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.
Have you ever stumbled out of a night shift, feeling like a zombie craving the comfort of your bed, only to realize that the world expects you to be a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed member of society? Buckle up, because I am here to help you navigate that tricky transition. Our final episode in the series is jam-packed with actionable advice on creating a strong sleep hygiene routine, the impact of a well-timed light meal, and the magic of syncing your alarm to your sleep cycles. But that's just the tip of the iceberg; we also explore why stripping your bed could be your secret weapon against oversleeping, the benefits of daylight exposure, and how hydration and caffeine can give you that much-needed post-shift boost.
With this episode, we celebrate the conclusion of our journey through the night and emphasize the importance of maintaining a vibrant community spirit at work. By sharing knowledge and engaging in meaningful discussions, we can uplift each other and ensure that our time on the clock is as enriching as it is demanding. We stress the significance of making your health a top priority, which is vital for thriving in both your career and personal life. If you're ready to transform your shift work experience from enduring to excelling, this episode is your roadmap, and I am your willing guide, with the offer of one-on-one coaching for those eager to take the next step.
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.
Navigating the night shift is , without doubt , the most difficult shift of all . Today , I'm going to bring you part 4 and the final espresso episode of this mini podcast series to help you , the shift worker , with night shift Today . Shift workers , you really do need to pay attention , because this is generally the key to thriving coming after the night shift , we're all about the best way to come out of your last night or night shift today . 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 wellbeing so they have more energy to do the things they love . Enjoy today's show . Welcome to a healthy shift . Greetings shift workers . I'm your host , roger Sutherland , your guide in evidence-based strategies for optimal shift work performance . It goes without saying that I'm actually thrilled that you're listening to this episode , so welcome aboard and strap yourself in , because today I'm going to address how to optimize navigating the most difficult shift of all for most of us , and that is the night shift . And today , in part four and the final of this series , I'm addressing the optimal way to come out of the night shift . Now , so far , we've covered the optimal way to go into night shift in part one . In part two , I cover why it's optimal to fast overnight , and part three was how we navigate between the nights , and today is on how we get out of the night shift efficiently . So we're about to finish up our last night of night shift . So , just like every other day , we get home and we get straight to sleep , following our sleep hygiene route , which we've got well established , right , right , we have , haven't we ? We've got a really , really good sleep hygiene routine , because we are literally going to start working on this as a matter of priority , for the importance that it has .
Speaker 1
Now , what we do on this last day or the last night of night shift , apart from celebrating all the way home because it's done , we go home , we have a light meal of protein and carbs , just like I've spoken about before , something like overnight oats , or or protein and oats , something really light , and then we get into our sleep hygiene , ready for bed , which we've got well established , haven't we ? But this time it's a little bit different , because what we actually do is we set an alarm because we must get up . I'm sorry , but this is the way we come out of the night shift optimally . Now , what we do when we set this alarm is we look at the clock and we set it for three hours , or we set it for four and a half hours . I thought you choose four and a half , and that's absolutely OK , but we don't want to be sleeping any longer than that . Now , the reason why it's three or four and a half hours is because we actually sleep in 90 minute cycles , so it's optimal for us to wake in between these cycles . And it's not a perfect science , obviously , but generally , when we come home from night shift , we bomb out pretty quickly , especially if you've got that good sleep routine going or hygiene , and that's the time that it's best to wake up , and I always set it for four and a half hours .
Speaker 1
Now here is the biggest challenge that you're going to face through this whole night shift , and that is as soon as that alarm goes off . You must get vertical . You personally stand up , get out of bed and stand up . And while you're getting out of bed , grab hold of the sheets and the pillowcases and strip the bed at the same time . Why do we do this ? Because it removes the temptation to get straight back into it , thank you . Not only that , but everybody loves to get back into bed in clean linen , so why wouldn't you just strip the bed ? You've been sleeping in it for the night shift . Your partner's probably been sleeping in it for the other days or whatever , or through the night , you've been in it during the day . It's a good time to clean it up . Plus , everybody sleeps well in clean linen when they go to bed . After you've just done that , so perfect .
Speaker 1
Now the next thing we do dragging the sheets out , and in the same motion , we're going to open the curtains and let daylight in . You will not spontaneously combust , even though you might feel like you're about to , but open the curtains , let that daylight in and let it hit your eyes . Don't close them . Sit on the bed and look out the window and just let that light hit . This is what is going to actually wake you up , believe it or not . This is what is going to suppress that sleep cycle and get you waking up and getting you going . This daylight that you're putting into your eyes right now . This is the first step to resetting your circadian rhythm and getting you back into the real world .
Speaker 1
Now wander into the laundry and put the sheets in the machine and get them washed . Everybody loves those clean sheets . Now , yes , this is a struggle , I understand that , but this is how you optimize . Coming out of night shift , I'm picturing you in your jammies , dragging the sheets along in one hand and the teddy bear in the other one , walking like a zombie . True , yeah , and that's what I expect , and that's literally how I do it . Now go and have a huge drink of water , around about 500 ml , 16 ounces . Do that , and that will just get your system running again .
Speaker 1
So what we've done now is we've hit two of the Z-Gavers , we've hit light and we've actually taken nutrients in . We've taken water in which has stimulated our digestive tract , but gently as well . Now , the best bit Grab yourself a coffee and then go and sit outside or by a window and get that daylight into your eyes . Not a light . Don't go and sit on the couch and put the TV on . Sit outside and get that light in your eyes . Even an overcast day is sufficient blue light to actually hit those sensors in your eyes and we'll start to suppress that sleep and start resetting your circadian rhythm . It's even optimal after this is to take yourself for a gentle walk Now . We don't need to be setting land speed records here . All we need to do is take yourself out for a gentle walk and there it is . That's the third Z-Gaver . So we've got the nutrient timing with the water , we've got the light . Now we've got the movement . We are triggering our body , that we are up and we are awake .
Speaker 1
Now , if you're a person that loves to train like resistance train or do some sort of stress on your body , this is not the day to do that . This is list session day . We've got to burn out those triglycerides Now . The triglycerides are the fat in our bloodstream and what we want to be doing as we're coming out of the night shift . We've got elevated triglycerides and this is one of the things that leaves us feeling very , very ordinary as we come out of the night shift . So let's burn them out . So I spoke in the last episode about a list session . It's literally just getting on a treadmill or a bike and maintaining your heart rate at that 65% of your maximum heart rate and to repeat , it's 220 minus your age equals , and then multiply that figure by 0.65 and that will give you what your 65% is . That is your fat burning zone , and that will burn the fat triglycerides out of your bloodstream and you will feel fantastic . It will make such a difference to you .
Speaker 1
Now this is a great day also to have committed to meet a friend when you know you're going into night shift . On the day you're coming out of night shift , catch up with a friend . Book a day with your friend to catch up with . Even put yourself out of your comfort zone that you've got to go and be outside and take them for a walk . Go for a walk and do something around the river or on the lake or just do something . Even if you go and do something whatever , anything , go and visit friends , but be outside and keep yourself going , because this will keep you going and keep your mind distracted from how tired you actually feel and you'll just Keep going and keep going . Well , this is not the day that we flop on the couch and watch TV . It's not going to help you in any way whatsoever . Keep moving , get up , get outside . Sitting inside in the darkness actually is not helping you in any way whatsoever . Alright , so that's what we want to do .
Speaker 1
Now , the other thing that we do do and we make sure that we do is we have lunch at lunchtime and we have dinner at dinnertime . We don't have lunch at 3 o'clock in the afternoon and dinner at 9 o'clock at night . What we want to do is we want to try and reset this circadian rhythm . So we're going to have lunch at lunchtime , 12 o'clock , 1 o'clock . We're going to have dinner at dinnertime , 6 o'clock , 7 o'clock , whatever's normal . But this is assisting us in resetting our circadian rhythm again . Now what we want to try and do is we need to try and stay awake until around about 10 pm . Now go to bed in those lovely clean sheets that you've done See , future , you is thanking past you for actually putting those sheets in the washing machine and getting them done , so , following your well-rehearsed sleep hygiene and then sleep overnight .
Speaker 1
Now what happens when you wake ? Because it's common for a shift worker to wake up in the middle of the night after they've been doing a few nights of night shifts . So what do we do ? It's important to know that you will go back to sleep . The most important thing is you must not get any light or any movement . What it is that's happened is , when you've gone to sleep , you've actually flushed the sleep pressure out , so you've actually released the sleep pressure and now you're in a position where your circadian rhythm hasn't caught up with you to keep you to sleep .
Speaker 1
But if you just lay there and you can do a body scan meditation and there's an episode on my podcast , it's Just the Body Scan Meditation by Hannah Sayle , who did that for us Learn how to do that without looking at your phone to turn it on it's imperative that you don't get any light at this particular point in time . Now , when I say light , don't turn on a light , don't look at your phone . You don't want even any moonlight coming in . This is where we wear a sleep mask and if you wake , you just lay there , you do some control breathing and you do a body scan meditation and you will go back to sleep . The time that we don't go back to sleep is when we go oh , I can't sleep . Get up , look at the phone , have a scroll . Oh , I've got to go to the bathroom . Go to the bathroom , come back , look at the phone oh , I can't sleep . Toss turn , toss , turn , toss , turn . Have a think about what you're doing . You're actually stimulating everything with your those Z-Gibbers , your movement , the light . You've got up and you've gone to the bathroom . You've come back and you're tossing and turning . You're probably hot and in bed , all right . All of those things are keeping you awake . So you just need to lie there as quietly and as still as you possibly can and your body will , the skating rhythm will catch up and you'll go back to sleep , all right .
So what do we do the next day ? Well , what we do the next day is when we wake up , anytime from six o'clock onwards . We get up , we get that early light and , once again , another good day to do another early movement or a list session or something like that . So for a walk or jump on the bike or the treadmill and do another list session and we eat at normal times again . The only time we nap , if we must , and it's only for up to 30 minutes , just enough time to release that sleep pressure , because if you nap for up to 30 minutes it doesn't impact on your subsequent sleep we must do this early in the hour . You can't do this late afternoon , four or five o'clock , otherwise you're going to have massive problems going back to sleep or staying asleep overnight . And the other thing , then that's what I would say about how you would come out of night shift , and that's the optimal way . Now , those four episodes that I've just done of going into the overnight fast , going through and coming out of , is what I've done overnight shift forever , probably more so for the last 10 years , and I've absolutely thrived doing literally that way , because it makes such a difference to us .
Speaker 1
Now I also get questions from people that ask me that should they stay awake all day ? My argument to that would be absolutely not , and the reason why I would say not is because your body is doing everything it possibly can to try and force you to sleep . So if you drive or you're doing something , you have the potential to have a micro nap where you could be injured or you could injure somebody or something along those lines . Now if you're just home and you're sitting on the couch , if you're staying awake all day , what's going to happen ? You're going to nod off and you're going to fall asleep , and that's going to ruin everything . So get yourself up and out and try and find things to do , but I would certainly be having at least some sleep to release that sleep pressure .
Speaker 1
It is incredibly unhealthy to stay awake all day . Your body needs to sleep because that's when it performs that detoxification , it's when the human growth hormones release and a whole heap of functionality that happens in the body , that it happens while you're sleeping . So to stay awake for 24 hours is actually extremely unhealthy . And the other thing we don't stay up late when we're coming out on night shift as well , because all you're doing is you're adding another problem , another night of circadian disruption into your system . Alright , so one point that I do want to make now that you've got this far going through night shift , like for your sleeps between nights , and also coming out of the night shift for the nights that you're trying to get back into rhythm , these are both good times for you to use melatonin .
Speaker 1
Now , these are probably the only times , and the recommended times , that you would use melatonin to help you to sleep and use that natural hormone , even though it's synthetic in a melatonin , but you're using a hormone , that's what it is . But you don't just go and get anyone off the shelf or off IHerb or somewhere like that , because the efficacy of those is appalling , but get it prescribed by your doctor . So it's a pharmaceutical grade and it's been tested for efficacy , and all you need is one to two milligrams . That's all it takes . Don't go hunting around and go oh , I found 10 milligrams . Or sleep forever because melatonin literally only puts you to sleep . It doesn't keep you asleep , alright , so you need the melatonin . It's not a sleeping tablet and on sleeping tablets , we don't use sleeping tablets between nights either . We don't use sleeping tablets unless we absolutely are prescribed and have to . Alright , because you're not sleeping . You're unconscious . Alright .
Speaker 1
Now , I know you struggle with your shift work , but that's why you're listening for that magic tip . Remember this advice that I'm giving you in these four episodes of this podcast is actually generic and it's not unique to your situation . Now , I started this podcast and my business because I totally understand and relate to the 24-7 shift work environment . I know what it feels like to be in it because I've done it for almost four decades . I'm an evidence based nutritionist so I can read research and apply what the research tells us in a legitimate and workable way to a live environment . From experience Now I coach shift workers one to one with this and I do it with great success and I can help you by looking at your home life , your work life and your social life and I will analyze all of that and we will navigate the best possible way to actually optimize your life around . Your shift work In the show notes is a link to my one to one coaching and I would absolutely love to help you to thrive , not just survive , and doesn't everybody want more energy to do the things that we love outside of our shift working life ? Of course you do so . Book a free discovery call today and let's see if we are a good fit for coaching , and there's a link in the show notes , or you can go to a healthyshiftcom
Now that's a wrap for today's episode and it's also an end of this four part series . I sincerely hope you've really enjoyed it , because I've really enjoyed breaking it down into these four steps and I think it's really valuable and they're at a short length which is just enough for a commute . I ask that if you got any benefit out of these four episodes or any of the podcast or the podcast just in general , please take the time to rate and review the show , or even if you just give it a five star rating . I cannot begin to tell you just how much it helps . It really does help the show enormously and helps to put us on on the on the on the charts . It's not about getting to the number one , it's about more people finding evidence based information and assisting more and more shift workers . So please share the podcast with your colleagues .
Speaker 1
And what happens is the more people that are optimizing , going into , going through , coming out of the night shift the most difficult shift of them all then the better your workplace morale is , the better it is , and everybody's got a really good common conversation to have .
Speaker 1
And I want you to remember , shift workers , your health , and in particularly your mental health , is a non negotiable . It's the foundation that allows you to excel in your career and enjoy life beyond the actual workplace . Remember this is about having more energy to do the things that you love outside of your shift work . By taking these evidence based steps , you won't just be surviving , you'll be thriving . Keep pushing forward and remember I , roger , I'm here to support you every step of the way . So stay committed to nourishing your body and prioritizing your actual well-being and , as always , please remember to be patient and kind to yourself as you navigate the challenges of shift work and prioritize your mental health and well-being . If you want to know more about me or work with me , you can go to a healthy shift dot com . I'll catch you on the next one .
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