Speaker 1: 1:41

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. Well, hey there, and welcome back to A Healthy Shift. I'm Roger Sutherland, and today I'm talking about a really simple thing, but a seriously powerful strategy for better sleep a sleep mask. Now, I know what you're thinking, really, roger A mask, yep, a sleep mask. And I'm here to tell you why. It could literally be one of the most underrated tools for a better sleep, especially for you, the shift worker. So let's get into it.

Speaker 1: 2:52

Light pollution is everywhere, so let's start with the problem, and that is light pollution. Now, what is light pollution? Well, we live in a world that is constantly lit up with artificial light these days streetlights, phone screens, standby lights on those televisions in the bedroom that glow from the hallway, even the moon on a clear night, and your brain. I'm here to tell you your brain doesn't know the difference between sunlight and that light coming in under your bedroom door. It is literally just seeing the blue light. Light at night, especially that artificial light, which is anything that you turn on or is running with electricity after dark, suppresses melatonin, which is the hormone that helps your body to know when it's dark. Now this makes sense, doesn't it? Because if your body is seeing light, why would it release a hormone to tell it that it is dark? It doesn't, and any form of light in your bedroom, where you are supposed to be sleeping, actually reduces melatonin by approximately 50%. Now, when melatonin gets suppressed, your body doesn't shift into that deep sleep or that sleep mode properly, and for shift workers, who are already trying to sleep outside of the normal circadian hours, this will make things even worse. So how does light disrupt our sleep? So let's talk about what actually happens biologically Now.

Speaker 1: 4:31

Melatonin production starts when your eyes stop detecting light. Even small amounts of light, like that glow from a power board in your bedroom or that early morning sunlight creeping in through the curtains, can literally be enough to completely mess with it. Your body clock relies on darkness to stay in rhythm. Think about that clock that's in your bedroom. Or looking at your phone, you are giving a direct signal of light into your eye. When light sneaks in, it literally confuses that internal clock. You sleep lighter, you wake up a lot more often and over time, it has an impact. You end up feeling run down, you end up foggy and completely out of whack. So what is there that we can do? And this is where the sleep mask comes in, because a high quality sleep mask completely blocks out all light, even that little bit sneaking in through the blinds or around your eye socket.

Speaker 1: 5:36

And this isn't just about comfort. I need people to understand that. This is about sending a clear signal to your brain it's dark, it's time to sleep, and your body will not see any light and will release a strong stream of melatonin to signal darkness to the body and to help you to sleep. So when should we actually wear a sleep mask? I'm going to say this, I'll put it on the table, honestly every single time you sleep what? Every time? That's right. Every single time that you sleep. If you're on night shift and you're trying to sleep during the day non-negotiable. If you're going to bed early and the sun's still up, non-negotiable, even if you're sleeping at night but there is ambient light in your room, you also need it here, and here is a simple test to tell you if it's dark enough in your room for you to sleep. Pay attention, I want you to hold your arm out at full length in front of your face and I want you to turn your hand to face you. Can you see your hand? If yes, it's too light and your melatonin is being disrupted and you are probably not getting the deep, restorative sleep that you need. So for those of you that open the windows, open the blinds and love to feel the light and the air and everything coming in, this is disrupting your deep sleep, your restorative sleep. This can be a reason why a lot of people don't sleep properly and wake up tired.

Speaker 1: 7:17

Now, what makes a good sleep mask? Because there's hundreds of them out there and I know that some of you probably a lot of you will have tried a sleep mask, but not all sleep masks are created equal. You want a sleep mask that A fully blocks out light. It's got to be pitch black, you've got to be able to open your eyes, and it's pitch black. It doesn't press on your eyes, ladies, those lashes that you're putting on your eyes. We don't want those to be touching, because that just becomes annoying. We also need one that stays in place if we move around. We need to be able to lie on our side, on our back, lying in a coma position. We want the mask to stay in place and to be comfortable and it needs to feel really comfortable so that it doesn't interrupt sleep in itself.

Speaker 1: 8:08

And if you want to know because I know you're going to ask me, if you want to know what my go-to is, it's the Manta Sleep Mask. Now, it's, hands down, the absolute best mask that I've ever used. It provides total blackout, it has zero pressure on your eyes and it's perfect for long, deep and undisturbed sleep. Now I use the Manta Sleep Mask Pro. It's great for side sleepers because the eye cups are flattened by the side and you can literally put it on. And I can tell you a funny anecdotal story to go with me and my Manta Sleep Mask Because I was on night shift, woke up, wanted to know what time it was reached for my phone kept tapping the screen, couldn't work out why, I couldn't see the time, thought my phone was broken or had gone flat, but no, I still had the sleep mask on. That's how comfortable a Manta sleep mask is. You just forget that it's there Totally Best investment ever.

Speaker 1: 9:16

So if you're serious about your sleep and this is what I will say to you as well so many people come to me time and time again and they talk to me about I can't sleep, I have problems sleeping, and when I sit down and talk to them about and go back into all of the different whys and wherefores around sleep, it's then that we understand that there is a contributing factor that's causing the problem ambient light in a bedroom.

Speaker 1: 9:45

Please, I beg you, keep that test in mind when you go to bed tonight or today or this afternoon or whenever. Hold your arm out at full length, turn your hand to face you and, if you can see your hand, it's too light and that shows you how much light pollution there actually is around these days. So if you're serious about your sleep, get yourself a sleep mask. It is literally one of the best investments that you will ever make, shift worker or not, make it part of your routine. Once again, our body thrives on routine. Putting the mask on tells our body it's sleep time. But if you're a shift worker, it's one of the simplest things that you can do to protect your sleep and your health, and you can check out the exact mask that I use by heading over to my website at ahealthyshiftcom and click on the recommended product page, which is under resources, and you will find the Manta Sleep Mask right there.

Speaker 1: 10:55

That's it from me. Thanks for listening and, as always, take care of yourself. Remember, put your arm out, hold your hand up If you can see your hand. It's too light in your room. Get the Manta Sleep Mask. It's on the website. 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.