How Shift Work Impacts Health (And What You Can Do About It) - Tom Coleman

Shift workers form the backbone of our societies, but it comes with a set of challenges we cannot ignore. Tom Coleman is a sleep expert and health scientist who works with shift workers and companies to develop health promoting strategies specifically designed to offset some of the negative effects of shift work. In this episode we cover: Shift work and chronic disease The impact on mental health Loneliness and social isolation Diet, weight gain and nutrition Driver fatigue and how to combat it Sleep strategies for different shift types Company responsibility and liability Why our biology is wired for daylight (and why shift work clashes with it) The dangers of chronic sleep debt and circadian disruption Practical tools to manage recovery and protect your health The impact of alcohol, stimulants, and lifestyle factors on shift workers Behaviour change strategies that actually work long term What the latest research reveals about performance, recovery, and shift patterns And much more . Dan: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thedancampion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Tom: @tomcoleman.ie ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get your FREE copy of 20 Books and Podcasts to Change Your Life: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Chapters: 0:00:03 - Intro: Shift Work, Sleep & Health (with Tom Coleman) 0:06:04 - How Shift Work Impacts Your Health & Performance 0:12:07 - Circadian Rhythm: Why Night Shifts Break Your Body Clock 0:18:09 - Chronotypes: Can “Night Owls” Adapt to Night Shifts? 0:24:09 - Long-Term Adaptation Myths (and Age-Related Risks) 0:30:11 - Sleep Debt You Can’t Feel & 12-Hour Shift Fatigue 0:36:14 - Recovery Protocols: Sleep Doses, Routine, Nutrition, Training 0:42:15 - Sleep Variability, Anxiety & Consistency That Actually Works 0:48:16 - What You Control vs Genetics: Behaviour Change That Sticks 0:54:16 - Sleep Inertia: First 30 Minutes & Energy Management 1:00:16 - Workplace Fatigue: Policies, Rotas & Safety 1:06:17 - Habit Building After Sleep Fixes: Sustainable Change 1:12:18 - Alcohol, Stimulants & Medication on Shifts (Pros/Cons) 1:18:18 - Tools: Light Exposure, Supplements, Training Adjustments 1:24:19 - Shift Work & Family Life: Boundaries, Routines, Recovery

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How Shift Work Impacts Health (And What You Can Do About It) - Tom Coleman is an episode from The Prymal Podcast by Dan Campion.

This episode is 01:27:03 long.

This episode was published on Sep 5, 2025.

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