• Sleeping aids

Posted: **Wed Mar 22, 2023 1:38 am**

Any pilot here who has delt with insomnia. Is there medications a pilot can take that's stronger than melatonin.

Posted: **Wed Mar 22, 2023 3:14 am**

Malfunction wrote: ↑Wed Mar 22, 2023 1:38 am Any pilot here who has delt with insomnia. Is there medications a pilot can take that's stronger than melatonin.

I haven't dealt with it, my wife has though. You may have to find out why you're having trouble winding down, is it anxiety, PTSD, sleeping environment?

It's likely that the insomnia is caused by something (not a doctor) and to treat it you have to find out the root cause. The medication that can help is likely hard to use on a Cat 1 medical.

Best I sleep is when I am eating healthy and exercising consistently. That does help my wife as well, not to the point she gets great sleep but her sleep is improved when exercising consistently. The biggest improvement in her sleep is when her anxiety, depression, PTSD symptoms are better, when she has a relapse on mental health the sleep suffers.

Posted: **Wed Mar 22, 2023 6:29 am**

As mentioned above, your best option is a healthy diet and exercise. Time zone changes can make sleep difficult to impossible though. And those 5 am check-ins mean trying to go to sleep at 8 pm which is equally as challenging.

Never abuse a sleeping aid. But the answer you may be looking for is zopiclone.

Posted: **Wed Mar 22, 2023 7:07 am**

I used to flip back and forth between days and nights flying cargo. Zopiclone was the only way I'd get quality sleep. I called TC beforehand and they assured me it would not void my medical.

Thankfully those days are over.

Posted: **Wed Mar 22, 2023 7:20 am**

Say of melatonin, way too unreliable. Many studies have shown a wide range of melatonin per dose. Personally I never felt rested when waking after taking it.

Zopiclone works, I find Zolpiderm works better because of how I feel when I wake up after taking it.

If you take as a tool or aid vs a crutch you will be fine. Lifestyle is key for good sleep with irregular sleep schedules.

Posted: **Wed Mar 22, 2023 6:30 pm**

They pulled my medical because of the prescribed use of Zopiclone. First it was approved; then I got a letter that I could not use it within 24 hours of a flight. Then we got a new RAMO, and my medical was suspended because of the use of Zopiclone. It works though.

Posted: **Fri Mar 24, 2023 6:56 am**

Have you tried the Nyquil ZZZs melatonin gummies? They are foolproof for me (other stuff never worked)

I recommended it to my captain and he said it knocked him right out.

$16 for a pack of 24. Shoppers drug mart

Cheers!

Posted: **Fri Mar 24, 2023 9:22 am**

TFTMB heavy wrote: ↑Wed Mar 22, 2023 7:20 am Say of melatonin, way too unreliable. Many studies have shown a wide range of melatonin per dose. Personally I never felt rested when waking after taking it.

Zopiclone works, I find Zolpiderm works better because of how I feel when I wake up after taking it.

If you take as a tool or aid vs a crutch you will be fine. Lifestyle is key for good sleep with irregular sleep schedules.

You prefer zolpidem? I take zopiclone a few times a year to help with an early start. I've always been able to stay awake for 30 hours without issue but sleeping early is a weak point with the racing mind. However I find that the foggy hangover with zopiclone lasts for several hours after waking up, so to give it time to fade you end up taking it ridiculously early and sleeping at dinnertime. That and the sleep quality of a full artificial night doesn't seem much better than even a short 4-5 hour of natural sleep.
Maybe I'll give that a shot if it has milder side effects.

Posted: **Fri Mar 24, 2023 9:42 am**

Years ago, I had insomnia and my FP prescribed zopliclone. Zopiclone has a short half life (4 hrs if I recall), so it get's you to sleep quick and you don't feel groggy in the morning. My CAME said that I could take zopiclone for an early night before an early morning check in, and I did, and it worked wonders. (Dare I say it changed my life.) However, I have a new CAME now and he said that I can't take it within 24 hours of flying which largely defeats the purpose.

I'll warn you though, when you first start on zopiclone, be near a bed- I remember tripping up the stairs and literally falling into my bed asleep. Also, it can create a dependency, so once your insomnia is under control, it's probably best you taper off.

I ended up taking it every night for a month and then tapered myself off. I'm fine now and haven't taken it for close to 10 years. It looks like I just needed a reset. Now I'm really careful about my sleep. Everyone mocks me, but I go to bed every night at 2200 my time.

For non-prescription, you can take the 50 mg diphenhydramine (Benadryl). Not sure what TC thinks about that though. It will help you sleep, but it's not designed for that purpose.

Posted: **Fri Mar 24, 2023 6:40 pm**

Bede wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 9:42 am Years ago, I had insomnia and my FP prescribed zopliclone. Zopiclone has a short half life (4 hrs if I recall), so it get's you to sleep quick and you don't feel groggy in the morning. If you have difficulty staying asleep you can get zolpidem (Ambien), but it has a longer half life and therefore you'll likely feel the effects the next day. My CAME said that I could take zopiclone for an early night before an early morning check in, and I did, and it worked wonders. (Dare I say it changed my life.) However, I have a new CAME now and he said that I can't take it within 24 hours of flying which largely defeats the purpose.

I'll warn you though, when you first start on zopiclone, be near a bed- I remember tripping up the stairs and literally falling into my bed asleep. Also, it can create a dependency, so once your insomnia is under control, it's probably best you taper off.

I ended up taking it every night for a month and then tapered myself off. I'm fine now and haven't taken it for close to 10 years. It looks like I just needed a reset. Now I'm really careful about my sleep. Everyone mocks me, but I go to bed every night at 2200 my time.

For non-prescription, you can take the 50 mg diphenhydramine (Benadryl). Not sure what TC thinks about that though. It will help you sleep, but it's not designed for that purpose.

I'm not a pharmacist or a medical dr but zolpidem has a shorter half life than zopiclone in every place I've looked for the info and it works better for me. Take it for what it's worth.

When I use it it's an insurance everything else I've done to get a good night rest will work.

Posted: **Sat Mar 25, 2023 4:43 am**

TFTMB heavy wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 6:40 pm
I'm not a pharmacist or a medical dr but zolpidem has a shorter half life than zopiclone in every place I've looked for the info and it works better for me. Take it for what it's worth

Yep you're right. I must have confused it with another drug.

Posted: **Sat Mar 25, 2023 7:25 am**

There is a newer one on the same family called Zaleplon, which touts an ultrashort half-life and, according to a few studies, zero next day carryover. That's fantastic if it's the case.

Posted: **Sat Mar 25, 2023 7:55 am**

For a good time, take a zolpidem with a couple of glasses of wine on your DH flight…

Posted: **Sat Mar 25, 2023 9:34 am**

I’m amazed no one has mentioned it yet, but for a more natural sleep aid just take magnesium supplement about an hour before sleep. Up to 400mg is safe per day, I find a 250gr pill will knock me out and keep me out for 8-10 hours. As we age it’s a great idea to take it anyway for a variety of other reasons, but it definitely helps for sleep.

Posted: **Sat Mar 25, 2023 10:07 am**

A few shots of whisky does wonders for me.

Posted: **Sat Mar 25, 2023 10:40 am**

Jester123 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 25, 2023 10:07 am A few shots of whisky does wonders for me.

Amen to that.

Posted: **Sat Apr 08, 2023 4:10 pm**

A few years ago my default was CBD oil not thc; 8 drops after a long day would put me to sleep in roughly 45min & no side effects for the following day,

As per custom I'm not a Dr but it did the job.

Easily accessible now with no thc content.

Posted: **Sat Apr 08, 2023 7:05 pm**

Have you thought of getting a sleep study done? A sleep study and CPAP machine has worked wonders for me.

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