Improving Sleep for Shift Workers

Speaker 1 0:00

Without doubt , the most common question that I get is always around sleep . Whenever I put a Q&A up on my social media , people always come to me with sleep , and shift workers have massive sleep problems . In today's episode , i'm going to have a look at why and how we end up with just so many sleep problems and what it is that we can do about it . Shift work can be brutal , but it doesn't have to be . Welcome to a healthy shift . My name is Roger Sutherland , certified Nutritionist , veteran Law Enforcement Officer and 24-7 shift worker for almost four decades . Through this podcast , i aim to educate shift workers , using evidence-based methods , to not only survive the rigors of shift work but thrive . My goal is to empower shift workers to improve their health and well-being so they have more energy to do the things they love . Enjoy today's show And , with a heartfelt welcome , i welcome you to today's episode of a Healthy Shift podcast , the podcast that I bring you that focuses on helping shift workers to achieve optimal health and well-being .

Speaker 1 1:22

Now I'm doing my best to educate shift workers to thrive and not just survive . I'm your host , roger Sutherland , and in today's episode , i'm going to delve into the ways that shift workers unintentionally sabotage their sleep and the significant impact it has on their well-being . I'll also explore strategies to overcome these challenges , but before we begin , let's take a moment to understand why sleep is so vital for shift workers . Now , sleep plays a crucial role in maintaining not only our physical , but also our mental health . Unfortunately , many shift workers struggle with obtaining adequate and restorative sleep due to various self-sabotaging behaviors . That's right , i said it . They are self-sabotaging behaviors . But it's not your fault . You've not been educated around how to go about doing shift work . Have you Put your hand up ? Nobody has , and I'm here to try and educate people on the best way to go about doing this . So let's explore some of the ways that shift workers are inadvertently sabotaging their sleep and the consequences that this has on your well-being .

Speaker 1 2:41

Number one inconsistent sleep patterns . Now , irregular work schedules often lead to inconsistent sleep patterns , and shift workers find themselves constantly switching between day , night , afternoon and all of the different shifts that you can possibly think of . That completely make it so difficult for our bodies to establish a regular sleep routine . It's all well and good to say get regular sleep , when our shift pattern just doesn't allow it , and this inconsistency disrupts the body's natural circadian rhythm , which affects the quality as well as the quantity of the sleep obtained . But one of the biggest problems that we have as shift workers is we don't just do this during shifts , we self sabotage outside of that as well .

Speaker 1 3:35

Now have a think about it , and I want you to be truthful to yourself as well here . How many times are you got a few days off and you think beauty , i don't have to work , so I can have a late night ? And so you sit there watching one episode after another of your favorite show on Netflix ? I've got some news for you Netflix is still going to be there the next day , and it's going to be there the day after that as well , and I always have a policy If you wouldn't set an alarm to get up and watch it at 4.30am , go the hell to bed , all right , because that is going to be far more beneficial and much more important to you .

Speaker 1 4:15

We do this often . We flop home and we think , oh , i've had a bad shift , i'm just going to sit on the couch and I'm just going to watch a few episodes of TV . Then it's one , then it's two , then all of a sudden , it's 1.30 in the morning and then we're going to sleep and then I don't sleep very well , and , yeah , that's a whole other matter as well , but you're doing that as a self-subotaging practice . Another thing that we don't do and we don't do it well is a complete lack of wind down time . We finish a really demanding shift and in frontline health and also in emergency services in particular , they are under enormous pressure at the moment And many shift workers are actually finding it extremely challenging to wind down and transition to sleep mode And what they do and put your hand up again .

Speaker 1 5:08

We engage in stimulating activities or we use electronic devices . Now , these electronic devices , evidence is showing that it's not so much the blue light , it's what we're actually absorbing from it . We're looking at what messages from Karen Karen's having huge issues in her relationship and we're trying to sort those out . We're also looking at social media and these people that , these fits , those that we're looking at with these amazing bodies , and we just feel more depressed around it . We're also looking at social media , different social medias . We go from one to the next and these platforms are extremely clever in that they continually refresh . So what is actually happening is we're getting new content to look at all the time , and when you start looking at a particular train of thought , as in Fitzbowell or whatever it is , dieting or , etc . Etc .

Speaker 1 6:05

Of course , the algorithm will continually feed you exactly the same thing over and over and over again , and this doesn't help . How many times have you checked your work emails after hours , and then it's only ever going to end in tears ? How often do you get an email from work which is fantastic news ? Not that often , is it ? So keep that in mind . It's the content that you're actually absorbing from your phone .

Speaker 1 6:34

Now , the other problem that we do have is we further delay our sleep onset , and we do this by , as I said , before , coming home from work . We haven't gone through any wind down routine at all . We have something to eat , we sit on the couch , we start watching TV and we're not actually going through any process . And the lack of this dedicated wind down time that we should be allocating to ourselves We're allocating to ourselves before bed is negatively impacting on our sleep quality . And let me explain to you why . In one way , when we're watching TV , we're absorbing what's actually going on on the TV And , as much as you might think , oh , it's just mind-numbing , we're still absorbing it , we're still looking at it . We're still thinking about it , and I know that successful people who sleep really well are the type of people who take part in activities such as journaling , meditation . They have a wind down routine . They leave work , they put on calming music . They're not the sort of people that are going to be putting on their heavy metal or doof doof music on the way home . They're actually literally starting that wind down routine And we go into the house and what we do is we keep the lights on low .

Shift Workers

Speaker 1 7:56

How many of you go into the bathroom or the en suite and turn the light on to clean your teeth or have a shower before you go to bed ? Now , why would you do that ? Have a think about it . You are turning the brightest light on in the house before you're trying to wind down , to go to sleep . It doesn't make sense , does it We ? it's something that we don't think of , but it's something that I talk about in my health and wellbeing seminars , that I do , that we all do that . We actually walk into the brightest room in the house to clean our teeth , put our face creams on , take our face off , do whatever we're doing , but we turn the light on . Try , without the light on . Leave the light on outside of that room , do whatever you can , but keep the lights low , and try and keep those lights low for the entire time until you get yourself actually into bed .

Speaker 1 8:53

Talking about into bed , let's have a look at our sleep environment . As another point , what I want you to do next time is I want you to stand in the doorway to your bedroom and I want you to have a look into your bedroom . Is it clean ? Is it clear ? Is it a place that you stand at the door and you look at , other than when you're chronically fatigued ? but is it a place that you look at and you go oh , my God , i just love getting into bed there .

Speaker 1 9:21

90% of the time , the answer to that is going to be I don't know , it's cluttered , it's messy . You've got clothes on the floor . Clean it up Cluttered . Mine is a busy mine . Clean your room up .

Speaker 1 9:33

And actually , you know , shift workers often overlook the importance of creating a really sleek , conducive environment . We do . We just say , oh , i'm a shift worker so I'll just put up with it . You know we have all sorts of factors , such as excessive noise , uncomfortable bedding . When was the last time you actually changed the mattress and laid on a really good mattress ? Have you got a really nice dooner on your bed ? Are your sheets comfortable ? Is your pillow a comfortable pillow ? Have you really got a good pillow ? Have a think about it . These things all disrupt sleep . Have you got a sleep mask ? Do you wear earbuds ? All of them Failing to optimise your sleep environment literally is contributing to restless nights and also a decreased sleep quality . We really really do need to be thinking about that .

Speaker 1 10:26

Poor sleep hygiene . Shift workers will engage in habits that negatively affect their sleep hygiene , and this can include aloe , caffeine or energy drinks to stay alert during shifts . Now I want you to go back and have a think about my last episode that I did , which was all around the latest research on caffeine . Now , when we get poor sleep , what do we do ? One thing that we do is we drink more caffeine And we end up in this ever-revolving cycle of poor sleep . More caffeine , which leads to poor sleep , more caffeine , which leads to poor sleep , and we end up in this vortex where we can't sleep under any circumstances at all . You have to break into that cycle Now .

Speaker 1 11:12

Poor sleep leaves clues . You tend to find that those clues If you track back . A lot of them , i can assure you , are our wine down routine , our caffeine intake , we have alcohol before we go to bed , we eat a heavy meal , or we have something to eat before we go to bed Highly processed , sugary . These things all contribute really heavily on our sleep and disrupt our sleep patterns . This really does hinder our body's ability to achieve deep and restorative sleep , and this deep and restorative sleep is vital to our physical and mental health . Alright , so now that we understand how shift workers inadvertently are sabotaging their sleep without you know , if you look back and you think about it , it's essential to explore the impact it has on your overall well-being . So let's take a look at some of the consequences so that you can make an informed decision .

Speaker 1 12:17

Poor sleep increases the risk of chronic health issues . Chronic sleep deprivation , resulting from either inconsistent or poor quality sleep patterns , can lead to a higher risk of developing numerous health issues . This includes cardiovascular problems , obesity , diabetes , poor mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression , and it even leads to cancers . So we have to be really , really vigilant when it comes to our sleep . It also impacts greatly on our cognitive function . Inadequate sleep negatively affects cognitive function , which includes our memory , our attention , decision making and problem-solving abilities . Try making a decision when you're tired . Yeah , i thought so , and shift workers may experience difficulty even concentrating during your shift .

Speaker 1 13:16

Now , a lot of people are making life and death decisions . We've got paramedics out there that are looking after people who are sick and injured and craving their attention in relation to getting them to hospital , and they're chronically fatigued . We've got firefighters out there that are actually supposed to be firefighting when they're tired . Oh wait , hang on , firefighters . I said firefighters , but generally they're sleeping , so they're getting plenty . Ignore that . We'll rewind that last comment . Don't worry about that one there . Love you fireies . Anyway , then we've got our police out there . Police are out there wearing firearms . They've got radios , they've got battens , they've got tasers , they've got spray . All of those things are all uses of force , and we're out there , chronically fatigued , in charge of these weapons making decisions . Have a think about that as well . It's really not very , very good . And doctors , nurses you're out there administering drugs or making life and death decisions for people as well , and you're chronically fatigued . We need to be prioritising our sleep Now . Shift workers may experience difficulty concentrating during your shifts , which increases these errors , and a lot of the major incidents that occur are recurring at around about three or four o'clock in the morning , and research is actually quite clear in showing that this is actually when a lot of accidents happen , between three and four in the morning . All right , so let's move on .

Speaker 1 15:44

Emotional well-being . Lack of sufficient sleep can significantly impact on our own emotional well-being . Shift workers can experience chronic mood swings , irritability and increased stress levels . Prolonged sleep deprivation can even contribute to the development of actual mood disorders and also emotional instability . That goes without saying . Poor sleep leads to a really poor emotional well-being And safety concerns . I spoke about that . But sleep deprivation compromises the alertness and vigilance necessary for safety , and this is especially in occupations that involve operating like heavy machinery driving . Fatigue-related accidents are more likely to occur among shift workers who consistently experience inadequate sleep .

Speaker 1 16:40

Now , poor sleep , also , as a key , sees an elevation in our hunger hormone , ghrelin . Now , ghrelin is our hormone that's secreted from the stomach , and this causes us to search for highly palatable carbohydrates and fats for energy . Have a think about it . When you've not had the sleep and you're feeling really , really tired , have a think about how hungry you are and what sort of foods are you reaching . You can't be bothered cooking . You're too tired . You can't be bothered searching for nutritional food Too tired , can't be bothered doing anything , just too tired . So you end up just reaching for whatever you can find in the cupboard Biscuits , chocolates , chips , lollies , whatever You'll use anything and it's highly palatable carbs and fats And with a disrupted circadian rhythm . This is what's causing us to gain weight .

Speaker 1 17:35

There's one thing , and caffeine . I spoke about it in the last one , but I'll just touch on it briefly again . When we have poor sleep , we reach for caffeine . We seem to think that the caffeine is going to be the solution for us , but unfortunately , caffeine is now showing that when we reach for it , it's actually impacting on our subsequent sleep . And we're talking that caramel latte or that latte that you have in the morning nine hours later and it's still impacting on our sleep . We need to be extremely careful with our caffeine intake . But not only do we have to think about our lattes , but we also have to be thinking about our energy drinks . Who's sitting there drinking a red ball or a monster while you're listening to this ? That's another problem as well . High caffeine energy drinks We've got to be really careful . Chocolate It's got caffeine in it as well . We have to be super careful of all of the products that actually have them All right .

Speaker 1 18:33

Now that we've explored the ways that shift workers sabotage their sleep and the impact it has on their well-being , let's discuss some strategies to overcome these challenges , and implementing these practices can actually significantly improve sleep quality and our overall well-being . So we've taught the doom and gloom . Let's work out what we can do . Number one consistency and routine . We seriously need to work as hard as we can on consistency and routine , and I've spoken about this a number of times . What we really need to be doing is we really need to be trying to get to bed and getting up at pretty much the same time every day .

Speaker 1 19:13

But , rog , i work afternoon shift , then a day shift or whatever . I totally get that , and that isn't not a controllable . When you're doing a late early or you are on a quick change or whatever you want to call it in your own industry , one of the things is that's uncontrollable . But are we actually controlling it when we can control it ? There's the question for you . Are you being truthful to yourself as to oh yeah , i can actually control it here , or are we just going ? I don't have to work tomorrow so I'm going to start late tonight . I'm telling you now you cannot do that to yourself , and if you are a person that says , oh , i'm just going to sleep in in the morning , just add yourself another cross to the calendar , because what you're doing is you're actually disrupting your circadian rhythm . Again , i want to be quite clear . You cannot catch up on sleep . All right . The more you sleep in , the more you disrupt that circadian rhythm .

Speaker 1 20:10

What you need to do is stay in sync as closest to sync as you possibly can , and we need to establish a consistent sleep schedule , even on our days off . We need to regulate our body's internal clock So I'm to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day , allowing for a sufficient duration of sleep . We really do need to make it a priority Our wind down ritual . We need to prioritise our wind down time before bed , which actually signals to our body that it's time to sleep . If we engage in a relaxing activity , such as reading , taking a warm bath or practising mindful exercises such as journaling or meditation , avoid stimulating activities like don't go and do a workout when you're on an afternoon shift before you go to bed . You're stimulating your central nervous system and it's going to make it much more difficult for you to actually sleep . And our electronic devices ? please put them away for at least an hour before . It's not so much the blue light , it's literally what you're looking at on the device that's causing you the problem . We need to optimise our sleep environment .

Speaker 1 21:24

Create yourself a sleep-friendly environment by making your bedroom dark . You need to make it quiet and you need to have it cool . Invest in blackout curtains . Actually , you can get blackout film that you just stick onto your window . Go with those , really really good . Get earplugs , something that's comfortable . And I'll give you another tip as well A white noise machine actually minimises the disruptions .

Speaker 1 21:52

Now this is really important . I was talking to a client about this during the week who's discovered the white noise machine and is finding the white noise machine enormously beneficial . When it's dead quiet in your house , the slightest noise , even the fridge kicking in and out , can actually wake you up . If you use a white noise machine , you can actually find that that white noise machine will literally become the focus of your brain , not so much all the independent noise that's going on , so any sudden noises or anything like that . It won't disturb you , so give that a go as well . A white noise machine . And the other thing is please make sure that you've got an updated mattress . You're a shift worker , you're on decent money , you've been able to work Majority of you have been able to work over the last few years when a lot of people haven't Treat yourself . Get yourself a nice new mattress and pillows which is going to provide you with really good comfort and support for while you sleep .

Speaker 1 22:57

Now the last . We need to practice a good sleep hygiene . It's really important that we avoid caffeine . We avoid nicotine and heavy meals that are close to bedtime . We need to incorporate regular exercise early into our day , but we need to . If we have to exercise late , we need to exercise at the minimum , probably two to three hours before we're going to bed , And if you can't do that , then the best exercise that you can possibly do is to go to bed . That's going to be your best exercise And establish a calming pre-sleep routine and maintain a comfortable temperature in your bedroom , and that will make an enormous difference .

Speaker 1 23:45

All right , so let's wrap it all up and conclude today's episode . I hope you gained some valuable insights into how you , as the shift worker unintentionally sabotage your own sleep . Poor sleep leaves clues , and if you start working your way back into the areas where your sleep is getting destroyed by these known factors , don't blame and say I'm just a poor sleeper , because I can assure you , if you create the environment , your body will take care of the rest , and that's Corning Tom Coleman's famous phrase , which is very , very good . So if you implement these strategies to overcome these challenges , you can actually take control of your sleep , and by taking control of your sleep , i can assure you that you will actually improve your overall quality of life . So there you go .

Speaker 1 24:44

So thanks for joining me on this podcast . If you got any benefit out of the podcast , i beg you , if you could please give the podcast the rating And if you've got a few little extra minute or whatever , just give it a review . I really , really appreciate it And it really does make sure that we hit people who , if you write a review people that are looking for new podcasts will see what you've written about the podcast when they're making a decision , just like you did . All right , so thanks for that , thanks for listening , and I will catch you on the next one . Thank you for listening . If you enjoyed this episode , be sure to subscribe so you get notified whenever a new episode is released . It would also be ever so helpful if you could leave a rating and review on the app you're currently listening on . If you want to know more about me or work with me , you can go to Ahealthyshiftcom . I'll catch you on the next one .