Legal sleep aid (Sonata) for non-nappers
#1
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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.
...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.
#2
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/
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?
...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/
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?
Occasional or limited use of sleep aids, such as for circadian rhythm disruption in commercial air operations, is allowable for pilots. Daily/nightly use of sleep aids is not allowed regardless of the underlying cause or reason
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..
#6
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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.
We had access to sleep aids when deployed to OIF and I think others said the same about Sonata.
#7
Unless you don’t mind waking up not knowing what country you are in and how you got there.
#9
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...just asking about the legality and effectiveness of Sonata. For your reading, this question was posed with the assumption zero alcohol is involved.
#10
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
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