Legal sleep aid (Sonata) for non-nappers
 

For those of us who do not nap well prior to all-nighters, crazy early pushes, double duty day trips, etc...

...according to this FAA web site, Sonata (zaleplon) is the only sleep aid with a short enough minimum pre-duty wait time (6 hours) to potentially help afternoon napping before a late-night or super-early-morning push:

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org...arm/sleepaids/

Anybody get a prescription for Sonata, and then manage to get along with your AME & FAA afterwards for Class I renewals? If not, why not? If the FAA allows it with more than 6 hours prior to duty, why is it not talked about & used more given the crazy hours many fly?

ALPA Aeromedical likely has the best answer, but thought social media might also generate some thoughts on this.

Thx.

They don’t EXACTLY allow it. Note the provisions:

In theory, ANY of these drugs can be used intermittently as long as legally prescribed and the clearance times are respected, and if you go into the hospital for something, you’ll probably get something routine for a sleeping pill and no one will even care.

But as it indicates, daily or nightly use of sleep aids - even short acting ones, is NOT going to be allowed. And Sonata is a Class IV controlled drug IN THIS COUNTRY and is more severely restricted in other countries because of its addiction potential and because of misuse when mixed with alcohol. It reacts very poorly with ANY amount of alcohol including causing something called Transient Global Amnesia where you awaken not really knowing where you’ve been, where you are, how you got there, or what you’ve recently been doing. It has been used with alcohol as a date rape drug.


Would it be acceptable to help adjust circadian rhythm? Yes, rarely. It’s similar to the go/no-go medication that the USAF uses. But it’s use is not without risk and I imagine any bad reaction to it, especially if mixed with alcohol, could easily be a career ending event for any airline pilot..

Tough it out and stay away from that sort of stuff.
Call in fatigued if you can’t make it happen.
Resorting to pharmaceuticals is crazy.

I did, faa didnt care so dont listen these guys

Its a pretty lousy sleep aid btw

Don't start modifying your sleep patterns with drugs, or trying to make up for being off your circadian with sleeping medication. It's a bad idea.

Thanks. If using it a little over 6 hours before duty, alcohol wouldn't be a factor.

Thanks...good to know.

We had access to sleep aids when deployed to OIF and I think others said the same about Sonata.

Not so. Using it with alcohol at ANY TIME is a huge potential problem even if you won’t be flying until 12-24 hours later.

Unless you don’t mind waking up not knowing what country you are in and how you got there.

Isn't that normal for long haul flying anyway? 😎

Good grief.

...just asking about the legality and effectiveness of Sonata. For your reading, this question was posed with the assumption zero alcohol is involved.

1. You aren’t the only one reading this column. Note comment from Droopy (above).
2. Not accusing you of anything, merely regurgitating the published and well established cautions on this and similar medications.
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syV2LkGpQB0