A Healthy Shift | The Shift Work Podcast
It doesn't have to be this way.
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.
It doesn't have to be this way.
Episodes
423 episodes
[276] - You might be tired but
In this episode, I explore one of the most common challenges shift workers face—chronic fatigue. While irregular hours are often blamed, there are several overlooked factors that play a major role in how tired we feel. The good news is many of ...
[275] - Female Shift Workers Deserve Better—Here's How We Start
Shift work isn’t gender neutral, and women are paying the price.In this episode, I break down why female bodies struggle more with 24/7 rosters — and what can actually help.How circadian and menstrual cycles clashWhy...
[274] - Shift Worker's Secret Weapon - The 3 Supplements You Can't Afford to Miss
Shift work disrupts your body’s natural rhythms, increasing your risk of fatigue, poor sleep, and long-term health issues. In this episode, I outline three supplements that can help support your physical and mental performance as a 24/7 w...
[273] - Change this, it changes everything
In this episode of A Healthy Shift, I’m breaking down a common myth that’s keeping shift workers exhausted and frustrated: the idea that long sleep-ins on your days off help you recover.Spoiler alert — they don’t.I...
[272] - Your host on Radio 3AW - Australia Overnight - Talk Back Radio 24-07-2025
I'm back on Australia Overnight after a bit of a break — and this time, we’re diving deep into some uncomfortable truths about what’s really happening on our streets and inside our justice system.As a former frontline police off...
[271] - My Top 10 Must-Read Books
In this episode, I share my top 10 must-read books that have reshaped how I approach health, habits, sleep, and shift work. With nearly 40 years in law enforcement and coaching others through 24/7 schedules, I’ve seen what works—a...
[270] - New to Shift Work? - 8 survival tips
Shift work disrupts our natural circadian rhythms, but with the right strategies, we can protect our health and energy while finding better work-life balance. I share eight practical tips to help shift workers not just survive but thrive, based...
[269] - The secret to losing weight working shift work
Shift workers can absolutely lose weight despite the challenges of irregular schedules. I explains the science behind why night workers gain weight and offers a practical approach to sustainable fat loss that works with your body's natural rhyt...
[268] - Why Shift Work Messes with Your Gut—and What You Can Do About It
If you’ve ever felt bloated, gassy, or just off in the gut after a night shift — you’re not alone. In this episode, I unpack exactly why shift work messes with your digestion, and what you can actually do about it.Forge...
[267] - When Coping Becomes a Crutch. Shift Work Mental Health and the Hidden Addictions
In this episode, I open up about something many shift workers experience but few talk about openly: the dangerous coping mechanisms we turn to when the pressure gets too much. Whether it’s alcohol, drugs, pornography, or gambling — what starts ...
[266] - Why You Should Wear a Sleep Mask — Every Single Time You Sleep
If you're a shift worker struggling to get good-quality sleep—especially during daylight hours—this episode is for you. Today, I'm talking about one of the simplest yet most overlooked tools that can drastically improve your rest: the sleep mas...
[265] - Shift Work and Loneliness - The Silent Struggle No One Talks About
In this episode, I open up about a side of shift work we don’t talk about enough: the loneliness. Even when we’re surrounded by colleagues, shift work can create a deep sense of emotional isolation that creeps in slowly and quietly. Over time, ...
[264] - Why Your Workplace Needs Shift Work Health Education in 2025
Shift Work Doesn’t Have to Wreck Your Health – Here’s How to ThriveIn this episode, I talk about why shift work doesn't have to come at the cost of your health and wellbeing—and why it’s time organisations stop treating s...
[263] - Shift Work & Your Health The Risks You Can't Ignore (And The Solutions You Need)
In this episode of A Healthy Shift, I break down the long-term health risks of shift work — and more importantly, how to reduce your risk and protect your body over time.As a certified nutritionist and former la...
[262] - Reclaiming Your Rhythm Navigating Shift Work's Impact on Your Body Clock
In this episode, I’m breaking down how your circadian rhythm impacts every part of your health as a shift worker — and why managing it is the difference between surviving your roster and actually thriving.Most shift workers are un...
[261] - Magnesium v Ashwagandha for Shift Workers
In this episode of A Healthy Shift, I break down the differences between two popular supplements: ashwagandha and magnesium. Both are known to support stress relief and better sleep — but they work in very different...
[260] - Nuts About Shift Work - A Small Snack with Big Benefits
Shift work wrecks your body. Long hours. No sleep. Crappy food. But what if one of the simplest things you could do for your health... fits in your pocket?In today’s short but powerful episode, Roger dives into why a small handful of ...
[259] - Your host on Radio 3AW - Australia Overnight - Talk Back Radio 12-06-2025
In this episode of A Healthy Shift, I take you through my journey—from being a 16-year-old Kiss fan camping outside Waverley Park to spending 40 years with Victoria Police. Along the way, I saw just how hard shift work can be on your b...
[258] - The Danger of Normalising Exhaustion
Burnout has silently become the baseline for too many shift workers—especially those in healthcare and emergency services. You're waking up exhausted, pushing through gruelling 12-hour shifts, barely eating properly, and your sleep is completel...
[257] - Jack Hallows - Coaches in Conversation - Life, Lifting & Looking After Yourself
In this candid episode, fitness coach Jack Hallows and I dive deep into the transformative power of resistance training—especially for those juggling the challenges of shift work. Beyond just physical gains, we explore how strength training bui...
[256] - Where Is My Shift Work Education and Support?
Feeling Burnt Out from Shift Work? You’re Not Alone — And It’s Not Your Fault.Most organisations expect 24/7 workers to navigate tough schedules without any guidance on how to protect their health.After 40+ years as a polic...
[255] - How Shift Timing Impacts Your Health - What the Science Informs Us
Shift work disrupts our body's natural 24-hour clock (circadian rhythm), affecting metabolism, hormones, and how we process food, which increases risks of weight gain, diabetes, and heart disease.• Insulin sensitivity drops at night, ma...
[254] - How Your Indoor Lighting Is Making You Sick, Fat, and Tired
Blue light exposure at night disrupts our biology beyond sleep, causing serious health issues that shift workers need to understand and address to protect their wellbeing.• Blue light isn't actually blue – it's hidden within white light...
[253] - Chloe Spring - It All Falls Apart If Management Don't Support It
What if we told you that the very people keeping our society running 24/7 — emergency workers, nurses, first responders, and other shift workers — are silently suffering due to outdated systems, toxic workplace culture, and dangerous health con...
[252] - 8 Hours Pffft – A Better Way to Think About Sleep for Shift Workers
Are you tired of being told you need eight hours of sleep—when your shift schedule makes that nearly impossible? You're not alone, and more importantly, you're not failing.In this episode, we’re flipping traditional sleep advice...