COMPREENDENDO O IMPACTO DO TRABALHO POR TURNOS NA QUALIDADE DO SONO DOS POLÍCIAS MUNICIPAIS

Background and Objective: According to the literature, poor sleep quality in the police work has an impact on health, performance and safety of these professionals. The study sought to evaluate the sleep quality and the influence of shift work in a sample of municipal police officers. Method: Exploratory, cross-sectional study, carried out through an online questionnaire, in a convenience sample of (n=50) municipal police officers. Sleep quality was assessed using the PSQI index, by applying the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire. Results: The mean PSQI index was 8,6 ± 3,9, and 78,6% of the respondents had poor sleep quality (PSQI > 5). The number of hours slept was on average 5,2 ± 1,1 hours, below the recommended level, and a significant percentage of respondents (16,7%) took sleep medication at least once a week. The police officers who work shifts had a mean PSQI index tending to be higher than that of colleagues who have a stable daytime schedule, but the difference was not significant (p-value > 0,05). Conclusions: Given the observed poor sleep quality in the sample and the possible relation with shift work, action measures are proposed, in order to promote health and safety of municipal police officers.