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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.
326 Episodes
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Text me what you thought of the show 😊 Creatine isn’t just for athletes. In this episode, we explore how creatine supplementation supports cellular energy, brain function, and decision-making during night shifts, long hours, stress, and sleep loss. You’ll learn how creatine helps keep ATP (cellular energy) available when sleep is short, why this matters for focus and reaction time on long shifts, and how to use creatine safely alongside good sleep, nutrition, and hydration. In this episode, w...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 A guest appearance on 3AW "Nights" with Karalee Katsambanis We share practical tips for making shift work sustainable using light, timing, movement, and breathwork. I explain how to anchor your body clock, fuel smarter, and use naps to crush fatigue without wrecking sleep. • why anchoring wake time resets energy and mood • the light diet for circadian alignment • timing meals over macro obsession • protein and fibre breakfast for satiety • the 25-minute...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We call out the quiet signs that shift work is changing you, from short fuse to numbness, and lay out simple, science-backed steps to get you back to steady. Sleep, light, movement, food, boundaries, and connection form the plan you can start today. • Year-end reality check on frontline stress • Subtle warning signs across sleep, mood, patience • Why distraction and busyness can mask depression • The three-question self-audit to get honest • Light diet ...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 Shift work disrupts circadian rhythm and quietly increases the risk of heart disease, hormonal imbalance, fatigue, and metabolic disorders. In this episode, we explain The 176 Rule for shift workers - a simple health framework designed to detect hidden stress before symptoms appear. You’ll learn how tracking resting heart rate, blood pressure, and regular blood tests can reveal early warning signs caused by night shift work, rotating shifts, and irr...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We make a direct call to leaders of 24/7 teams to stop relying on recruitment and start building real support that reduces fatigue and burnout. Practical education, risk-aware supervision, and retention-first strategy create safer, more stable workplaces. • Why recruitment cannot fix fatigue and burnout • The compounding loop from errors to understaffing • Evidence-based education on sleep, circadian rhythm, nutrition, recovery • What genuine support...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We break down how shift work disrupts circadian rhythms and why that drives metabolic, cardiovascular, gut, immune and mental health risks. Then we lay out practical, evidence-based steps for sleep timing, light control, meal timing, movement and routines that protect your body. • Circadian disruption as the root driver of health risks • Metabolic strain, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes • Cardiovascular load, elevated blood pressure and resting h...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We unpack how circadian disruption drives low mood, anxiety, and poor sleep for shift workers and why timing—not willpower—is the real lever. Roger shares lived experience and simple anchors that steady the mind: light, routine, food, movement, and deep sleep. • circadian rhythm as a mood and hormone regulator • how desynchronisation raises stress and lowers emotional control • frontline roles and increased vulnerability to mental ill health • common co...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We challenge the myth that you can flip your body clock and share a practical plan to work with biology instead of fighting it. Simple changes to food timing, light exposure, caffeine, sleep setup, and training can make night shifts survivable and your days off feel human again. • Why nights never fully adapt to your rhythm • Mistakes that ruin alertness and recovery • Light management for alertness and sleep • Meal timing and snack ideas that digest we...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 In this episode, we break down what’s really happening when women work nights and why the research shows a higher risk of breast cancer in long-term night shift workers. More importantly, you’ll learn what you can do right now to reduce that risk in a practical, realistic way. Here’s what we cover: • How night shift disrupts your circadian rhythm and hormone balance • What large long-term studies are showing about elevated breast cancer risk ...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We show how structure beats willpower for eating well on a chaotic roster, then unpack the Glass Bowl Method: simple one-bowl meals that keep you full, reduce decision fatigue, and help weight loss stick without obsessive tracking. • Jesse’s 40 kg loss, relapse after travel, and mindset shift • Why calories matter but food quality drives satiety • Three meals, two to three snacks as a default template • Plan B meals and non-perishables for chaotic shift...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 Light is the most powerful signal for your body clock—but most shift workers never train it on purpose. In this episode, I explain how your eye’s light-sensing cells set circadian timing and show you exactly how to use morning light, controlled darkness, and smart lighting habits to stabilise sleep, mood, digestion, and energy across any roster. What You’ll Learn: What IPRGCs are and how they differ from rods and conesHow light signals reach the SCN and ...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 The idea of “catching up” on sleep with a long lie-in sounds helpful, but it actually disrupts your body clock. In this episode, I explain why it backfires and share a simple plan to stabilise your sleep timing across nights, early starts, and rotating shifts. You’ll learn how to anchor your wake time, use light and movement to reset your clock, nap strategically, and bank sleep before tough runs. What You’ll Learn: Why weekend lie-ins disrupt circadian ...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We unpack the real mechanics of Triple Zero while sharing practical night shift nutrition, and we dig into ambulance ramping, hospital bottlenecks, and why culture and policy shape ED overload. Roger brings frontline stories from policing and coaching to map fixes that actually work. • Treating mindset to improve shift worker health • Fruit, antioxidants, and smart snacks for nights • Why dispatch questions don’t delay ambulances • Misuse of Triple Zero...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 Most shift workers are unknowingly wrecking their sleep—and it’s fixable. In this episode, I break down the most common sleep mistakes and turn them into simple habits you can repeat on any roster. Early daylight, movement, a caffeine cut-off, skipping the nightcap, and real stress care become a toolkit you can rely on to improve sleep depth, energy, and recovery. What You’ll Learn: How early daylight resets the circadian clockWays to build sleep pressur...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 If you’re feeling flat, unmotivated, tired, or just not yourself… it’s not because you’re broken. It’s because shift work quietly pulls you into a spiral you don’t even see happening. I’m talking about three behaviours stopping movement, relying on ultra-processed food, and missing daylight, that slowly drag your energy, mood, and resilience downhill. The good news? You can turn this around far more easily than you think. And today I’m walking you throug...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We share a simple, evidence‑based plan to beat midnight cravings by aligning food timing with your body clock. Learn how a pre‑shift dinner and a 2–4 a.m. snack swap stabilise energy, protect gut health, and end the vending‑machine spiral. • Why circadian misalignment drives cravings and weight gain • The case for a main pre‑shift dinner with lean protein and complex carbs • How digestion slows overnight and what that means for food choices • The 2–4 a....
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 As a shift worker, your rest is non-negotiable, and not all popular sleep and recovery products are worth the hype. In this essential episode, I share a field-tested gear list designed specifically for the unique challenges of shift work. Learn how to sleep deeper, manage disruptive light and noise, and recover faster without breaking the bank. From essential light-blocking tactics to high-impact supplements and advanced recovery tech, I'll explain what ...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We honour Detective Leading Senior Constable Dave “Stevo” Stevenson and talk frankly about why so many people feel unsafe at home. From gang history to social media bravado, we unpack consequence, culture, parenting, and what practical fixes might work. • My tribute to Dave “Stevo” Stevenson and the blue family • Roger’s career highlights including K9 work • callers on VCE stress and late-night fear • then versus now on gangs, weapons, and public risk •...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 I share three evidence-based strategies to reduce circadian disruption, sleep deeper after nights, and protect long-term health without chasing perfection. Light timing, a simple breath reset, and a true blackout sleep environment form a practical plan you can start tonight. • Why circadian rhythm misalignment drives night shift risks • How morning light ruins daytime sleep and how to block it • What makes orange blue-blocking lenses essential on commut...
Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We challenge the common advice to phase-shift into night shift and lay out a simpler plan that protects your body clock. Treat nights like late evenings, anchor to daylight and meal timing, and use short naps so you can actually enjoy your days off. • minimum circadian disruption as the core goal • jet lag analogy applied carefully to shift work • consistent wake time beats chasing hours • short naps vs full cycles to manage sleep inertia • daylight exp...
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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?) 👏