Sleep aids?

[Uncle Fester]

Gotta say, though...go/no go pills are magical little friends. We'd have planes crashing all over Afghanistan without 'em. Dexadrine wakes you up without tweaking you out, and Ambien puts me under in nothin' flat. Thanks, Air Force!

Generally speaking, though, if you're not actually on flight status, the rules about what you can and can take are much, much more lax. The problem the flight docs might have later is not what you've taken but why you took them. "So you say you have trouble sleeping, ensign? Why do you think that is?" (scribble, scribble, scribble)

 

[squeeze]

The problem the flight docs might have later is not what you've taken but why you took them. "So you say you have trouble sleeping, ensign? Why do you think that is?" (scribble, scribble, scribble)

And once again, you can fall back on valuable advice for aviators when dealing with doctors: Admit Nothing, Deny Everything, Make Counter-Accusations

 

[Flying Low]

Well now I'm not sure about ambien downing you. I think the bigger picture for the flight surgeon is why. Too stressed and can't sleep, then maybe you should not being flying anyways.

 

[BourneID]

Maybe try a little night cap with your wife every night, as long as she doesn't want to cuddle afterwards, you should be a sleep in no time flat

 

[BENDER]

OP: Why not try Melatonin? It's natural, over the counter, inexpensive, and does not leave you tired in the morning.

 

[zab1001]

"Midnite" is an all natural melatonin blend (some other stuff in it, not idea). No prescription. It's pretty awesome. The first time I had it, I was positive it had to be narcotic.

When I do take it, it usually isn't until 9:30, 10pm, I'm out by 10:30, and when I get up (4:30 every day), I'm wide awake. No "hangover."

(Straight melatonin makes me sluggish all morning, and even more of a dick than usual)

 

[Mumbles]

Zab...despite melatonin being touted as all natural, I have always noticed that I get the "medecine head" feeling in the morning as well. It does the job knocking me out when I need to sleep though. BTW...can you get this Midnight brand at a drug or grocery store??

 

[zab1001]

I get it at Rite Aid, they stock it on the shelf by the Tylenol PM.

To clarify, when my alarm goes off, I immediately say "dammit," and I'm groggy for about 3 minutes. Beyond that, I'm all set.

 

[picklesuit]

I say suck it up, stop being a pussy. Your wife is getting up to take care of little baby junior S.O.B., why should you get to sleep?
(yeah, I've got a 22 month old and a 7-week old, so I get it)

The pressing medical issue should be when are you getting the boys snipped so you don't have to deal with this shit anymore?

 

[MIDNJAC]

So is this "Midnight" stuff legal, in terms of being on flight status? Something like that would certainly help on those days when you get back home after a flight at 4-5 pm, and have a 0600 brief the next morning, + 4 hrs of studying and being stressed about the flight.

 

[Brett327]

So is this "Midnight" stuff legal, in terms of being on flight status? Something like that would certainly help on those days when you get back home after a flight at 4-5 pm, and have a 0600 brief the next morning, + 4 hrs of studying and being stressed about the flight.

Probably not w/o FS approval.

Brett

 

[zab1001]

So is this "Midnight" stuff legal, in terms of being on flight status? Something like that would certainly help on those days when you get back home after a flight at 4-5 pm, and have a 0600 brief the next morning, + 4 hrs of studying and being stressed about the flight.

Concur with Brett. I'm not on flight status, so I freebase it.

 

[MIDNJAC]

Roger......biggest problem is probably just recovering from the weekend sleep schedule, and moderating caffeine intake throughout the day (when studying/flying)

 

[LOSLOAR]

Ambien CR

Recently, Ambien CR has been approved for aviators, and no, you don't get a down chit. See the flight surgeon and he'll hook you up. Several guys here are on it. Welcome to the insomnia club.

 

[MIDNJAC]

Recently, Ambien CR has been approved for aviators, and no, you don't get a down chit. See the flight surgeon and he'll hook you up. Several guys here are on it. Welcome to the insomnia club.

Awesome, though do you know if that is habit forming? I for one wouldn't want to start something that I couldn't finish, just because my sleep schedule gets messed up occasionally (skeds induced or otherwise)