A combat nap (anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours) BEFORE I go fly at night is what keeps me alert through the important time. Then, I follow the other advice previously stated: shower if needed, clean/new underwear to sleep in, hydrate well, cold dark room, tunnel under the covers, sleep with earplugs in, a little food (not too much), then sleep until awaking naturally. Then exercise, shower, shave, eat, live my life as "normal" then prepare for the next pre-flight nap. This works for me, and is not a perfect solution, but has served me well thus far. Oh, and try to stay healthy enough to get senior in domicile, & eventually fly during the day.