According to a recent study conducted by Stanford University, 40% of Americans report feeling sleepy while at work. For Security Professionals, the idea of dozing off not only reflects poorly on your professionalism, it is also dangerous because your employer is depending on you to be alert and deter criminal activity. Working in security often times puts you in a position to work flexible hours, and perhaps, the graveyard shift. It is only natural that a person may develop drowsiness, and despite popular belief, coffee is not the be-all, end-all answer. Here are some helpful hints:

Get more sleep

The first, and most obvious solution to feeling fatigued, is to get more sleep. Perhaps you are staying up unnecessarily late, and need to exercise a little more discipline with your sleep schedule. Be mindful that medical studies have consistently shown that sleep deprivation can increase anxiety and depression. More importantly, if you are driving home and are completely sleep deprived, you could severely injure or even kill someone. According to the National Safety Council, Almost 100,000 deaths each year are caused by sleep-deprived drivers.

Pick the right time to exercise

Many sleep experts advise that pinpointing the time of day you consistently feel tired is the best time for exercise. Do some stretching, or get off your feet and walk around a bit. Make sure that you do not exercise too close to the time you go to bed, because that can disrupt your sleep schedule.

Don't overindulge on sugar

It's only natural that people may seek out a can of pop or some candy from the vending machine for a little extra kick. The trouble is, when the sugar high wears off, you are likely to feel even more tired than you did before. One study found, for example, that an hour after drinking high-sugar energy drinks, sleep-deprived patients were sleepier and had more lapses in concentration than patients in the control group, who didn't drink the sugary drink, so you should avoid fats,, and carbohydrates. Have some lean protein, and keep the meal light.

Coffee

Caffeine seems to be a divisive solution, and that is probably because people react very differently to it. You may want to start off with half a cup after lunch and see if that disrupts your nighttime sleep. Don't drink coffee in the late afternoon or evening. As with naps, moderation is the key when it comes to caffeine. If you overdo it, you may set off a tough cycle to change, making it hard to sleep at night so you are drowsier the next day. Most sleep experts advise against drinking caffeine after 2 p.m.

Take a Nap

A quick nap can dispel daytime drowsiness and get you back on track. People worry that if they give in to drowsiness and take a nap, they'll sleep for hours, or wake up feeling even worse.

Naps aren't just for babies or toddlers. In fact, taking a nap can refresh you, but just make sure it is a cat-nap. Lisa Shives, MD, medical director at North Shore Sleep Medicine in Evanston, Ill. "Research shows that a short, 10-minute nap makes you more alert and improves performance on cognitive tests," says Shives, who is a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Timing is also critical, says, M. Jawad Miran, DO, a sleep medicine specialist at Somerset Medical Center's Sleep for Life program in Hillsborough, N.J. "Naps taken for too long or too late in the day can throw off the body's inner clock. If you nap, do so for no more than 20 minutes, so you will remain in a lighter phase of sleep and can awaken without feeling groggy and out of sorts."