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 wondered how a simple nap could revolutionize your work life? As a veteran law enforcement officer and certified nutritionist, I've discovered the transformative power of a well-timed nap. In this episode of A Healthy Shift, I unpack the science behind why a brief 20 to 30-minute nap can sharpen your alertness, boost your cognitive performance, and elevate your mood without leaving you feeling groggy. I’ll share practical tips on how to seamlessly integrate napping into your shift work routine, from finding the perfect quiet spot to using eye masks and noise-canceling headphones.
But enhancing your shift work life doesn't stop at napping. I also highlight the importance of revisiting our previous episodes brimming with tips and strategies to help you stay healthy and mentally sharp. Our website and social media channels are treasure troves of information designed specifically for shift workers like you. Don't miss out on subscribing to stay updated on new episodes and join a community that’s committed to transforming the lives of shift workers. Make sure to rate and review the podcast to help us spread the word, and discover how you can work with me directly for a more personalized approach to thriving in your unique work schedule. Tune in and take the first step toward mastering your shift work life!
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.
Hello and welcome back to A Healthy Shift , the podcast where I bring you strategies , as shift workers , to thrive and not just survive . I'm your host , roger Sutherland , and today we're going to be talking about a topic that is often overlooked , but , oh my God , are they incredibly beneficial , and that is napping napping . 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 rigours 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 and welcome to today's show .
Speaker 1
Now let's just get this on the table . To start off with , napping is not just for toddlers or for the elderly . For us shift workers , a well-timed nap can be an absolute game changer for our health , our productivity and , more importantly , just our overall well-being . So today I want to look into the benefits of napping and how you can incorporate it into your routine to literally enhance your shift work experience . So , first off , what I want to address . To start off with is let's talk about the science behind napping . Now , numerous studies have shown that even a short nap can improve your alertness , your cognitive performance as well as your mood . Now , for shift workers who often and I mean often battle a regular sleep due to our patterns of rostering and chronic fatigue , a nap can provide a much needed boost to get through those long and demanding hours . Now , what does the research tell us about napping ? And this is where majority of people go wrong , and this is why people don't nap , because they think , oh , I'm gonna feel so much worse . I hate that feeling , and this is why you're doing it wrong , because a nap of just 20 to 30 minutes can significantly enhance your alertness , your performance and won't leave you feeling groggy . Now , this is often referred to as the power nap , and the idea is to keep it short enough to avoid entering the next stage , which is the deeper stage of sleep . And this is what causes that sleep inertia . And we all know what that's like that groggy , disorientated feeling that most people experience after you wake up from what you've called a nap , but it's actually been sleeping .
Speaker 1
So what are the tangible benefits of incorporating a nap into your routine . So let's break this down to start off with . First of all , improve cognitive function . When you're working a shift , and especially during the night or in the early morning , your brain can't possibly be functioning at its peak . This circadian disruption that we experience causes us all sorts of problems as well to our cognitive function , and a short nap can literally enhance those cognitive abilities . This makes you more alert , improves your memory and will increase your ability to learn and to process information . Now , this can be particularly beneficial for those that are in high stakes or detail-orientated jobs , where one mistake it could be really costly . That's the first one .
Speaker 1
Number two is enhanced mood . Now , shift work does , without any doubt whatsoever , take a toll on our mental health . Now , this leads to feelings of renovate sorry can help regulate your . Quite a difference there between renovate and regulate isn't there . Anyway , it can help to regulate your emotions and will improve your overall mood . Now , it's amazing what a little bit of rest can do to reset your mind and help you to feel much more positive and motivated . Think back to times when you were so tired that you could hardly function and how miserable you were , and then , after a good night's sleep , you get up and about , you feel so much better . That's the benefit of sleep , and that nap can help you with that as well .
Speaker 1
The next thing is our better physical health . Chronic sleep deprivation can and will have serious long-term effects on our physical health , which includes the increased risk of cardiovascular disease , obesity , as well as diabetes . Regular napping may , in fact , help to mitigate some of these risks by giving your body a chance to rest and also recover . It's like giving your body a mini vacation in the middle of a hectic day . Your brain's going a million miles an hour . Your body's going a million miles an hour . You can't stop . Stop just for 20 to 25 minutes and the difference that that will make to your body your body will thank you .
Speaker 1
So , as a shift worker , how on earth can we actually make napping a part of our routine ? Well , here's a few practical tips . Find yourself a quiet and comfortable place . Now , this can be the hardest part , especially if you're on the go or you're in a busy environment . But look for the break room or required office . Or even if it's just your car , if it's safe and comfortable . Investigate , constable , investigate I've got it on my mind . Or even if you're in your car and it's safe and comfortable .
Speaker 1
Investing in a good eye mask and noise cancelling headphones can also make a big difference . Remember , we're not lying there to go to sleep for hours on end . All we want to do is put an eye mask on , put some noise cancelling headphones on and just zone out for 25 minutes with some low white noise or something like that . It will make a huge difference to you . The next thing we need to do and this is the important thing is to set an alarm . Remember , the key is to keep this nap really , really short and set that alarm for 20 to 30 minutes no longer , to avoid falling into this deep sleep . Now , if you do go over that 30 minutes and one of the worst things that you can do is nap for 25 minutes to 30 , and then hit the snooze button or turn the alarm off and go back to sleep you will go into that deep sleep cycle and once you've gone into that deep sleep cycle , you're in all kinds of hurt . That's where , when you do actually wake up , you will feel that real sleep inertia and that will leave you feeling groggy for what can seem like hours .
Speaker 1
The next thing that we need to do is we need to make sure that we time this nap at exactly the right time , and the best time to nap is usually mid-shift or during a natural dip in your energy levels . You'll know , don't just nap just because you think , oh , I've got a 12-hour shift so I'm just going to nap . When you get that dip in your energy , that's when you will literally nap . You'll crash out really quick , you'll get that nap and then you'll wake up and that sleep pressure , that sleep homeostatic , will have been released and then you will feel so much better for having had that nap All right . So that's really really important . This is what helps you to wake up feeling refreshed rather than having that groggy feeling All right .
Speaker 1
So the best time on night shift would have to be sometime between around about 2 to 4 am , While those that are on daytime it could almost be just after lunch . But listen to your body and find the time that works best for you . And if you're a regular day walker or a 9 to 5-er , you'll find that the most important time is before 3 pm . So sometime between 1 and 3 pm is a good time to have a nap , and that times really well with that postprandial crash that we have , you know , that slumber that we want to have after we've had lunch , and our natural circadian rhythm naturally dips at around about that time , and this can make it an ideal time for us to just literally crash out for 20 to 25 minutes and come back so much better , all right . The other thing is we want to stay consistent . Now try to incorporate that napping into your regular routine , because consistency , once again and our body loves routine and consistency can help to train your body to literally just fall asleep faster and then make the most of your nap time .
Speaker 1
So those people that are literally just zone out for five or 10 minutes , they've already trained their body to do this , so what they do is they just sit in the chair and they just rock back and they just get that nap for about 10 minutes and then they're back again , and that's all it takes for a lot of people . This is not the time for you to put your pajamas on , grab teddy , grab the hot water bottle and go and climb into bed to have a nap . We don't do that . That's a sleep , because you will sleep longer . You almost want to make it a little bit uncomfortable , but time for you to just get that nap . Go and lay on the couch , sit in a chair , just put your head back , just let yourself zone out for 20 to 30 minutes and watch the difference that that actually makes in the middle of your shift or during your actual day off , or something like that .
Speaker 1
Remember , we want to keep our circadian rhythm aligned as much as we can with the daytime and nighttime signals . So what we want to do is we want to make sure that we go to bed and get up at roughly the same time . Now , this can leave us feeling quite fatigued in the afternoon . Hello the nap . Bring the nap in 20 to 25 minutes and that will get you through until it's time to go to bed , with that natural melatonin raise that comes in somewhere between eight o'clock and 10 o'clock at night .
Speaker 1
All right , so now , in conclusion , napping is not just a luxury for us . It's actually a really , really powerful tool for us to maintain our health and also our performance , so that we don't make mistakes as a shift worker . Remember , we are in high pressure jobs . Frontline health and law enforcement are under a lot of pressure . So to just take 20 to 25 minutes , wherever you possibly can , to just zone out for that little bit of time , or even 10 minutes , can make a massive difference to decision making down the track . So take advantage of that short nap and you'll improve that cognitive function . You will , in fact , boost your mood and you will protect your physical health . Remember , it's about working smarter and not actually working harder . So give yourself permission to take that nap and your body and your mind will strongly thank you for it .
Speaker 1
All right , so thanks for tuning into this episode of A Healthy Shift . And if you found this a helpful podcast , can you do me a favor ? Please share it with your fellow shift workers . Put it into your shift working forums , your group chats at work . Get people listening , because the more people that listen and the more people that learn about evidence-based shift working strategies , the better your work environment is actually going to be . Please , if it resonates with you , share it to your stories on your Instagram or your social medias , and don't forget to hit follow on the podcast and turn on those pesky little notifications as well , because you just never know when the next episode
And for more tips and strategies to thrive in your shift work journey , go back through the back catalogue and have a listen to any episodes that may , in fact , resonate with you . So until next time , I want you to stay healthy and I'd love you to stay sharp . You've been listening to A Healthy Shift with Roger Sutherland . For more information , tips and strategies , please visit the website ahealthyshiftcom and follow me on social media . At a underscore healthy , underscore shift , I'll catch you on the next rotation shift workers . 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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