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A Healthy Shift Podcast with Roger Sutherland
Welcome to A Healthy Shift, the podcast dedicated to helping shift workers and night shift workers take control of their health, well-being, and performance.
I’m Roger Sutherland, a veteran of over 40 years in shift work. I know firsthand the unique challenges that come with working irregular hours, long nights, and around-the-clock schedules. I combine my lived experience with the latest science to help shift workers and night shift workers not just get through the job, but truly thrive.
In each episode, you’ll learn practical, evidence-based strategies to improve your sleep, nutrition, movement, stress management, and overall health. Shift work and night shift don’t have to mean poor health, fatigue, and burnout. With the right knowledge and tools, you can live well and perform at your best.
If you’re working shifts or nights and want to feel better, sleep better, and take back control—this podcast is for you.
351 Episodes
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Text me what you thought of the show 😊 I mark World Sleep Day 2026 by cutting through the myth that poor sleep is just part of shift work and lay out a simple plan to protect brain and metabolic health. I explain the glymphatic system, hunger hormones, and the practical gear and routines that turn rough sleep into real recovery. • why poor sleep isn’t a badge of honour • glymphatic cleanup and beta amyloid risk • insulin sensitivity, ghrelin and leptin changes • signs of true sleep quality v...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 I break down why timing beats diet for shift workers and how aligning meals to your body clock cuts cravings, supports sleep and trims your waist. We explain the science behind intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating, then give simple rules to thrive on changing rosters. • difference between intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating • why alignment to circadian rhythm matters more than long fasts • what happens when you eat at biological n...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 I share a science-backed routine to flip a wired brain into real rest, using EMDR-style bilateral audio, low-profile sleep buds, and simple breath work. We explain why exhaustion sleep is not restorative sleep and how to create a clean transition from shift to bed. • sympathetic overdrive keeps the brain scanning for threats • difference between passing out tired and restorative sleep • how bilateral audio taxes working memory and calms thoughts • using...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 An edited version of my segment on 3AW Melbourne, Australia Overnight. Talking shift work and anything else that comes up along the way. We push past fear talk and culture wars to focus on what steals our best selves: chronic sleep loss, overwork, and the easy drift into a “new normal.” A retired cop, a veteran nurse, and a creator with a no-fuss meal prep method share tools that actually help. • leadership gaps and morale strain in shift-heavy workplac...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 In this episode I explore the bittersweet reality of leaving policing and other frontline roles, sharing lived experience and practical ways to reclaim health, identity and purpose. You can honour what the job gave you, let go of what harmed you, and build a life that aligns with your values. • bonds shaped by proximity not permanence • missing adrenaline but not politics and paperwork • translating high-pressure skills into new careers ...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We unpack why most shift workers don’t have a sleep problem, they have a shutdown problem, and how a four‑minute S.L.E.E.P. routine creates a reliable off‑ramp from adrenaline to deep, restorative rest. We keep it simple, practical and repeatable so you can fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. • identifying the real issue as shutdown, not insomnia • difference between melatonin sleep and exhaustion collapse • why consistency trains the nervous sys...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We share a simple way to fix chaotic sleep in a 24/7 life, led by coach and former police veteran Roger Sutherland. Hot showers, light exposure, breathwork, and better meal timing help shift workers sleep deeper, recover faster, and feel human again. • why sleep hygiene beats chasing eight hours • warm shower and scent cues that tell the brain to sleep • 4-7-8 breathing to calm the nervous system • treat between-shift sleep as naps, not marathons • dayl...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 I share six essential books that help shift workers cut through diet myths, understand circadian biology, tame artificial light, refine sleep timing, and navigate hormones in midlife. The core message is rhythm: align light, food, sleep, and hormones to get energy back. • nutrition without extremes and why quick fixes fail • circadian basics from cells to daily habits • how artificial light at night disrupts melatonin and metabolism • flexible sleep anc...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 An edited version of my segment on 3AW Melbourne, Australia Overnight. Talking shift work and anything else that comes up along the way. We move from public trust and “cashies” to why organisations say there’s “no money” for staff wellbeing, then dig into mornings, social jet lag, and simple fixes that make Monday feel human again. Roger shares practical, low-cost tools for energy, sleep, and stress relief that anyone can try tomorrow. • everyday ethics...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We break down why most pre-workout powders are expensive caffeine with underdosed extras, then lay out a simple, research-backed routine that suits shift work and real recovery. We explain energy balance, protein timing, caffeine dosing and sleep so you can train smarter. • the problem with proprietary blends and label padding • why energy balance drives fat loss, not powders • the only reliable acute aid being caffeine, with proper dose ranges • beta-a...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We shine a light on the quiet creep of dysfunction in shift work and how easily poor sleep, stress, and compassion fatigue become the “new normal.” We share lived experience, biological facts, and simple steps to set boundaries, protect sleep, and feel seen. • toxic leadership and why feeling seen matters • why “common” is not “normal” in sleep, stress, and mood • slow creep from fatigue to gut issues to anhedonia • compassion fatigue explained and earl...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 I examine how performative activism, DEI optics, and the exclusion of police from community spaces erode trust while frontline workers carry the load. The focus turns to funding basics that actually help shift workers: staffing, fatigue management, mental health, and visible, competent service. • personal experience of organisational failure across policing and emergency services • how pride and DEI drift from lived reality and become staged content • w...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We confront how discipline gets misused as a management shortcut across police, nursing, paramedicine and the military, and why that destroys trust on the floor. Roger shares personal experiences from four decades on shift to map the pattern and lay out a practical fix grounded in real leadership. • misuse of discipline as a performance tool • the cost to trust, safety and honesty • operational amnesia among managers • fatigue, staffing and training gap...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We dig into how breath shapes stress and sleep, why weekend late nights wreck Monday, and how to reset your body clock with light and routine. Roger shares how breathwork helped him move past PTSD and offers a simple exercise drivers can use right now. • shift work coaching and Roger’s background • homemade burgers as a bridge to meal prep • acronyms and why clear language lowers stress • chronotypes and the late to early shift with age • Sunday night i...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 Stress shuts down the thinking part of the brain and pushes us into automatic reactions. In this episode, I explain how nasal breathing helps bring the prefrontal cortex back online so you can pause, reset, and respond instead of reacting. I share simple scripts you can use in arguments, cravings, and work pressure so you can shift from overwhelm to clarity in real time. What You Will Learn: What stress does to heart rate, breathing, and focusWhy the pre...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 Most fitness plans are designed for people with stable schedules, not rotating rosters. In this episode, I explain why one-size-fits-all programs collapse for shift workers and what actually works instead. I break down an evidence-based, flexible approach that fits your roster, lowers pressure, and builds real momentum through simple habits, light timing, and mindset-first coaching. This is practical, realistic support built for the way shift workers tru...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 Night shift weight gain is not about discipline. It is biology. In this episode, I explain how circadian disruption affects metabolism, why insulin resistance rises after dark, and how hormones like cortisol, leptin, and ghrelin drive cravings, hunger spikes, and fat storage when sleep is short. I draw on my decades of 24/7 policing and my work as a certified nutritionist to break this down into simple actions that fit rotating rosters. What You Will Lea...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 Feeling better on shift does not start with strict diets or perfect routines. It starts with habits that actually fit real shift work life. In this episode, I share the approach that kept me healthy through more than 40 years on rotating rosters. I explain how decision fatigue shapes your evenings, why small routines create stability no matter your schedule, and the circadian anchors that help your body recover faster, think clearer, and maintain steady ...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We explore FIFO life through real rosters, heat, and health, then pivot to policing priorities, youth crime, and whether small rules can shift big behaviours. Practical tips on hydration, sleep, and electrolytes sit alongside a candid look at bail, parents, and community work. • FIFO rosters, site culture, and family impact • Heat stress, hydration strategies, and electrolytes • Night shift sleep anchors, caffeine timing, and light use • Policing triage...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 There is a persistent myth that officers leave because they cannot cope. In this episode, I challenge that belief and explain why it is culture, not character, that pushes good people out. I talk about what happens after the badge comes off. The silence. The loss of identity and belonging. The constant vigilance that does not simply switch off when the job ends. I also unpack why slogans and surface-level wellbeing initiatives fail, and what real leaders...
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Rog is amazing! His career in the emergency services space means his podcasts not only offer practical advice but it actually stems from experiencing it! Even small changes are making a BIG difference in my life (Hydrate before you caffeinate anyone?) 👏