<<I know it is difficult but that is just being irresponsible. >>
I don't think so. I was an air traffic controller for most of my life and worked some pretty horrific duty patterns abroad. I never slept prior to a night duty and only managed a few hours the following day as I find it extremely difficult to sleep with noise/light. Like long-haul pilots I was always able to get a few hours rest in the night which was adequate for me. Many people I worked with functioned in a similar manner.