1 Photo
The Psychological Services Group (PSG) hosted a "Balances and Wisdom" seminar on March 21 to promote the theme of this year's psychological wellness promotion, "HERO – Healthy and Resilient Officer".
Assistant Professor of the Department of Psychology at The Education University of Hong Kong Dr Esther Lau was invited to talk about the importance of sleep, the relationship between sleep and resilience, and tips for officers to get a good sleep. The seminar attracted the participation of about 200 Force members and retired officers. Director of Operations Siu Chak-yee, Assistant Commissioner (Personnel) Chan Joon-sun and Chief Superintendent of the Personnel Services and Staff Relations Branch Lau Fung-ha also attended the event.
Dr Lau fully understands the importance of a good sleep to Force members because she used to be a Police Clinical Psychologist. It is noteworthy that one's brain remains active during sleep and it performs important tasks such as memory reorganisation and removing waste during sleep. Therefore, a good sleep improves memory and emotional regulation. Nevertheless, research shows that the sleep quality of policemen is generally poorer than others. For example, policemen tend to sleep less and have difficulty in developing regular sleep patterns due to shift work.
Hence, Dr Lau gave tips for officers to get better sleep, with some of the tips listed in the table below. She suggested specific sleeping hours for officers working in shifts as well as ways to create a sleep-friendly environment. If Force members are interested in learning more about the seminar, please contact the PSG on 2866-6112 to borrow the video or get handouts of the seminar.
Tips for a good sleep
| Do's | Don'ts |
| Go to bed only when you are tired | If you want to sleep after work, avoid caffeinated drinks or alcohol in the second half of the shift. |
| If you cannot fall asleep in 15-20 minutes after lying on bed, get up from the bed. Return to bed only when you feel sleepy. | Avoid using electronic devices before sleep. Do relaxing activities. |
| After you get off from work in the morning, go home and rest as soon as possible. | Avoid activities other than sleep or intimacy on bed |
| If you want to sleep after a night shift, wear sunglasses on the way home. Keep your room dark and quiet. | Do not try too hard to sleep |
