0223 Interactions Between Home, Work, and Sleep Among Full-Time Firefighters

Abstract

Introduction Firefighters endure large occupational burdens (e.g., heat, exposure to toxic fumes, witnessed trauma) and generally operate under conditions of chronic sleep deficiency due to long shifts plus disrupted sleep and circadian disruption due to emergency calls during the night. A typical shift for firefighters is 24-hours on/48-hours off, and firefighters are expected to use time-off to recover from any sleep debt. However, firefighters need to balance that recovery with social/family needs and home maintenance. We conducted focus groups and qualitative analysis of responses to understand how firefighters’ sleep recoverability is affected by occupational burdens and home/family dynamics. Methods Focus groups were conducted via convenience sampling in Portland, Oregon, with full-time firefighters, battalion chiefs, and spouses of firefighters to assess current strategies and coping mechanisms used to manage occupational burdens, home/family obligations, and sleep loss based on their 24-hours on/48-hours off shift schedule. Grounded theory, using NVivo 12 plus, was used to code focus group transcripts to reveal reoccurring concepts that were further grouped into themes. Results Major themes that emerged among firefighters and spouses (n=48) centered on spousal resentment of firefighters, driven by understanding a firefighters’ heroic occupation and need to recover from accumulated sleep loss and shift schedule, but also wanting a partner physically/emotionally present to share home/social responsibilities. While married firefighters discussed choosing family/home obligations over reducing sleep debt to maintain social/family relationships, single and divorced firefighters spoke of fewer conflicts impeding their ability to prioritize sleep at home. Conclusion This study improves our understanding of how work impacts home life in firefighters and can inform future strategies to address work-family conflict and sleep loss concerns, and highlights the importance of managing expectations of time-off to promote a healthier work-life balance. Support Oregon Healthy Workforce Center