off?’

“It’s a very interesting study because we really looked into the ‘why’: Why is their sleep poor, and what are some of the barriers they encounter?”

The researchers discovered that the latter range from unpredictable shift work to the mental toll of the job.

As one officer explained: “The mind is just still going after you leave. Could I have handled this call? Should I have sent this? The mind sometimes wants to keep going, even though the body is saying it’s time to go to sleep.”

The study suggests that tailored sleep interventions may help. The supervisors and officers indicated interest in short, relatable, interactive online training programs on improving sleep—preferably led by colleagues with experiences or experts such as Spadola. At the time of the study, none of the officers had received training on proper sleep health or techniques.

“The officers were very interested in learning how to improve their sleep,” Dr. Gullion said. “They asked a lot of questions about how to shut off distractions, stop relying on caffeine and find real tools to sleep better.”

In the end, better sleep for police could result in better police work. It might also help reduce the fatigue and burnout challenges that police agencies are facing nationwide. A recent study found that 53.6% of active officers report experiencing burnout.

“We plan to do a broader study in the near future, but this was a good gauge of where officers were and some initial insights,” Gullion said.

About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)

Celebrating its 130th anniversary in 2025, The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing public research university in the heart of the thriving Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. With a student body of over 41,000, UTA is the second-largest institution in the University of Texas System, offering more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Recognized as a Carnegie R-1 university, UTA stands among the nation’s top 5% of institutions for research activity. UTA and its 280,000 alumni generate an annual economic impact of $28.8 billion for the state. The University has received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and has earned recognition for its focus on student access and success, considered key drivers to economic growth and social progress for North Texas and beyond.