Speaker 1: 1:12

If you follow me on social media, you will know that every single morning, I post a picture on my Instagram story of sky before screen. Make sure you get that early light. So the power of morning light, what is it? It's a game changer for shift workers. In today's episode, I'm going to discuss exactly why. 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.

Speaker 1: 2:14

Welcome back to A Healthy Shift. The podcast that is all about helping you, the shift worker, not just survive but absolutely thrive in this unique and often challenging world of 24-7 work. I'm your host, roger Sutherland, and today I'm talking about one of the simplest and yet most impactful strategies that you can use to improve your health and well-being as a shift worker, and that is early light exposure. Yet it's something as straightforward as getting some sunlight in the morning can literally be a game changer for your energy levels, your mood, your sleep and your overall health. And you know what I know. This is what it's hard to believe, and this is where people go so wrong in off searching the interwebs for all sorts of different types of supplements and things. But this one's free, it's 100% free, it's accessible and it's actually backed by science, so let's get right on into it. So why is morning light such a big deal. Well, it all comes down to that circadian rhythm, and this is your body's internal clock. It's a 24-hour system that regulates pretty much everything in your body, from your sleep-wake cycle to all of your hormones and even your digestion. Now, for shift workers, this rhythm is always getting thrown out of sync, and what this does is it leads to poor sleep and fatigue and weight gain and also mental health challenges. But here's the good news you can literally reset this internal clock by exposing yourself to natural light in the first 30 to 60 minutes after waking, and this simple practice has literally been shown to increase your alertness, it will improve your mood, it will lower stress and it will even enhance your sleep quality at night. So let me break it down for you to make it easy.

Speaker 1: 4:23

So let's start with the energy levels. In the morning, or whatever time your morning might be. As a shift worker, your body's melatonin levels should naturally decrease. Now, melatonin is the hormone that signals to the body of darkness and can make you feel a little bit sleepy, but at the same time, your cortisol levels yep, the so-called stress hormone should rise. Now, if there's one thing that I absolutely cannot stand on social media is the bad rap that cortisol gets.

Speaker 1: 4:58

But cortisol is essential for making you feel alert and ready to take on the day. Yes, it's a stress hormone, but it's designed to get you up and about, so don't demonize cortisol. When you're exposed to bright light, and especially sunlight or daylight, it helps this process along. It tells your brain to stop producing melatonin and to start ramping up your cortisol. Can you see how light balances our hormones? Now? This is called the cortisol awakening response, and it is crucial to help you to start feeling awake and energized. It tells your body it's go time.

Speaker 1: 5:40

But here's the problem. If you're waking up in the dark, which is often the case for shift workers, your body doesn't get that signal. That's why stepping outside or sitting right in front of a window as soon as you wake up can make such a difference. And what is it I say Open your blinds, even if you're going to get back into bed. Get up when you wake up. Open your curtains, even if you climb back into bed and just lie there looking out the window for five or 10 minutes, and give your brain a chance signal to that body. Give that process a chance to get going. Get that cortisol elevated, get that melatonin suppressed. Tell your body we're off and running today. So let's talk about sleep. Morning light will actually help you to sleep better at night. And here's how that works by exposing yourself to natural light early in your day, you are essentially setting a timer for your body's melatonin production. Your brain gets the message that it's daytime, so it suppresses melatonin. Then, as the day goes on, your melatonin levels naturally start to rise, helping you to feel tired and ready for bed when the time comes.

Speaker 1: 6:59

Studies have shown that regular exposure to natural light improves your sleep quality. It increases your sleep duration and it even helps you to fall asleep faster. And for those of us who work a regular hours, this is a huge win, because anything that helps us to get that more restorative sleep is worth trying right Now. Let's move on to the mood and stress, and here's a fun fact Morning sunlight triggers the release of serotonin, which is also known as our happy hormone. Serotonin not only improves your mood, but it also converts to melatonin later in the day, which will set you up for a better sleep. It's like a two-for-one deal. How good. There's also evidence that morning light exposure can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. If you've ever felt the winter blues, you've experienced what a lack of sunlight can do to your mental health. And for shift workers, who often miss out on that natural daylight altogether workers who often miss out on that natural daylight altogether this is especially important because even a few minutes of morning light can make a noticeable difference in how you actually feel.

Speaker 1: 8:13

Now I know what you're thinking, rog. This all sounds great, but how do I actually make this happen? Don't worry, I've got your back here, and here are some practical tips to incorporate early light exposure into your routine, no matter how hectic your schedule is. So grab your pen and paper and get ready. Number one start small. If stepping outside feels like too much, start with just five minutes, because you can then gradually build up to 10, then 15, and 20 minutes over time. Once you get up to 20 minutes, that's generally enough on a bright day.

Speaker 1: 8:53

Number two step outside right after waking. Now you know I say open the blinds and you can get back into bed as long as you're looking at the window. No, you're not reaching for your phone and looking at your phone. We are literally just getting back into bed and looking out the window Before you hit your brain with all of the garbage on your phone. Hit it with that beautiful light that is going to tell your body what it needs to do.

Speaker 1: 9:20

So whether it's you're sitting on a balcony walking to go and grab a coffee in the morning, or even just standing in your backyard looking at your garden, the key is to let that natural light hit your eyes. If you're waking up during daylight hours, make this your first priority. Remember sky before screen. Very important. Number three I know you that are listening to me in the Northern Hemisphere at the moment, or where it's dark in the morning. Rog, I can't get light in the morning. It's dark when I go. If it's dark when you wake up, consider investing in light therapy glasses Now. These devices mimic natural sunlight and can help to reset your internal clock.

Speaker 1: 10:08

I personally highly recommend the Retimer 3 glasses. Now you can wear these upon waking and then wear them continually while you're getting ready, and they will make an enormous difference to your day, because your circadian rhythm will be reset. How many of you will literally get up in the dark, get in the car, drive in the dark and then go into your place of work being a hospital or whatever and be under artificial light all day? That is not the light that you need. It is not bright enough. Now these glasses can literally reset that circadian rhythm, so it doesn't really matter what happens later on. Now you can find the Retimer 3 glasses and read all about them If you go to my website, ahealthyshiftcom, and go up to the tab at the top and you'll see there's one there that's got recommended products. I've tried them, so you don't have to. I've tested them, so you don't need to. I can assure you they're backed by science and they work incredibly well. They're even referred to in the Light Doctors book and it's something that is a real credit to them. So what I would suggest you do is go and have a look at my website, go to the recommended products and have a read about the Retimer 3 and consider purchasing some of those if you're in an area where you can't get light early in the morning.

Speaker 1: 11:36

Number four is combine light exposure with another activity and this is called habit stacking For example, with another activity, and this is called habit stacking. For example, have your breakfast and sit outside, have your morning coffee outside, or, if you really are pressed for time, use your commute to work as an opportunity to soak up that light. Have you got a sunroof? Slide it back so that you're getting the light through it. That makes a little thing can make a huge difference. Number five is to plan for consistency, because if your schedule varies, aim to establish a morning light routine, regardless of when your morning starts. For night shift workers, this might mean getting light exposure in the late afternoon or the evening to suit your body's rhythm. Whenever you get it, it doesn't matter, just get daylight. We are a natural diurnal creature and we need daylight during the day to reset that circadian rhythm.

Speaker 1: 12:33

Now I want to make another point here which I think is really really important. A lot of people say I don't have any trouble going to sleep, so my circadian rhythm's okay and this is. Nothing could be further from the truth. The fact that you can go to sleep no problems will be contributed to the fact that the sleep pressure has built up so much and the sleep pressure is that adenosine that has built up so much that it's forcing you to go to sleep but that doesn't mean that you're getting good sleep. That circadian rhythm counts on being in sync with the daytime and the nighttime schedule, and if you are not actually getting that in sync, then your whole body is going to be thrown out of whack. And this is a lot of the reason why people can literally wake up in the middle of the night, wake up in the middle of the day, wake up all the time because their circadian rhythm is desynchronized, even though they went to sleep and went to sleep well because of the sleep pressure. Sleep homeostat or sleep pressure and circadian alignment are completely different topics. So don't think, just because I can go to sleep, that my circadian rhythm is in line, and it's vital for our health that our circadian rhythm is totally lined up with our normal diurnal nature. All right, shift workers, it is time for a call to action. Let's go.

Speaker 1: 14:00

Early light exposure is one of the simplest and the most effective tools that you can use to improve your health, your energy as well as your well-being. And it doesn't require any fancy equipment at all, any expensive membership, you don't have to go anywhere or it doesn't take a lot of time. Just a few minutes of sunlight each day can and will make a massive difference. So here is my challenge to you From the time that you've listened to this podcast as a priority this week, over the weekend and next week, I want you to get some form of light exposure within 30 to 60 minutes of waking, not the light from your mobile phone. I want you to go out and get some form of light exposure within 30 to 60 minutes. Start off with five minutes, as I said earlier. Build it up to 10, get to 20 minutes. 20 minutes of early light exposure will change your shift working life. Start small, stay consistent with what you're doing and notice exactly how you feel. Trust me, your biology, your body and your mind will thank you for it forever. So there is your challenge this week, and that's it for today's episode of A Healthy Shift.

Speaker 1: 15:24

If you found this helpful, be sure to share it with your fellow shift workers. Let's help each other to thrive in the world of 24-7 work and, as always, if you have any questions or topics you'd like me to cover, drop me a message. I'd love to hear from you. Until next time, stay healthy, stay safe and remember you deserve to thrive, not just survive. Take care. 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.