Here are some tips that don’t seem to have been mentioned yet:
1. Use a sleep tracker that records napping. Apple Watch plus the Auto Sleep App are the only combo that I’ve found that does naps. Actively manage your sleep stats like you’d manage your portfolio.
2. Research says that you can only shift your circadian rhythm ~1.5hrs/day. You can’t shift your body to a redeye schedule the day prior, you have to start days prior. When I worked nights, I shifted my sleep schedule to something resembling a swing shift so that I could keep a foot in the day for when I was off and a foot in the nights for when I was working. I wasn’t perfectly rested for either but was functional for both without having to shift back and forth. If you’re only doing 1-2 redeyes at a time it’s probably better to keep yourself on a normal sleep schedule and just power through the night flights.
3. The FAA has a list of sleep aids on their website and the amount of time required after consuming them before you can fly. Sonata has a 6hr expiration and works way better than melatonin but not as well as Ambien. Take Sonata to fall asleep initially and then take melatonin when you wake up to use the restroom so that you can go back to sleep.
4. Use an eye mask and ear plugs to stay asleep longer during the day. This gets me anywhere from an extra 30 minutes to an extra hour or two per day.
5. Don’t eat or exercise within a few hours of going to bed otherwise you won’t go to bed.
6. As someone else recommended, read the book, “Why We Sleep”. Being rested on a redeye schedule is a job unto itself. If you do 100% of everything right per the book you’ll still at best only be ~80% rested. Being rested is a battle of inches, actually 30 minute increments. Each technique in the book will only net you an extra 15-30 minutes of sleep per day but those small chunks add up to a significant amount of extra sleep.
7. It’s easy to mistake fatigue for low blood sugar. Try eating before your try caffeine to avoid sleep problems.
8. 101 level is being rested for work. 201 level is being rested for when you get off of work so that you can work to live rather than live to work.
Good luck!