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.
Discover how you can take control of your body's internal clock and transform your shift work experience by mastering your circadian rhythm. I'll share insights into the underestimated power of light, the strategic timing of meals, and the importance of movement, all designed to help you not only survive but truly thrive in a shift work environment. Learn how the interplay between blue light and your brain's master clock impacts your sleep and mood, and uncover practical strategies to optimise your energy and mental clarity. This episode promises actionable advice to enhance your overall health, offering you more vitality for the activities you love.
Join me, Roger Sutherland, as we explore incremental changes that can lead to significant improvements in your shift work environment. By adopting these strategies, you will cultivate a healthier, happier, and more energised workplace. This episode is not just about personal transformation—it's about building a community of colleagues who prioritise health and well-being. Feel empowered with the knowledge to create a supportive shift work atmosphere. Don't forget to visit ahealthyshift.com for further resources and support, and help spread the word by sharing, rating, and reviewing the podcast.
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.
This week has been another theme week and that is around our circadian rhythm . So almost by the time you've listened to this podcast if you're a regular listener then you will understand what your circadian rhythm is and how you can actually optimize it through a number of different strategies . But in today's episode I want to talk about three things that you just need to focus on that will really severely help you to really align that circadian rhythm and give you the opportunity to thrive and not just survive . And the episode is Mastering your Circadian Rhythm , the Power of Light , your Food Timing and Movement and movement . Shift work can be brutal , but it doesn't have to be . Welcome to A Healthy Shift .
Speaker 1
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 A Healthy Shift shift . This is your podcast , hosted by me , roger sutherland , and I'm dedicated to helping shift workers to thrive and not just survive . Today we're spotlighting something which is foundational for anyone in shift work and that is supporting your circadian rhythm through the three essential zekebis light , food , timing and movement . This is really , really important for people to understand . Now we are drawing to the end of our theme week of circadian rhythm , because I want to do these theme weeks to help people to really consolidate their knowledge around what I consider to be the most important contributing factors to help you , as the shift worker , to thrive . Now , our circadian rhythm , as I talked about last week , is our body's natural 24-hour cycle and when it's aligned , we just feel so much better . We experience better energy levels . We just feel so much better . We experience better energy levels , we get better mental clarity and our overall health and we take away those biological impacts that shift work actually has on us . But when shift work disrupts this rhythm or we as shift workers are self-sabotaging it , we just have to be more proactive in managing these disruptions . Today I'm going to break down each of the three main Zeek Geavers and provide practical ways that you can work them into your daily routine , no matter what your shift schedule is , because when you do this , you align your circadian rhythm and you will feel so much better .
Speaker 1
Number one is light . Light is the primary seatkeeper . Why does light even matter ? Because light is , hands down , the strongest signal for our circadian rhythm . When light enters our eyes , in particularly blue light , at 480 nanometers , it communicates directly with our brain's master clock , the suprachiasmatic nucleus . Now this clock then coordinates our body's various biological rhythms , from hormone production to alertness , to influencing everything from sleep quality to mood , to our mental health . So what are the key strategies for light exposure ?
Speaker 1
Daylight exposure in the morning . I'm going to say it over and over and over again , but if you don't get outside and get that daylight exposure , you will feel rubbish on shift work . We need to aim for at least 15 to 20 minutes of daylight exposure within one hour of waking up . This is why I say sky before screen Before you roll over and grab your phone , get your caffeine and get outside and just soak up 15 to 20 minutes , no matter what's on your phone . You aren't going to miss out on anything , but you will benefit from that 15 to 20 minutes of daylight . That is a fact . That bright natural light in the morning tells your body body it is go time , it's time to start the day . This kickstarts your alertness and supports that nighttime sleep quality . That's right , that early daylight that you get in the morning . It is going to support your sleep quality at night . This is super important . Take daylight breaks during the day as well . Try to get outside for a few minutes every couple of hours , even if it's just for a short walk , especially if you're working indoors or you're on night shifts . Getting outside for fresh air and daylight is key to maintaining your alertness and staying in sync with that 24-hour rhythm that we count on so much . And what we do have to do is we have to not only minimize , but we have to get rid of that blue light exposure after the sun has gone down After dark . Get rid of blue light . No phones , tvs , computers Now blue light blocking glasses will actually help and we can set up a low intensity , zero blue , warm light in your environment , whether it be work or at home . We need to start focusing on getting healthy light , because we now know that there is that blue in that light after dark that is causing us all of these issues , including a whole range of cancers . This will also help . By getting rid of that blue light , it will also help to make us wind down easier .
Speaker 1
Who lies in bed watching TV ? Put your hand up . No , don't , because if you're in your car , you're going to hurt yourself and if you're walking you're going to look like an idiot . All right , you don't need . If you're watching TV in bed at night , you're literally triggering yourself with blue light into the eyes . Don't wonder why you can't sleep if that's the case , because this is literally what happens . Oh , but I wind down watching TV , wind down reading a book , wind down by sleeping . Close your eyes , do some breath work , go to sleep . The blue light is causing you the grief . That is why you don't go to sleep . That is also why you don't stay asleep , because light is incredibly powerful .
Speaker 1
As shift workers , we need to really lean into whatever we can to reinforce our circadian rhythm . Even if our schedules aren't perfectly aligned with the sun , we need to lean into getting this daylight every day . Now , number two food timing . This is also the nutritional signal to our body . Why does food timing matter ? Well , food acts as our second major cue for our circadian rhythm . When and what we eat directly signals to our body whether it's time for energy expenditure or if it's time for rest and repair and misaligned eating , especially eating late at night , disrupts our glucose metabolism and it will impact on our sleep . So what are our key strategies for our food timing ? Set an eating window . Establish a rough eating window . Ideally , we need to reduce it down to 10 hours during the day between 9am and 7pm . During the day between 9am and 7pm , you watch what happens if you continually eat within that 10 hour window . This helps to support your digestion . It keeps your energy steady and stable throughout the day . However , if you're working late , try to wrap up your meals a few hours before bedtime to give your body time to actually digest it , and shift meal timing for night shifts .
Speaker 1
On night shifts it's better to just snack on low GI foods just to keep that glucose running through our system or to fast and use water . But we need to avoid having those large portions or meals or highly palatable , highly processed carbohydrates . We need to opt for nutrient-dense , low GI foods like vegetables or lean proteins and small portions of whole grains . If you feel like you need something to eat , a handful of nuts is absolutely ideal , a few pieces of cheese and some crackers ideal . But we've got to be very careful with eating overnight because our body is literally sleeping . We need to avoid heavy meals before we sleep because large meals close to bedtime will definitely disrupt our sleep quality .
Speaker 1
So for late eaters or our night shift workers , we need to aim for small , balanced meals and just keep a regular fasting period overnight to promote better digestive health . And it will also really support our metabolic stability , because eating at these wrong times causes us all sorts of problems . Our body is confused . It doesn't know what we're doing . Remember , food is also a time cue to our biological clock . If you're eating at odd times , your body doesn't know what it should be doing and when . So eating aligned with your schedule and in moderation when working late will help you to avoid those unnecessary blood sugar spikes and crashes and will give you consistent energy through the day . So my tip there is to reduce your eating window down between 9 am and 7 pm and that 10 hours will consume your calories in that time and you will absolutely start to function so much better .
Speaker 1
And the third Zeke Giver is movement , a physical reset . Movement is another important time cue , though it's often overlooked , because physical activity reinforces to our circadian rhythm by signaling when our body should be alert and active and when it should start winding down . It also really helps us to regulate hormone production . It improves mental clarity , and movement supports better sleep as well . So what are our key strategies for getting movement ?
Speaker 1
We need to get active early in the day . Just 10 to 15 minutes of light movement in the morning , like stretching or walking or a quick workout , can help to signal the start of your day and jumpstart your energy . So why not get up , get outside and go for a walk for 15 or 20 minutes in the daylight ? You're getting movement and light there's two . And fit in an activity around your shift hours . If the mornings are impossible , work around your shift . A quick walk , a set of exercises or even a stretching session during breaks can reduce stiffness and help to keep your body energy levels up . Just light to moderate movement after eating can also aid your digestion .
Speaker 1
It's no mistake that you see the Europeans out walking around at night after they've had dinner . That's done for a reason . That's the Mediterranean style . That's what they do Because it helps . But we need to avoid intense exercise right before bed , because exercise is a natural stimulant to our circadian rhythm and doing a hard workout too close to sleep can literally make it difficult to wind down . Keep intense workouts at least two to three hours before your bedtime . So for shift workers , the key is consistency . Frequent and small amounts of movement can keep your energy levels up and help to reset your circadian rhythm . So let's bring all of this together , because each of these seatkeepers , like food , timing and movement , all play a critical role in maintaining that stable 24-hour circadian rhythm . So here's a quick summary on how you can include them in every day .
Speaker 1
Incorporate light . Get at least 15 to 20 minutes of natural light exposure early in the day . Take a daylight break and reduce that blue lights exposure at night . Get rid of it if you can . Time your meals wisely . Eat within a consistent window whenever possible . Avoid meals large meals close to bedtime and focus on lighter , balanced meals during those night shifts just small snacks and stay active . Add in light morning movement . Break up sedentary time with short activity and avoid intense workouts before sleep .
Speaker 1
I think the most important thing to remember is our biological clock can't see at all , but it responds to the blue light in the eye . Can't see at all , but it responds to the blue light in the eye . So light is the first . It responds to our nutrient timing that teaches it . Oh , it must be daytime , and by moving , it also teaches it it must be daytime Because if you've got these strategies in place , then you're setting yourself up to not just survive but really to truly thrive as a shift worker .
Speaker 1
And clients of mine that have actually put these strategies in place , small steps just take small ones at a time will really , really help to start to gain momentum and start feeling better , because each of these actions then starts to compound and it gives you greater control over your health and your energy and well-being , despite that challenges of that non-traditional schedule that we all live in . So that's it . That wraps it up . So thanks for tuning into this episode and that wraps up our week of circadian rhythm . So thank you so much .
I hope that you have actually learnt out of it and , if you have , please I ask if you found it useful don't forget to hit follow so you get notified of further episodes , and share it with your fellow colleagues , your fellow shift workers , because the more people that are on tap with all of the right strategies , the better the shift working environment will be .
Speaker 1
So let's work together and build a healthier , a happier and more energized lives , just one shift at a time and until next time , I want you to stay well , stay strong and remember , as I've said before , small , tiny little changes , and then nail it and crush it and get it right , because they will all add up to making great big changes . I'm Roger Sutherland and I'll 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 .
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