由香农·麦奎德（Shannon McQuaide）
Recently, I had a conversation with Burke Cahill of the Davis (CA) Fire Department. We talked about the impact of sleep deprivation on mental health. Burke has been rehabbing an ACL injury since January and, for the first time in 20 years, has been getting regular sleep. Prior to his injury, we met at his station and talked about yoga and meditation. Within a few months of our initial meeting, Burke sustained his injury. Although I didn’t know him well, I felt concern for him. I had heard stories and read statistics about firefighters who become depressed while rehabbing slow-healing injuries. And, just a few years back, my brother-in-law, Mike, who is a San Jose firefighter was off duty for more than a year, first for a failed hip scope followed by a successful hip replacement. Being off duty for all those months was stressful and put a lot of strain on Mike and his family.
I decided to check in with Burke at least once a month through text, and if he wanted I would offer a few yoga poses to support his rehabilitation. By late spring, Burke texted that he had started Pilates and his body was doing much better. A month later, I asked if he would be interested in joining our e-mail group to receive meditation practices he could do at home and he said “yes!” As I continued to check in with him, I noticed that his texts were sounding more and more upbeat. This is not what I had expected, so I texted, “Burke, what are you doing that is helping you stay so upbeat?” His response, “Sleep is King.”
现在，我明白了。我是一名奥林匹克卧铺，无法想象我的睡眠经常被打断的职业。但是，对您而言，情况并非如此，伯克很快就会按照戴维斯大火的凯利时间表重返，在那里他的睡眠将由呼叫音量决定。当我们通过电话讲话时，我了解了伯克在返回轮班时间表后如何计划保持他的新健康状况。在我们的谈话中，伯克还分享了定期睡眠如何改变了他的健康状况，并改变了他对加班，最大化退休的态度，并发起有关职业消防员心理健康压力的更多坦率对话。
Overtime
制定的预算削减城市戴维斯铺了way for Davis firefighters to work overtime. Burke and his family became conditioned and accustomed to accepting most overtime shifts offered. Annually, this amounted to 75 to 80 extra shifts. His rationale? More overtime meant more money for his family; Burke is married and has two children, 7 and 9 years old. And if Burke made more money for his family, then things would naturally be better, right? It’s not that simple.
戴维斯消防员的工作时间是凯利时间表，据伯克（Burke）称，班次计划是为了恢复而设计的（尽管伯克（Burke）游说了2s＆4s的时间表，但搬到2s＆4s的时间表）。处理所有这些加班时间的变化几乎没有时间恢复。伯克感到极度睡眠被剥夺了。他对妻子和孩子们的气质和烦躁，这破坏了他的健康。他的家人可能有更多的东西，但为了换取疲惫的父亲和丈夫。向前迈进，他计划在强制性的情况下加班，并意识到自己的健康和幸福对他的家人更有价值。
一些额外的生活方式转变以支持睡眠专家建议的高质睡眠，包括在睡觉或将手机放在另一个房间中时将手机放在飞机模式下。手机中断REM睡眠发出的电磁频率（EMF）。另一个建议是不要在睡前看屏幕。手机发出的蓝光会影响您的大脑。许多消防员与我分享了，在了解瑜伽和呼吸工作之前，他们会在夜间通话后跳上手机。在他们不知不觉中，一两个小时就会过去，在他们能够入睡之前，将是凌晨5:00。现在，他们使用正念的呼吸练习来放松自己的身体。即使他们没有立即入睡，他们仍在训练大脑，以便随着时间的流逝更好地睡眠。
退休
Before the injury, Burke had planned to work until he turned 53 and maximize his pension. At 45 years of age, that would mean another 8 years of service instead of the 5 years needed to reach age 50. What he has learned is that the salary he currently earns provides for his families’ needs. Without an opportunity to work overtime, Burke and his family has had to organize their life to make his fixed income work. “I am much more valuable to my family as a happy and healthy person,” Burke has realized. This requires a balanced attitude toward work, rather than the constant striving for more stuff that is a hallmark of our capitalistic culture.
同伴支持
当伯克返回消防站时，第一要务是公开谈论睡眠和心理健康的作用。伯克说：“没有足够的睡眠，直到我40岁才打扰我。”“然后我发现即使在家时也无法入睡。我有时每晚醒来五次。我认为我们需要更多地谈论睡眠不足的身心健康。并改变文化的态度，使小睡。”只有当您整夜接听电话时，您应该在呼叫量较慢时赶上睡眠。睡眠会导致思维，耐力和压力弹性的清晰度。
伯克以坦率。走进一个more official peer support role and promoting quality sleep at Davis Fire will not be a stretch for him. Not too long ago, there was a period of time that lasted for about a year when doctors were entertaining the idea that Burke’s unexplained muscle twitches were related to a neurological disorder. They had suggested he might be suffering from Multiple Sclerosis, Lou Gehrig’s disease, or other complex neurological disorders. It was a dark and anxious time for Burke that he survived by talking openly about the looming diagnosis and what it would mean for his career, his family, and his future. He talked about his depression and the anxiety that accompanied uncertainty. He talked with not only his crew members but also the many firefighter friends he has at other departments. Everyone he talked with thanked him for being open and candid about his experience. It turns out that the unexplained muscle twitches were related to a back injury. And through Pilates exercises that decompress and lengthen the spine, Burke is able to manage his symptoms and pain.
When I asked Burke about his aspiration upon returning to the firehouse, he expressed a desire to expose his department to cold immersion therapy. This is a type of conditioning codified by Wim Hof,雪人。WIM HOF疗法使用冷暴露和呼吸技术来发展力量，承诺以及更高的健康和福祉。他还对瑜伽和正念实践感兴趣，以支持心理健康。最终，他期待重返工作岗位！
Shannon McQuaide是瑜伽联盟的注册瑜伽教练，也是Fireflex瑜伽的创始人TM值程序。Fireflex瑜伽是通过与圣何塞（CA）消防局的合作开发的，她继续领导Fireflex瑜伽课。她是一名经过认证的功能运动教练，并拥有领导力和心理学的艺术硕士学位。shannon@fireflexyoga.comhttp://www.fireflexyoga.com.
