June 15, 2025 • 18 mins
Text me what you thought of the show 😊
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 ways.
I explain:
- How ashwagandha can help calm a wired mind
- Why magnesium supports deep rest and nervous system recovery
- Which one might suit your shift work lifestyle better
- When using both could make sense
If you’ve ever reached for supplements after a rough run of night shifts or long days, this episode will help you choose wisely.
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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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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Shift work can be brutal, but it doesn't have to
be.
Welcome to a healthy shift.
My name is Roger Sutherland,certified nutritionist, veteran
law enforcement officer and 24-7shift worker for almost four
decades.
Through this podcast, I aim toeducate shift workers using
evidence-based methods to notonly survive the rigours of
(00:28):
shift work but thrive.
My goal is to empower shiftworkers to improve their health
and wellbeing so they have moreenergy to do the things they
love.
Enjoy today's show G'day, andwelcome back to A Healthy Shift.
My name Roger Sutherland, yourhost and long-time shift worker,
(00:49):
who's all about helping you tothrive and not just survive in
this 24-7 world that we live inNow.
Today's episode comes off theback of a number of questions
that I get around supplements,but one in particular or there's
two, actually, that I do get alot of questions around, and one
(01:10):
of them is a personal favoriteof mine that I do take regularly
.
So let's get into it and askthe question should I take
magnesium or ashwagandha to helpwith sleep and stress?
Interesting one, isn't it?
Because one's a herb and theother one is a mineral.
So let's go through it.
Honestly, it's really a greatquestion because if you're a
(01:34):
shift worker and you arebattling broken sleep or stress
from unpredictable rosters andthat constant wired but tired
feeling, then you're probablylooking for anything, anything
at all, that will help.
So today we're diving into both, and I want to talk about
ashwagandha and magnesium to seehow they work and what they
(01:56):
actually do in the body, andwhich one might help you
personally the most, or whethercombining the two is even worth
it.
There's another way of lookingat it.
So let's get into it.
The first one I'm going tostart with is ashwagandha.
Now, this I'm going to behonest with you, I'm going to
put my hand up is a personalfavorite of mine.
I take it every day.
(02:17):
Obviously, I cycle on and offit, because that's what we need
to do, and I'll get into that inthe episode, but let's start
with the ashwagandha to startoff with.
So, first of all, it is aherbal supplement.
Now, this has been used incenturies in traditional
Ayurvedic medicine.
Now, people often call it anadaptogen.
So what does this mean?
(02:38):
And what this means is itactually helps our body to adapt
to stress.
But how does it actually work?
Well, the main thing it targetsis a hormone called cortisol,
which is our primary stresshormone, because when cortisol
is chronically elevated, like itoften is in our shift workers,
(03:00):
because we're living on highalert, disrupted circadian
rhythms, our body is understress, even if we don't feel
stress ourself.
Now this can actually mess withyour sleep, and I'm talking
high cortisol here.
It can impact on your mood,your digestion and also on your
recovery.
Now, ashwagandha has been shownin multiple studies and it has
(03:25):
very robust evidence behind itthat it will actually support
lowering cortisol levels and, indoing so, does help with
feelings of anxiety andrestlessness.
Now, in plain terms, if yourstress is sky high and you feel
that you just can't calm down,especially at night, ashwagandha
(03:46):
might just help ease that tiredbut wide feeling.
Now, dosage does matter, becausemost supplements offer
somewhere between 220 milligramsto 600 milligrams of
ashwagandha root extract per day.
Now, a lot of research hasfocused on that 600 milligram
range, which is often split intotwo by 300 milligram doses.
(04:11):
Now I take one in the morningand I take one about an hour
before bed.
You could take one before shiftand one before sleep.
This is an ideal way for you totake it.
The thing that I do notice aboutashwagandha from a personal
level and it's hard to put yourfinger on it, but it does seem
(04:32):
to just level you out a bit.
It's hard, but it is onesupplement that I do take that I
do notice it's almost like aherbal antidepressant.
It just helps to just level youout.
It's interesting.
Are there any side effects toit?
Look, side effects toashwagandha are usually mild.
(04:54):
Sometimes we can think of it asa bit digestive upset or a bit
of drowsiness.
It's not so much drowsiness, Idon't see.
I just feel it like just a bitflattened out.
All right, but this is a bigbut, because now if you've got
thyroid or if you've got anyliver issues or if you're
pregnant and I mean this it'simportant that you discuss this
(05:18):
with your doctor before takingashwagandha, because it can
actually interfere with thyroidhormones in some people.
It is quite powerfulashwagandha, and that's why we
take it in two doses of 300milligram.
Now the other thing that I wantto warn about ashwagandha as
well is majority.
(05:38):
Again, just like any supplement, the quality is garbage on the
shelf.
I highly recommend that ifyou're looking at an ashwagandha
, the one thing that you do lookfor is look for KSM 66
certification on it.
What this means is and that'sthe letters KSM 66.
(05:58):
And what that actually means isit's certified as the root, as
quality, it's certified as theroot.
Instead of just being crushedup leaves and the upper part of
the plant, we want the root.
That is where the adaptogenquantities are actually in it.
(06:19):
So don't just walk in to apharmacy or a supplement store
and just pick up any ashwagandhaand start taking it, because
you might be thinking, well,this doesn't work, and that's
because it's absolute rubbish.
And again, the efficacy ofthese supplements is pretty
ordinary.
Now, if you go to my website,healthyshiftcom, on my
(06:42):
recommended product page, I doactually have one that I
recommend and it is actually theone that I take, and this is by
a brand Jarrow, and it's JarrowAshwagandha.
It comes in 300 milligramcapsules, makes it easy to take
one in the morning, one at nightor one before you shift and one
after or before you go to bed.
(07:02):
So there you go.
So that's ashwagandha to startoff with.
Now let's talk about magnesium.
Now, magnesium is another one.
It's very complicated becausethere are so many different
versions of magnesium for us toactually take, and a lot of
people take magnesium and go no,this is a waste of time.
It doesn't really do anythingfor me, and that's because
you're taking the wrong type ofmagnesium.
(07:24):
Magnesium comes in many, manydifferent forms.
Majority of the magnesium thatyou are seeing on the shelf is
magnesium oxide, which isabsolute rubbish and I mean
absolute garbage and that's whyit's cheap.
So what you've got to do isyou've got to be looking for the
right one.
So let's talk about magnesiumand all of that as well.
(07:45):
Now, this one, it's a mineral.
It's not a herb.
It's completely different, andit's absolutely essential in our
body for over 300 biochemicalreactions within our body.
It's something that hasinteractions with absolutely
everything.
What do we need magnesium forin our body?
(08:06):
Well, we need it to regulatenerve and muscle function.
We need it to control our bloodsugar levels.
We need it to support energyproduction and, most relevant
for our shift workers is itactually helps the brain and the
body to calm down and stay calm.
Now, magnesium is also known forhelping with the depth of sleep
(08:28):
.
It doesn't help.
It's hard to explain aboutsleep.
There's no actual evidence thatlinks magnesium to sleep, but
because it's a muscle relaxant,it actually helps with the
deeper sleep.
Magnesium also helps withmelatonin production as well.
It helps with muscle relaxation.
Now this is good for people whosuffer from restless legs or you
(08:49):
get cramping ladies, really,really good.
If you're getting a lot ofcramping, particularly around
that luteal phase of yourmenstrual cycle, the right type
of magnesium might be somethingthat you could consider.
That might help to calm thingsdown a bit for you, and it also
helps with anxiety reduction aswell by its pathway of calming
(09:13):
the nervous system.
So if you're struggling toswitch off or you're waking up
multiple times during the dayafter night shift, magnesium may
be something that could be amissing piece for you.
Now here's the thing Manypeople, shift workers especially
are generally quite low inmagnesium.
Now, this is because of poordiet, high stress, a lot of
(09:37):
sweating and this one drinkingtoo much caffeine can all
deplete your magnesium levels.
That's right.
Drinking too much caffeine candeplete your magnesium.
Think about how much you drink.
There are a few forms ofmagnesium out there.
(09:58):
I've discussed that.
There's about five or sixdifferent ones and you can get a
broad spectrum.
There's one made by Fusion,which I know is available here.
It's got a bit of every type init as well, all the different
types of magnesium.
So you're getting a bit ofeverything but magnesium
(10:18):
glycinate and magnesium citrateare the two most common ones.
Now, glycinate is best forcalming the nervous system and
also for aiding sleep or therestorative sleep, while citrate
is often used for wait for itconstipation.
So choose them wisely.
Otherwise you might find thatthe one that you're taking is
(10:39):
not actually relaxing the muscleor it might be relaxing the
wrong muscle and you might findyourself sitting on the toilet.
Now the general upper limit forsupplementation is around about
350.
I'm just playing it safe here.
Around 350 milligrams a day.
Too much will cause diarrhea,so do not go actually hammering
(11:00):
magnesium.
More is not better.
Just get it right.
That's all you've got toactually do we can get.
Also.
We can get magnesium from foodquite easy Leafy greens.
We get it from our nuts andseeds Really easy to just
actually get it in A handful ofnuts, and you might probably
find that you're getting enoughmagnesium as well.
Now, which one's better?
(11:21):
So the big question which oneis actually better out of these
two?
And it depends on your own bodyand what you're dealing with.
And this is what is reallyimportant for you to know.
Just because it works for me orit works for Jenny, it doesn't
mean that it's going to work foryou as well, because for
magnesium to be effective,you've got to be deficient in it
(11:42):
.
So don't think that, oh, I'lljust take magnesium because I'm
going to need it If you're notdeficient in it, you are
absolutely wasting your time.
So if you're someone who has alot of leafy greens or nuts or
seeds or any other magnesiumcontaining foods, then you're
going to find that by takingmagnesium, you're actually just
wasting your money or you'regoing to just end up on the
(12:04):
toilet because you're overdosingin it.
Now, just to summarize it ifyou're feeling anxious,
overstimulated, or you find thatyou're stuck in fight or flight
mode, which majority of shiftworkers are, ashwagandha may
actually be the better choicefor you.
It helps to reduce thatcortisol and it can calm that
wide brain that you've got aswell and, as I said, it actually
(12:26):
just levels you out a littlebit.
It really does make adifference.
And if you're feeling muscletension or you're struggling
with deep restorative sleep oryou suspect that your diet's not
good enough to be gettingreally good quality magnesium
from, then magnesium could bemore helpful for you.
But here's the kicker you canactually benefit from using both
(12:50):
One targeting your stresshormones and the other one
supporting your nervous system.
But please and I say this as anunderline before you go off and
start Googling and searching forit or going to the supermarket,
don't self-prescribe with thiswithout doing your homework.
And also, you must speak to aqualified health professional
(13:11):
about this.
The reason why I say that isbecause they've got a handle on
your own medical history, withwhere you're at and what you're
doing, because some of these canactually counter-interact with
medications that you may or maynot already be taking.
So keep that in mind or itcould impact on a health
(13:32):
condition that you've got.
Again, I underline this and Ireiterate don't just go start
taking supplements just for thehell of it, because you don't
realise just how impactful someof these supplements can
actually be.
Discuss with your healthcareprofessional.
Now, when I work with shiftworkers, I always start with all
(13:53):
of the basics before Irecommend supplements.
Remember, supplements areliterally that they supplement,
because you cannot supplementyour way out of drinking energy
drinks at 3 am in the morning tostay awake, or getting into bed
and scrolling on your phone andcan't work out while you go to
(14:14):
sleep but then you wake up aftera short time or just skipping
meals or poor quality diet.
But once you've got all thefoundations there, you're eating
well, you've got a good routineand you're actually
prioritizing your own recovery,then sometimes targeted
supplements can be a greatadd-on for you.
(14:34):
Now I often recommend magnesiumglycinate before sleep for
people, and also it just helpsto calm.
Right, and that's the mostimportant thing for a shift
worker, it just helps to calm.
And then ashwagandha before yourshift and also just before
sleep, which really helps, andthis can be for someone who's a
(14:56):
little bit highly wired, a bitstressed.
It can actually help.
And if your sleep's poor aswell, it can help to level you
out and calm you for sleep.
Your sleep's poor as well, itcan help to level you out and
calm you for sleep.
Stacking them, yep, possible,but again, you know it, it's
coming.
Professional advice first, okay.
So let's sum this upAshwagandha helps to manage
(15:16):
stress by lowering cortisol.
It's great if your mind isracing or you can't seem to wind
down, whereas magnesium helpsto calm your body and your
nervous system, and it's greatif your sleep is broken or your
body just feels tight or wiredor you just feel depleted.
Both can work well, but neitheris a silver bullet and they
(15:38):
work best as part of an entirelybigger plan, one that includes
a proper sleep hygiene, gettinggood movement, getting early
light exposure every day, a good, nutritious diet, and we need
to be setting boundaries aroundwork and our recovery.
Okay, so if this whole episodehelped you to clear some things
(15:59):
up, I'd love you to share itwith a workmate, and if you've
tried either ashwagandha ormagnesium, send me a message and
let me know how you went.
You've been listening to AHealthy Shift and I'm Roger
Sutherland.
Take care of yourself and Iwill see you in the next episode
.
And don't forget, you can go tothe recommended products page
(16:20):
on ahealthyshiftcom and you'llfind the supplements that I
recommend right there, thank you.
Thank you for listening.
If you enjoyed this episode, besure to subscribe so you get
notified whenever a new episodeis released.
(16:41):
It would also be ever sohelpful if you could leave a
rating and review on the appyou're currently listening on.
If you want to know more aboutme or work with me, you can go
to ahealthyshiftcom.
I'll catch you on the next one.
Shift work can be brutal, but it doesn't have to
be.
Welcome to a healthy shift.
My name is Roger Sutherland,certified nutritionist, veteran
law enforcement officer and 24-7shift worker for almost four
decades.
Through this podcast, I aim toeducate shift workers using
evidence-based methods to notonly survive the rigours of
(00:28):
shift work but thrive.
My goal is to empower shiftworkers to improve their health
and wellbeing so they have moreenergy to do the things they
love.
Enjoy today's show G'day, andwelcome back to A Healthy Shift.
My name Roger Sutherland, yourhost and long-time shift worker,
(00:49):
who's all about helping you tothrive and not just survive in
this 24-7 world that we live inNow.
Today's episode comes off theback of a number of questions
that I get around supplements,but one in particular or there's
two, actually, that I do get alot of questions around, and one
(01:10):
of them is a personal favoriteof mine that I do take regularly
.
So let's get into it and askthe question should I take
magnesium or ashwagandha to helpwith sleep and stress?
Interesting one, isn't it?
Because one's a herb and theother one is a mineral.
So let's go through it.
Honestly, it's really a greatquestion because if you're a
(01:34):
shift worker and you arebattling broken sleep or stress
from unpredictable rosters andthat constant wired but tired
feeling, then you're probablylooking for anything, anything
at all, that will help.
So today we're diving into both, and I want to talk about
ashwagandha and magnesium to seehow they work and what they
(01:56):
actually do in the body, andwhich one might help you
personally the most, or whethercombining the two is even worth
it.
There's another way of lookingat it.
So let's get into it.
The first one I'm going tostart with is ashwagandha.
Now, this I'm going to behonest with you, I'm going to
put my hand up is a personalfavorite of mine.
I take it every day.
(02:17):
Obviously, I cycle on and offit, because that's what we need
to do, and I'll get into that inthe episode, but let's start
with the ashwagandha to startoff with.
So, first of all, it is aherbal supplement.
Now, this has been used incenturies in traditional
Ayurvedic medicine.
Now, people often call it anadaptogen.
So what does this mean?
(02:38):
And what this means is itactually helps our body to adapt
to stress.
But how does it actually work?
Well, the main thing it targetsis a hormone called cortisol,
which is our primary stresshormone, because when cortisol
is chronically elevated, like itoften is in our shift workers,
(03:00):
because we're living on highalert, disrupted circadian
rhythms, our body is understress, even if we don't feel
stress ourself.
Now this can actually mess withyour sleep, and I'm talking
high cortisol here.
It can impact on your mood,your digestion and also on your
recovery.
Now, ashwagandha has been shownin multiple studies and it has
(03:25):
very robust evidence behind itthat it will actually support
lowering cortisol levels and, indoing so, does help with
feelings of anxiety andrestlessness.
Now, in plain terms, if yourstress is sky high and you feel
that you just can't calm down,especially at night, ashwagandha
(03:46):
might just help ease that tiredbut wide feeling.
Now, dosage does matter, becausemost supplements offer
somewhere between 220 milligramsto 600 milligrams of
ashwagandha root extract per day.
Now, a lot of research hasfocused on that 600 milligram
range, which is often split intotwo by 300 milligram doses.
(04:11):
Now I take one in the morningand I take one about an hour
before bed.
You could take one before shiftand one before sleep.
This is an ideal way for you totake it.
The thing that I do notice aboutashwagandha from a personal
level and it's hard to put yourfinger on it, but it does seem
(04:32):
to just level you out a bit.
It's hard, but it is onesupplement that I do take that I
do notice it's almost like aherbal antidepressant.
It just helps to just level youout.
It's interesting.
Are there any side effects toit?
Look, side effects toashwagandha are usually mild.
(04:54):
Sometimes we can think of it asa bit digestive upset or a bit
of drowsiness.
It's not so much drowsiness, Idon't see.
I just feel it like just a bitflattened out.
All right, but this is a bigbut, because now if you've got
thyroid or if you've got anyliver issues or if you're
pregnant and I mean this it'simportant that you discuss this
(05:18):
with your doctor before takingashwagandha, because it can
actually interfere with thyroidhormones in some people.
It is quite powerfulashwagandha, and that's why we
take it in two doses of 300milligram.
Now the other thing that I wantto warn about ashwagandha as
well is majority.
(05:38):
Again, just like any supplement, the quality is garbage on the
shelf.
I highly recommend that ifyou're looking at an ashwagandha
, the one thing that you do lookfor is look for KSM 66
certification on it.
What this means is and that'sthe letters KSM 66.
(05:58):
And what that actually means isit's certified as the root, as
quality, it's certified as theroot.
Instead of just being crushedup leaves and the upper part of
the plant, we want the root.
That is where the adaptogenquantities are actually in it.
(06:19):
So don't just walk in to apharmacy or a supplement store
and just pick up any ashwagandhaand start taking it, because
you might be thinking, well,this doesn't work, and that's
because it's absolute rubbish.
And again, the efficacy ofthese supplements is pretty
ordinary.
Now, if you go to my website,healthyshiftcom, on my
(06:42):
recommended product page, I doactually have one that I
recommend and it is actually theone that I take, and this is by
a brand Jarrow, and it's JarrowAshwagandha.
It comes in 300 milligramcapsules, makes it easy to take
one in the morning, one at nightor one before you shift and one
after or before you go to bed.
(07:02):
So there you go.
So that's ashwagandha to startoff with.
Now let's talk about magnesium.
Now, magnesium is another one.
It's very complicated becausethere are so many different
versions of magnesium for us toactually take, and a lot of
people take magnesium and go no,this is a waste of time.
It doesn't really do anythingfor me, and that's because
you're taking the wrong type ofmagnesium.
(07:24):
Magnesium comes in many, manydifferent forms.
Majority of the magnesium thatyou are seeing on the shelf is
magnesium oxide, which isabsolute rubbish and I mean
absolute garbage and that's whyit's cheap.
So what you've got to do isyou've got to be looking for the
right one.
So let's talk about magnesiumand all of that as well.
(07:45):
Now, this one, it's a mineral.
It's not a herb.
It's completely different, andit's absolutely essential in our
body for over 300 biochemicalreactions within our body.
It's something that hasinteractions with absolutely
everything.
What do we need magnesium forin our body?
(08:06):
Well, we need it to regulatenerve and muscle function.
We need it to control our bloodsugar levels.
We need it to support energyproduction and, most relevant
for our shift workers is itactually helps the brain and the
body to calm down and stay calm.
Now, magnesium is also known forhelping with the depth of sleep
(08:28):
.
It doesn't help.
It's hard to explain aboutsleep.
There's no actual evidence thatlinks magnesium to sleep, but
because it's a muscle relaxant,it actually helps with the
deeper sleep.
Magnesium also helps withmelatonin production as well.
It helps with muscle relaxation.
Now this is good for people whosuffer from restless legs or you
(08:49):
get cramping ladies, really,really good.
If you're getting a lot ofcramping, particularly around
that luteal phase of yourmenstrual cycle, the right type
of magnesium might be somethingthat you could consider.
That might help to calm thingsdown a bit for you, and it also
helps with anxiety reduction aswell by its pathway of calming
(09:13):
the nervous system.
So if you're struggling toswitch off or you're waking up
multiple times during the dayafter night shift, magnesium may
be something that could be amissing piece for you.
Now here's the thing Manypeople, shift workers especially
are generally quite low inmagnesium.
Now, this is because of poordiet, high stress, a lot of
(09:37):
sweating and this one drinkingtoo much caffeine can all
deplete your magnesium levels.
That's right.
Drinking too much caffeine candeplete your magnesium.
Think about how much you drink.
There are a few forms ofmagnesium out there.
(09:58):
I've discussed that.
There's about five or sixdifferent ones and you can get a
broad spectrum.
There's one made by Fusion,which I know is available here.
It's got a bit of every type init as well, all the different
types of magnesium.
So you're getting a bit ofeverything but magnesium
(10:18):
glycinate and magnesium citrateare the two most common ones.
Now, glycinate is best forcalming the nervous system and
also for aiding sleep or therestorative sleep, while citrate
is often used for wait for itconstipation.
So choose them wisely.
Otherwise you might find thatthe one that you're taking is
(10:39):
not actually relaxing the muscleor it might be relaxing the
wrong muscle and you might findyourself sitting on the toilet.
Now the general upper limit forsupplementation is around about
350.
I'm just playing it safe here.
Around 350 milligrams a day.
Too much will cause diarrhea,so do not go actually hammering
(11:00):
magnesium.
More is not better.
Just get it right.
That's all you've got toactually do we can get.
Also.
We can get magnesium from foodquite easy Leafy greens.
We get it from our nuts andseeds Really easy to just
actually get it in A handful ofnuts, and you might probably
find that you're getting enoughmagnesium as well.
Now, which one's better?
(11:21):
So the big question which oneis actually better out of these
two?
And it depends on your own bodyand what you're dealing with.
And this is what is reallyimportant for you to know.
Just because it works for me orit works for Jenny, it doesn't
mean that it's going to work foryou as well, because for
magnesium to be effective,you've got to be deficient in it
(11:42):
.
So don't think that, oh, I'lljust take magnesium because I'm
going to need it If you're notdeficient in it, you are
absolutely wasting your time.
So if you're someone who has alot of leafy greens or nuts or
seeds or any other magnesiumcontaining foods, then you're
going to find that by takingmagnesium, you're actually just
wasting your money or you'regoing to just end up on the
(12:04):
toilet because you're overdosingin it.
Now, just to summarize it ifyou're feeling anxious,
overstimulated, or you find thatyou're stuck in fight or flight
mode, which majority of shiftworkers are, ashwagandha may
actually be the better choicefor you.
It helps to reduce thatcortisol and it can calm that
wide brain that you've got aswell and, as I said, it actually
(12:26):
just levels you out a littlebit.
It really does make adifference.
And if you're feeling muscletension or you're struggling
with deep restorative sleep oryou suspect that your diet's not
good enough to be gettingreally good quality magnesium
from, then magnesium could bemore helpful for you.
But here's the kicker you canactually benefit from using both
(12:50):
One targeting your stresshormones and the other one
supporting your nervous system.
But please and I say this as anunderline before you go off and
start Googling and searching forit or going to the supermarket,
don't self-prescribe with thiswithout doing your homework.
And also, you must speak to aqualified health professional
(13:11):
about this.
The reason why I say that isbecause they've got a handle on
your own medical history, withwhere you're at and what you're
doing, because some of these canactually counter-interact with
medications that you may or maynot already be taking.
So keep that in mind or itcould impact on a health
(13:32):
condition that you've got.
Again, I underline this and Ireiterate don't just go start
taking supplements just for thehell of it, because you don't
realise just how impactful someof these supplements can
actually be.
Discuss with your healthcareprofessional.
Now, when I work with shiftworkers, I always start with all
(13:53):
of the basics before Irecommend supplements.
Remember, supplements areliterally that they supplement,
because you cannot supplementyour way out of drinking energy
drinks at 3 am in the morning tostay awake, or getting into bed
and scrolling on your phone andcan't work out while you go to
(14:14):
sleep but then you wake up aftera short time or just skipping
meals or poor quality diet.
But once you've got all thefoundations there, you're eating
well, you've got a good routineand you're actually
prioritizing your own recovery,then sometimes targeted
supplements can be a greatadd-on for you.
(14:34):
Now I often recommend magnesiumglycinate before sleep for
people, and also it just helpsto calm.
Right, and that's the mostimportant thing for a shift
worker, it just helps to calm.
And then ashwagandha before yourshift and also just before
sleep, which really helps, andthis can be for someone who's a
(14:56):
little bit highly wired, a bitstressed.
It can actually help.
And if your sleep's poor aswell, it can help to level you
out and calm you for sleep.
Your sleep's poor as well, itcan help to level you out and
calm you for sleep.
Stacking them, yep, possible,but again, you know it, it's
coming.
Professional advice first, okay.
So let's sum this upAshwagandha helps to manage
(15:16):
stress by lowering cortisol.
It's great if your mind isracing or you can't seem to wind
down, whereas magnesium helpsto calm your body and your
nervous system, and it's greatif your sleep is broken or your
body just feels tight or wiredor you just feel depleted.
Both can work well, but neitheris a silver bullet and they
(15:38):
work best as part of an entirelybigger plan, one that includes
a proper sleep hygiene, gettinggood movement, getting early
light exposure every day, a good, nutritious diet, and we need
to be setting boundaries aroundwork and our recovery.
Okay, so if this whole episodehelped you to clear some things
(15:59):
up, I'd love you to share itwith a workmate, and if you've
tried either ashwagandha ormagnesium, send me a message and
let me know how you went.
You've been listening to AHealthy Shift and I'm Roger
Sutherland.
Take care of yourself and Iwill see you in the next episode
.
And don't forget, you can go tothe recommended products page
(16:20):
on ahealthyshiftcom and you'llfind the supplements that I
recommend right there, thank you.
Thank you for listening.
If you enjoyed this episode, besure to subscribe so you get
notified whenever a new episodeis released.
(16:41):
It would also be ever sohelpful if you could leave a
rating and review on the appyou're currently listening on.
If you want to know more aboutme or work with me, you can go
to ahealthyshiftcom.
I'll catch you on the next one.
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