“I’m not sleeping at night.”
Difficulty sleeping is a common patient concern in the free community and in the incarcerated population. It is very rare that patients in the jail setting report sleeping well, given the change in sleep environment. Sleep complaints can range from minor to serious. You can help decrease the number of routine sleeping issues in your facility by being prepared.
Make melatonin available on commissary.
Melatonin is a natural sleep aid that is sold at most pharmacies. Just like any other over-the-counter medication, it has specific dosing based on the specific supplement being used. A safe range for most products is 0.2 mg to 5 mg near bedtime. Work with the medical team to evaluate the product you are considering to make sure it is offered in a safe dose and quantity.
Grab a sleep log.
Not sure if the patient is having difficulty sleeping? Officers can use normal overnight rounds to document whether a patient appears to be sleeping or not. This gives objective data that is valuable to the medical team as they approach the patient’s care.
Don’t downplay sleep concerns.
If a patient continues to struggle with sleep after starting melatonin, encourage them to make an appointment with the medical unit. Sleep issues can be a sign of an underlying mental health issue. Just like a patient still experiencing pain after buying a pain reliever from commissary, a patient still having trouble sleeping after melatonin should be referred to medical.
If you would like additional information, please email training@sparktraining.us.
All materials have been prepared for general information purposes only. The information presented should be treated as guidelines, not rules. The information presented is not intended to establish a standard of medical care and is not a substitute for common sense. The information presented is not legal advice, is not to be acted on as such, may not be current, and is subject to change without notice. Each situation should be addressed on a case-by-case basis. WHEN IN DOUBT, SEND THEM OUT. ®