Introduction: Sleep disorders are common among shift workers and those who work under stressful and unpredictable conditions. Sleep quality and its promotion in paramedics are understudied. Objective: The study aimed to investigate the quality of sleep in emergency medical service workers, to compare certain relationships between variables (gender, age, length of experience), and to assess whether a cut-off score of 10 is appropriate for the discriminatory ability of the selected instrument in the Czech clinical setting. Design: A cross-sectional study. Methods: Data were obtained using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The sample comprised 191 paramedics. Data were analyzed using selected statistical methods. Results: The mean PSQI total score was 7.45 (SD 3.60). The lowest scoring component was sleep duration (1.45; SD 1.01). There was no relationship between sleep quality and gender. With respect to age, two components, sleep disturbances and daytime dysfunction, were found to be significant (p < 0.05). Regarding the length of experience, daytime dysfunction was identified as a significant component. The PSQI total parameter with a cut-off of 10 (PSQI total ≤10 good sleep; PSQI total >10 poor sleep) was confirmed to be suitable for discriminating the subjectively perceived sleep quality in paramedics. Conclusion: The study demonstrates that sleep quality is compromised in paramedics. Impaired sleep quality has the greatest impact on daytime dysfunction in paramedics. The PSQI, with a cut-off score of 10, is an appropriate instrument for assessing their sleep disturbances.

Military Unit Ministry of Defense Prostějov

University Hospital Olomouc Department of Respiratory Medicine and Tuberculosis Olomouc

University Hospital Ostrava Internal and Cardiology Clinic Ostrava

University of Ostrava Faculty of Medicine Department of Anaesthesiology Resuscitation and Intensive Care Medicine Department of Nursing and Midwifery Ostrava

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