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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.

In fact, sleeping in too late disrupts your circadian rhythm, delays your exposure to natural light, and creates something called social jet lag. If you’ve ever felt more tired after your days off than during your shifts, this episode is for you.

What I Cover in This Episode:

• Why sleeping in on your days off confuses your internal body clock
• What your circadian rhythm is really expecting from you
• How “social jet lag” impacts your energy, mood, and sleep quality
• The myth of sleep debt — and why you can’t just “catch up” on rest
• The power of proactive sleep strategies:
  • Wake up at a consistent time (yes, even on days off)
  • Get morning sunlight as early as possible
  • Use short 20–30 minute naps to stay alert without disrupting your next sleep cycle
• My go-to rule: The “Would You Set an Alarm?” Test — to decide if a late-night activity is worth the next-day fatigue

Ready to Take Control of Your Sleep?

If you're serious about fixing your sleep, boosting your energy, and finally feeling human again on shift work, I can help. Visit ahealthyshift.com or click the link in the show notes to learn more about 1:1 coaching.

Help Other Shift Workers Find This Show:

If this episode helped you, please leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. It makes a huge difference and helps spread evidence-based strategies to shift workers who really need them.

Support the show

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Roger Sutherland is Australia's Night Shift & Sleep Specialist and the founder of A Healthy Shift.

After more than 40 years working rotating shifts with Victoria Police, Roger now helps organisations reduce fatigue risk, improve staff wellbeing and build healthier, safer and higher-performing 24/7 workplaces through evidence-based education, circadian biology and the Shift Work Champions™ Framework.

Shift Work Champions™: https://join.ahealthyshift.com/shift-work-capability

Website: https://ahealthyshift.com.au

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-sutherland

Instagram: @a_healthy_shift

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Disclaimer: Roger Sutherland is not a doctor or a medical professional.  Always consult a physician before implementing any strategies mentioned in this podcast. Use of this information is strictly at your own risk. Roger Sutherland will not assume any liability for direct or indirect losses or damages that may result from the use of the information contained in this podcast, including but not limited to economic loss, injury, illness, or death.

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