I don't suggest caffeine to try to stay awake at night, just as I don't suggest it to stay awake during the day. But some people feel they need it. As for getting accustomed to the schedule, it will take some time. One thing I would highly suggest is to get some blackout curtains for your room. Make it completely dark in your room so that you can sleep better during the day. Another suggestion would be to try to darken your house gradually. It may be noon when you go to bed, but you want to pull the curtains closed a little at a time to make it darker and darker. Then you go in your room to wind down and gradually close the bedroom door so it's completely black. This will help your body adjust to sleeping during the day.
What hours are you working? As a couple other guys mentioned, you need to get into a schedule. Try to keep it as close to a regular daily schedule as you can. If you usually worked 8-4, did you go to bed right after work? No, you stayed up for about 6 hours or so after work. You would also get up an hour or so before work and have breakfast, then you'd have lunch 4-5 hours into your day, then dinner after work. This is the way you need to set up your schedule when you're working nights, especially if you're going to stay on the nightshift for awhile. The worst work schedule is when they change it on you all the time and you work nights for a couple weeks, then days, then 2nd shift. You almost never get accustomed to that routine. But if they stick you on one schedule, you can get your body to accept the changes. You'll just have to fit riding into the schedule as best as possible. Most likely after work (once you get into the routine and your not tired during that time).
I feel for you guys/gals that work these hours all the time.
