Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Firefighters work some of the most demanding schedules of any profession—long shifts, overnight calls and high-stress situations that don’t always stay at the station. So, it’s no surprise that sleep is a real challenge. But what role does substance use play?
Researchers at the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences tracked 120 firefighters across four Pacific Northwest fire departments, collecting over 2,600 nights of objective sleep data—along with daily reports on alcohol and caffeine use.
Here’s what they found.
Alcohol and sleep formed a vicious cycle. On days when firefighters drank more than usual, they slept less and woke up earlier. But it worked the other way too—a poor night’s sleep predicted up to 33% more drinks the next day. Each reinforcing the other.
Caffeine told a different story. Firefighters who consumed more caffeine tended to sleep slightly better—a surprising finding, the researchers say warrants more investigation.
And smokeless tobacco—used by 8% of participants—was linked to roughly 30 minutes less sleep per night. A meaningful difference with real health implications.
Together, these findings point to clear targets for intervention—especially around alcohol—to help break the cycle and improve sleep health in the fire service.
This research was part of the Shiftwork in Firefighters study, sponsored by the Oregon Healthy Workforce Center and the National Institutes of Health.
Learn more: https://www.ohsu.edu/oregon-institute-occupational-health-sciences/nicole-bowles-lab
Firefighters work some of the most demanding schedules of any profession—long shifts, overnight calls and high-stress situations that don’t always stay at the station. So, it’s no surprise that sleep is a real challenge. But what role does substance use play?
Researchers at the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences tracked 120 firefighters across four Pacific Northwest fire departments, collecting over 2,600 nights of objective sleep data—along with daily reports on alcohol and caffeine use.
Here’s what they found.
Alcohol and sleep formed a vicious cycle. On days when firefighters drank more than usual, they slept less and woke up earlier. But it worked the other way too—a poor night’s sleep predicted up to 33% more drinks the next day. Each reinforcing the other.
Caffeine told a different story. Firefighters who consumed more caffeine tended to sleep slightly better—a surprising finding, the researchers say warrants more investigation.
And smokeless tobacco—used by 8% of participants—was linked to roughly 30 minutes less sleep per night. A meaningful difference with real health implications.
Together, these findings point to clear targets for intervention—especially around alcohol—to help break the cycle and improve sleep health in the fire service.
This research was part of the Shiftwork in Firefighters study, sponsored by the Oregon Healthy Workforce Center and the National Institutes of Health.
Learn more: https://www.ohsu.edu/oregon-institute-occupational-health-sciences/nicole-bowles-lab
