Association of Sleep Quality With Cardiovascular Disease Risk and Mental Health in Law Enforcement Officers

The aim of the study was to determine whether sleep quality is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) or worsened mental health.

Self-reported sleep quality, 35 inflammatory factors, CVD risk factors, personal stress, police operational and organizational stress, social support, depressive symptoms, and health-related quality of life were compared among a cohort of officers.

Of 379 officers, 39% and 27% had poor and borderline sleep quality. Sleep quality was not associated with either an altered inflammatory profile or worsened CVD risk factors. Compared with good sleepers, borderline and poor sleepers reported increased personal stress, police organizational and operational stress, and depressive symptoms, but decreased health-related quality of life.

Poor sleep quality is prevalent in the law enforcement profession and is associated with worsened mental health but not with an increased risk for CVD.