To Sleep, Perchance to Train

Sleep plays a significant role in firearms and law enforcement training, but emerging research suggests its impact is greater than instructors realize. Recruits without adequate rest can struggle during drills and miss vital learning opportunities despite repeated practice.

But sleep isn't a cure-all, according to law enforcement training expert and author Keith Hanson:

"(Sleep) cannot transform poor instruction into good instruction or compensate for a motor pattern that was never adequately encoded. What the literature does support is … that learning continues after practice and that sleep is one of the biological conditions influencing what happens to recently acquired motor memories during that offline period."

Check out Keith's deep dive into how sleep and memory consolidation influence whether critical skills remain available when officers need them on duty.

Other stories this month include:

• The five elements that help leaders build credibility, earn trust and increase their influence.
• How prior experience in firearms training can interfere with performance when a new situation requires a different solution.
• A webinar on maintaining situational awareness and effective coordination during critical incidents.

—Joe Vince
News Editor