Welcome to A Healthy Shift | The Shift Work Podcast, the podcast helping shift workers thrive while changing how organisations think about people working in 24/7 environments.
Hosted by Roger Sutherland, Australia's Night Shift & Sleep Specialist, this is where evidence meets lived experience.
After more than 40 years of working rotating shifts with Victoria Police, followed by years studying nutrition, circadian biology, chrononutrition, sleep, human performance and women's health, Roger is on a mission to challenge the belief that fatigue, poor sleep, burnout and declining health are simply part of working shifts.
Because they don't have to be.
Whether you're a nurse, paramedic, police officer, firefighter, doctor, aged care worker, manufacturing employee, FIFO worker, miner, pilot, flight attendant, truck driver, dispatcher, or anyone working outside the traditional 9-to-5, this podcast will give you practical, evidence-based strategies to help you sleep better, improve your energy, optimise your health and perform at your best.
If you're a leader, manager, People & Culture professional, WHS specialist, or responsible for leading a 24/7 workforce, you'll discover a different way of thinking about shift work—one that focuses on building shift work capability from within through education, leadership and practical systems that create healthier people, stronger teams and higher-performing organisations.
Each episode explores topics including:
• Shift work • Night shift • Sleep after night shift • Circadian rhythm • Fatigue management • Shift worker health • Nutrition for shift workers • Chrononutrition • Recovery and resilience • Women's health and shift work • Leadership in 24/7 organisations • Human performance • Workplace wellbeing • Fatigue risk management • Building healthier, safer and higher-performing workplaces
This isn't another podcast offering generic health tips.
It's a podcast about changing the future of shift work.
Because healthier people create stronger teams.
Stronger teams build better organisations.
And it all starts by understanding how to work with biology, not against it.
Ever wrestled with fatigue due to your shift work schedule and wondered how you could improve your sleep pattern? Brace yourself, as I, Roger Sutherland, a seasoned shift worker and certified nutritionist, throw light on the inner workings of our circadian rhythm and its association with shift work. Not only does he help us to understand the importance of maintaining a regular sleep schedule, but also shares practical strategies to achieve healthier sleep, regardless of your erratic work timings.
Ever thought about the consequences of disrupting your sleep routine on your non-working days? I explain why it's crucial to stick to a consistent sleep schedule even on days off and how light exposure, stimulating activities, and technology can throw off your internal clock. I also helps you understand the significance of a pre-sleep routine, strategic power naps and creating a sleep-friendly environment to combat fatigue and enhance overall sleep quality. Tune in for an enlightening episode filled with actionable tips designed to help shift workers like you get the restful sleep you deserve!
Roger Sutherland is Australia's Night Shift & Sleep Specialist and the founder of A Healthy Shift.
After more than 40 years working rotating shifts with Victoria Police, Roger now helps organisations reduce fatigue risk, improve staff wellbeing and build healthier, safer and higher-performing 24/7 workplaces through evidence-based education, circadian biology and the Shift Work Champions™ Framework.
Disclaimer: Roger Sutherland is not a doctor or a medical professional. Always consult a physician before implementing any strategies mentioned in this podcast. Use of this information is strictly at your own risk. Roger Sutherland will not assume any liability for direct or indirect losses or damages that may result from the use of the information contained in this podcast, including but not limited to economic loss, injury, illness, or death.
How many times have you looked up how do I improve my sleep on shift work ? And one of the first things that comes up is get regular sleep . Who on earth are they kidding ? They have absolutely no idea , do they ? We're shift workers , right ? Well , in today's episode , I will explain what they mean by this and I'll give you strategies that will help with what is probably the biggest issue for shift workers , and that is regular sleep . Shift work can be brutal , but it doesn't have to be .
Speaker 1
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 rig as a shift worker , 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 .
Speaker 1
Welcome to a healthy shift podcast . I am your host , roger Sutherland , and , as always , I get great pleasure in personally welcoming you to this episode of the show and thank you for listening today . What do you mean ? Get regular sleep ? This is such an interesting topic , this one , and it's one that I cop heaps from . I cop it from clients , I cop it from people on my social media , I cop it left , right and center . But you see , I used to be thinking just like you're thinking , and that was you can't get regular sleep as a shift worker . But then I started researching what it was they actually meant by this . Now , this is , without doubt whatsoever , the greatest sabotage that a shift worker undertakes in . So let's talk about it . Yeah , I'm actually going to put it back on you , just a little , not a lot , and by the end of this podcast , you'll probably understand why I'm actually saying what I'm saying .
Speaker 1
Now , whether you're working nights , rotating shifts or irregular schedules , we understand the unique challenges that you face when it comes to maintaining a healthy sleep routine . So let's explore some of the practical strategies to ensure that you get the sleep that you need . All right , so let's get into it Now . Working shift work disrupts your sleep wake cycle . No bullroge , fair income . It makes it difficult to establish a consistent sleep pattern . But why is regular sleep so crucial ? Let's address that . And what does it even mean when you're working non-traditional hours ? And I'm going to break that down . So , the importance of regular sleep this is important and it's important that you understand .
Speaker 1
Sleep is not just closing your eyes and a bit of downtime . It is a serious , fundamental biological need for our body . Now our body relies heavily on sleep to repair tissue , to consolidate memories , to shuffle them in and out of our so-called REM , and it also is to maintain overall physical and not to mention the impact that it has on our mental health as well . Now , consistency in sleep patterns helps to regulate our internal clock , which is known as the circadian rhythm , and this impacts various bodily functions . Now , our circadian rhythm relies on a regular sleep , wake time to perform all the functions that it needs to at exactly the right times , and when that's thrown out of whack , our circadian rhythm gets thrown out of whack , our sleep gets out of whack , we don't sleep , we suffer all over the place , and our body really struggles to cope with what it's trying to achieve at its normal , regular time . Now the challenges of shift work Shift workers often face irregular work hours , including night shifts , early morning shifts , rotating schedules , and this erratic pattern of our shift working life does confuse our body's internal clock . Now this leads to sleep deprivation , fatigue , potential health issues . So how can us shift workers overcome these challenges and achieve regular sleep .
Speaker 1
I say with the fingers doing the quotation marks Well , we get to days off and we self sabotage , we throw our circadian rhythm right out completely and this is why we just feel so . So there you go Now to get some tips for better sleep . All right , before I go on with that , let me just go back . When we get to our days off , we do , as shift workers , have a potential to go . Oh , I'm on a day off , so I'll just stay up late and I don't have to work tomorrow , so you know , I can have a sleep in and I'll catch up with sleep .
Speaker 1
And I want you to have a think about that . And I want you to have a think about how our body relies on this early light , early movement , early nutrient timing every day to reset our circadian rhythm . So if we have a sleep in , what actually happens is we don't get that light until later , we don't get that nutrient timing until later , and we don't get the movement until later . So our body thinks , oh , okay , so we're adjusting to this new time . And then what happens is we then go into an afternoon shift or a day or a night , and it confuses us further . But what we can do is we can actually set ourselves up with a regular sleep pattern , and this is where we , as shift workers , make the biggest mistake that we can possibly make , and that is the way we self-sabotage on those days off and it causes us all sorts of grief .
Speaker 1
Now the tips for better sleep is to prioritise our sleep . We must make it a number one goal every single day and plan right around getting to bed and getting to sleep . Making sleep a priority , just as you were with other important aspects of your life . Recognise that adequate rest is essential for your wellbeing and productivity . The thing that we , as shift workers , must stop is coming home or knocking off at 11 o'clock and coming home and still watching TV or flapping around the house until 2am because I can't wind down . You must address that , because that is honestly one of the biggest problems that you're having . You should have already started a wind down routine on your way home and keeping your light low and starting your sleep routine hygiene , so that when you get home and you're in a good state hot shower , get to bed , sleep you then get the sleep that you need , instead of sitting there watching TV , looking at your phone , blue light exposure , visual stimulation always causing us problems with what we're looking at on those devices . They are actually triggering us , whether you believe it or not . Now , the other thing that I'll say is , when you come home at 11 , 1130 , and then you decide that the most important thing to do is to sit there and watch TV until 2 o'clock in the morning , I want you to ask yourself this question every single time that you're sitting there and you're about to start the next episode of whatever it is you're watching on Netflix , and that is would I set an alarm at 4am to get up and do what I'm doing now ? Because if the answer to that is no , go the f*** to sleep , get to bed and go to sleep . That's what you need to do . It is vital . If you wouldn't set an alarm at 4am to get up and do what you're doing now , then get yourself off to bed , because there's your answer right there .
Speaker 1
Now we also need to keep , we need to create a sleep conducive environment . This is super important . What I would suggest is you stand at the doorway to your bedroom and look into your room . Does it look comfortable ? Is it uncluttered ? Is it clean ? Have you got fresh sheets ? Is it quiet ? Is it a dark space ? Is it somewhere that's going to promote better sleep for us ? Have you invested in blackout curtains , earplugs , or what about a white noise machine to minimise disturbance ? Have you tried a sleep machine ? A white noise machine is enormously beneficial for a shift worker because your ear is trained to focus on that , instead of all the other noises out in the house , like the fridge clicking on and off , which is a problem . Now , that's the first one . Create a sleep conducive environment , room . Cool blackout curtains , earplugs , white noise machine all of those sort of things make a big difference to us .
Now we also need to stick to a sleep schedule . Try to maintain , as much as you can , a consistent sleep schedule Yep , even on your days off , because this will help regulate your body's internal clock and when your clock is in sync with what it's actually seeing , it improves the overall quality of your normal sleep . Now let me just back over that . All right , the more in sync you are with your day and night , the better you will actually feel . The reason why you feel so fatigued and the reason why you feel so out of sorts is because you are so desynchronised from your circadian rhythm , and we need to make sure that we are as much in line with it as we can .
Speaker 1
Now , when we are working a run of afternoon shifts and then we have a day off the next day , we don't sleep in , we get up early . We get up early the next day and we go through the day . We get the early light , we get the early movement , we go through the day and by the time it starts to get dark , we start to feel tired , and that is melatonin . That's our natural circadian rhythm function of bringing melatonin in , which promotes sleep . Now , this is around about 9 o'clock-ish and if you are going to bed , go to bed at 10 o'clock . So what , who cares ? Whatever is on Netflix is going to be there the next day . It doesn't really matter . Keep that in mind . Always try to go to bed within an hour or two of whatever time it is right . So , always so if your regular time to go to bed is around 10 , if you can go to bed at , say , 9pm or 11pm or something like that , around that time as close as you can possibly get it . Remember control the controllables . That's all we want to do . Just control what we can actually control , which will actually set us up and make it so much better for us moving forward , right ? Really , really important .
Speaker 1
Now on to the next thing People that tell me that they can't sleep when they get home you need to look at that again , right ? I've spoken about this . If you're still sitting there at 2am because you say you can't go to bed , you need to establish a relaxing pre-sleep routine that is actually signaling your body that it's time to wind down . You've got to avoid stimulating activities , stimulating light , electronic devices , at least an hour before the bedtime On the drive home , listen to something calming , walk into the house , low light . Shut the door behind you , put your bag away , do whatever you've got to do . Go and have a shower , but all the time you're starting to wind down , but have your shower in the dark . Why would you turn the brightest light in the house on to ? Actually , before you go to bed , have a look at all the behaviors of what you're doing that is actually causing you to not sleep . Do not , to me , use the excuse of oh , it was a bad shift , I was overstimulated . Start your wind down , start learning some practices and I spoke about stress in the last episode and we need to manage our stress if that's the case , so let's start working on that .
Speaker 1
The next thing that you can do if you say that you're tired , like if you've worked over time and I know I'm telling you to still get up at the same time , because we want consistent sleep and wake times use naps strategically for yourself . If you can't get enough sleep during your shifts , as in between your shifts , you can take a strategic nap , which can be enormously beneficial for you . But you've got to keep them short . They can't be any longer than 25 to 30 minutes . A 20 minute nap is ideal . It just refreshes us and gets us on until bedtime and it won't impact on our normal sleep-wake cycle . So try , if you can even shake all the men on your brakes at work , or if you've got up early and you've had a bad run of shifts and you're up early on the day because you're running kids around or you're doing whatever you're doing , shake them in it . Just have a nap in the afternoon 20 minutes , that's all it will take and it won't impact on your sleep cycle . But it may just save your life .
Speaker 1
And you need to have a look at your light exposure . This is the last step Exposure to natural light during your wake hours will actually help to regulate that circadian rhythm . We rely on natural light early in the day to reset our circadian rhythm so that it tells it where it is in time and space . So staying with that natural light is important and this is why I say get sky before screen . This is also why I say get outside and get that movement early , because you're hitting all the Z-Geepers that reset your circadian rhythm . When it's reset , it's in line . You will feel a lot better .
Speaker 1
Now the most important thing is to keep your eyes open To make sure that you're getting natural light exposure . Don't crawl out of bed with no energy , crawl across the floor and land on the couch and turn the TV on . Go outside for 15 or 20 minutes to start off with and make sure that you're getting the light that's really , really important to you . Early daylight means better sleep , full stop . There is no argument there at all . Early daylight gives you sleep .
Speaker 1
Now , remember , achieving a regular sleep as a shift worker can be challenging , but it is not impossible . All you've got to do is prioritise your sleep and implement some of the strategies that I've just spoken about , and don't try and do them all at once . Remember 1% is better 100 days than 100% . For one day you can improve your sleep quality and your overall well-being , and if you've got any other tips or experiences to share in relation to this , reach out . Let me know . We're all in this together . Some people have great strategies , all right . So there you go .
Speaker 1
That's the episode . It's just a quick hitter today , all right , and please remember to be patient and kind to yourself as you navigate the challenges of shift work and prioritise your mental health and well-being . Seek evidence-based assistance to navigate shift work and set yourself up properly according to what the science tells us , not what Jenny at work says . What Jenny does may not be appropriate for you and your situation . I totally understand shift work and all that it brings us , and I've done shift work for 39 years . I can help you .
Speaker 1
So reach out and let's have a conversation and change your shift working life or set you up in your shift working life forever , and you can follow the links in the show notes if you wish to reach out . And , as always , I want to thank you for tuning into a healthy shift . I hope you found this episode helpful and it inspired you in some way , and if you did . Please share it with your fellow shift workers and until next time , keep moving forward and make a healthy shift . 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 .
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