They show up every day.
To comfort a mother who’s fled in the night.
To soothe a child who hasn’t slept in days.
To hold space, make calls, file reports, cook meals, and stay calm through it all.
But who’s holding space for them?
The reality is stark: in our surveys, 72% of shelter staff report experiencing sleep issues or chronic sleep deprivation. And it shows—not in a lack of dedication, but in rising exhaustion, emotional strain, and the creeping edge of burnout.
Poor sleep doesn’t just affect families in crisis. It impacts the very people trying to help them heal.
What the Research Reveals
Frontline workers in domestic and family violence shelters are under immense, sustained pressure. Vicarious trauma is widely acknowledged, but what’s less discussed is how it collides with sleep loss to create a dangerous cycle.
Studies show that:
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Sleep deprivation undermines emotional regulation and decision-making. Even in healthy adults, chronic poor sleep impairs attention, working memory, and cognitive flexibility—skills essential for emotionally demanding work (Alhaj et al., 2025).
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Emotional exhaustion, stress, and burnout are often linked to disrupted sleep. When support workers carry the weight of others’ trauma, they frequently experience sleep difficulties as a symptom of vicarious trauma and secondary stress (Sarionder-Kreinath, 2019; Virginia Department of Social Services, 2015).
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Impaired sleep amplifies the effects of daily stress and reduces the brain’s ability to recover from emotional overload, particularly in roles that require empathy and responsiveness (Vandekerckhove & Wang, 2018).
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Burnout is now recognized as one of the top threats to workforce sustainability in care-based professions (Maslach & Leiter, 2016).
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Resilience can be actively supported through community care and reflection. Support worker solidarity and shared understanding can reduce the isolating effects of trauma exposure (Eades, 2019).
When support workers don’t sleep well, everyone pays the price.
Why We Prioritise Staff Sleep Too
We believe trauma-informed care must include those delivering it.
That’s why a core part of our shelter training is designed specifically to support staff in recovering their own sleep, gently and practically.
We help staff:
• Understand how chronic stress disrupts sleep—and how to reset their nervous system.
• Learn simple, evidence-informed techniques to wind down after emotionally intense shifts.
• Restore and maintain quality sleep over time, for their own vitality and longevity.
• Integrate micro-restorative moments into their schedule (even while on shift).
• Bring sleep care into workplace culture, so they feel supported consistently, not just occasionally.
When staff begin to sleep better, everything improves.
They feel calmer. They think more clearly. They connect more easily with the people they support. And they feel genuinely resourced to do the work they’re devoted to.
The Ripple Effect: Co-Regulation and Organisational Health
When staff are internally resourced, with the energy, clarity, and steadiness that sufficient sleep brings—they naturally embody a state of regulation that shapes the entire care environment.
Residents, often in heightened states of stress or trauma, co-regulate in the presence of calm, grounded staff. This subtle yet powerful dynamic fosters emotional safety and trust—the conditions that support healing.
And the benefits extend beyond the interpersonal. Shelters that support staff wellbeing often experience:
• Reduced burnout and turnover.
• Stronger team cohesion and morale.
• A more consistent, stable, and nurturing space for those they serve.
By prioritising staff sleep, shelters don’t just protect their workforce—they improve outcomes for everyone.
Why this matters
While physical safety is critical, emotional presence is what transforms a shelter into a sanctuary.
When a woman and child arrive in crisis, the people who greet them make a huge difference.
Are they calm? Grounded? Rested enough to hold that moment with presence and care?
Or are they running on empty?
Too often, frontline workers are expected to carry more than they have capacity for.
Sleep care can change this.
By helping staff restore their own sleep and nervous system regulation, we empower them to offer the kind of care that creates real, lasting impact—for others, and for themselves.
Because recovery doesn’t just belong to those who’ve lived through trauma.
It belongs to those who walk beside them.
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References
1. Alhaj, H., McLellan, Q., Chan, A. Y., & Wong, J. M. (2025). The impact of sleep deprivation on cognitive function in healthy adults: A systematic review. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 19, Article 1559969. Read the study
2. Eades, E. (2019). Building vicarious resilience through community: Service worker solidarity with clients and co-workers. Australian Psychological Society. Read the article
3. Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2016). Understanding the burnout experience: Recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World Psychiatry, 15(2), 103–111. Read the study
4. Safe and Equal. (n.d.). Vicarious trauma and burnout. Read the report
5. Sarionder-Kreinath, C. (2019). Secondary traumatic stress in domestic violence shelter workers (Master’s thesis, Wichita State University). Read the thesis
6. Vandekerckhove, M., & Wang, Y. (2018). Emotion, emotion regulation and sleep: An intimate relationship. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 43, 1–9. Read the study
7. Virginia Department of Social Services. (2015). Vicarious trauma in the human services workforce: Focus group report. Read the report