Reverting fully to a typical day schedule during your time off will make it harder to sleep during the day after you return to work. Instead, stay up late and sleep as late as possible on days off.

Hang light-blocking curtains or shades on your windows or tape black plastic garbage bags or aluminum foil on the glass. Wear an eye mask if your bedroom is still light, the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) says.

Daytime sleep often lasts only four or five hours, so it may help to take a 20- to 30-minute nap in the evening before beginning a night shift.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist if any of your medications could disturb your sleep. You can also check the product label.

In addition to changing your routine, save your most enjoyable tasks for the times you find it most difficult to stay awake, the NSF says.

Thirty minutes of exercise three or four times a week will help you sleep better and deeper because working out helps reduce mental and physical stress.

Another way to stay more alert is to take a nap, but this can endanger yourself or others unless you take a nap at break time. Some companies allow controlled napping, in which workers can take one 20-minute nap per shift in a designated nap area, the NSF says.

Physical activity triggers your nervous system and helps keep you alert.

To help prevent accidents, vary your route and drive with another worker, which will keep you alert. Call a cab, a friend or a relative for a ride if you're feeling particularly exhausted. If possible, you could also nap in your car before driving home.