As with others, I've done my fair share of night shifts. The worst is seven nights in a row, starting Friday night and finishing the nights on a Friday morning with only the weekend off. Twelve hour shifts.
I've always struggled but what helps is staying up the night before, going to bed late, wake up early so there's some sleep deprivation, mess around and then sleep for a few hours and get up when it's time to get ready.
I can't shift my bodyclock much so I tend to eat during the day and eat virtually nothing at night. Hence decent breakfast with lots of protein and slow-release carbs eg eggs, followed by porridge and then some source of caffeine. Also have a cereal bar for the early hours say 5am.
The best I've ever slept is six hours and the worst is four hours, which is a killer. So definitely make sure nothing can disturb you when you sleep. I find nytol is crap but am normally exhausted when I get home.
Biggest problem will be driving - it can be dangerous to drive home tired so the use of a hotel if nearby is a good one. Even a power nap before driving back could save your life.
