Trouble Sleeping?

[Lrjtcaptain]

Anyone know of any problems with AME's and sleeping pills?

I have had the worst problems sleeping this past year and has effected my performance as an ATCS and effected me while flying the corp route too at times.
I usually just try and deal with it but coffee and my 2 liters of coke i drink a day can only do so much.

Anyone know if there would be a medical issue if i was to get perscription sleeping pills? Sedatives and the FAA can't be a good mix.

Thanks

MK

 

[2000flyer]

2 litres of coke a day! I couldn't sleep because I'd be up in the head all night. Oh wait, thats an age thing, not sleeping.

In all seriousness, check out AOPA's website for a list of approved OTC and perscribed medications.

2000Flyer

 

[FN FAL]

Loose the caffine, lose the nicotine, excercise (walking is good), don't eat protein or chocolate before going to bed, don't consume alcohol before going to bed, stay off the internet two hours before going to bed.

Believe me, you lose the caffine and the nicotine...you will be able to sleep on demand. Besides, you'll be so bored, you'll go to bed early just because.

Even when sleeping aids and the FAA were not an issue, I never had good luck with them. They ruin the next day for you by making you groggy...no matter what the person at the health store tells you.

 

[mayday1]

I'm not a doctor, but I don't think they'll prescribe more than 10-20 pills (of Ambien or something).. as I understand, sleeping pills can become addictive and doctors are reluctant to prescribe them for any extended length of time.. as others have mentioned, I'd find a different way to get some quality sleep.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

Loose the caffine, lose the nicotine, excercise (walking is good), don't eat protein or chocolate before going to bed, don't consume alcohol before going to bed, stay off the internet two hours before going to bed.

Believe me, you lose the caffine and the nicotine...you will be able to sleep on demand. Besides, you'll be so bored, you'll go to bed early just because.

Even when sleeping aids and the FAA were not an issue, I never had good luck with them. They ruin the next day for you by making you groggy...no matter what the person at the health store tells you.

This is 100% accurate!

booze is the killer, makes sleep terrible.

 

[FN FAL]

This is 100% accurate!

booze is the killer, makes sleep terrible.

I heard that alcohol disrupts the patterns of sleep, making the sleep you do get least restfull.

I gave up booze, caffene, and nicotine last January and I couldn't stay up past 9:00 PM...even on a Saturday. It's amazing what we do to ourselves with our vices.

When I quit the caffene, I had neuralgia for two weeks. It was almost as if I could get up and move and my mind would take a second to catch up. Pretty wierd...(as he takes a sip of coffee )

 

[Gulfstream 200]

booze....smokes....OK I will miss you..

Give up the Starbucks. F NO NO WAY.

 

[Vik]

Take the Coke and coffee out of your diet, SLOWLY. Switch to decaf for 3/4ths of your cups, etc.

Coke and coffee, i dont care what flavor, diet or not, caffine free or not, will screw up your sleeping pattern eventually, not mention constant dehydration. Both cause your body to lose water.

Also, start eating well, and maintain a routine. Go to bed at 10pm even if you dont feel sleepy.

Wash your sheets, pillow cases, etc. more frequently. Don't exercise before bed.

Just google it .. you'll get tons of info .. not to mention tons of ads to buy pills, but the pills just make things worse in the long run.

 

[FracCapt]

Excercise. Get up in the morning and go for a run/walk. Hit the weights a few times a week. Just doing this, even without giving up caffeine(and nicotine if you use it), will help a tremendous amount. Of course, if you give up those things...or at least cut way, way back...AND excercise daily - you'll be sleeping like a baby. Also, don't eat within 2-3 hours of bedtime.

 

[Daveman]

..........

 

[FinalApproach]

FAA approved...

Ambien (Zolpidem) 5mg at bedtime...10 mg max...short term sleep aid...it works...make sure you are in good health with no kidney or liver problems prior to use...should u decide...

Chill out with the caffeine...it sounds like u are addicted to it...talk about a roller coaster ride...headaches...etc...from using too much caffeine...I know...I was a Mountain Dew/Dunkin Donuts fan for awhile...

 

[SDF2BUF2MCO]

Watching a golf game on TV does the trick for me.

 

[scuzzer23]

Read the regulations... guaranteed to put you to sleep within minutes.

 

[Billy Madison]

I suffered with terrible sleep for about a year and couldn't figure out why. It started after I had mono, a real bad case. My tonsils had swollen permanently and had caused sleep apnea. My tonsils would close off my airway at night and
I would wake up frequently at night, a lot of times you don't even know it. It makes for shallow sleep. My tonsils started causing a lot of pain and I went to the doctor. I had them taken out and the difference is amazing. This may be your situation, if not, I'd suggest going to some sleep therapist. Stay away from the drugs. Not sleeping can become a psychological problem or be a part of another problem, like anxiety. Which by the way you don't want to be diagnosed with either, I believe it is disqualifying for the medical.
Billy

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

what about melatonin?

 

[Billy Madison]

Melatonin is good...and turkey.

Billy

 

[Daveman]

Excercise. Get up in the morning and go for a run/walk. Hit the weights a few times a week. Just doing this, even without giving up caffeine(and nicotine if you use it), will help a tremendous amount. Of course, if you give up those things...or at least cut way, way back...AND excercise daily - you'll be sleeping like a baby. Also, don't eat within 2-3 hours of bedtime.

That doesn't sound to sweet. Waking up every two hours crying, needing to be changed or breast fed.

 

[350DRIVER]

I'm not a doctor, but I don't think they'll prescribe more than 10-20 pills (of Ambien or something).. as I understand, sleeping pills can become addictive and doctors are reluctant to prescribe them for any extended length of time.. as others have mentioned, I'd find a different way to get some quality sleep

You are correct, it was like pulling teeth to get a 1 month supply of Ambien from my Dr and the sad part is that he is a pretty close friend of mine. Most doctors that I am aware of will only prescribe this for X amount of days with no refills.. It does work, will put you to sleep, and allow you to get a pretty good night sleep. If you are going to try Ambien then just make sure you will have enough flexibility to sleep for 8 hours if you are going to take it...

good luck,

3 5 0

 

[Eagleflip]

Great advice thus far--no kidding.

The NASA Human Factors team has a great course on this topic, and their advice mirrors that you've already received. EXERCISE, cut down on the caffeine, and get into as predictable a cycle as possible. Off to bed at 10:30 (or whatever) and try to make it a normal routine, e.g. "train" your body to go to sleep. If you can't go to sleep within 20 minutes, get up and read, watch the tube, but don't just lie in bed waiting to fall asleep. You want to train your body to go to sleep; if you haven't done so within 20 minutes and you stay in bed, you are training your body to stay awake!

Melatonin works for me and has been medically proven to be effective for sleep inducement. Try to find the .5 mg per pill size at the health food store--not the ususal horse pill size 10 or 20 mg. pill. Take a .5 mg. dose; 1 mg at the most. More that that is overkill and does not help you sleep.

Ambien is a great drug and is not quite as habitual as some attest (acdg to the NASA Docs I spoke to), but most physicians will not give you an unlimited supply. In any case one should not become accustomed to using that kind of drug to routinely fall asleep.

 

[CrewResearch]

10 Tips for Better Sleep

Here's a pretty good article from MayoClinic.com:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?objectid=F9820A4B-7320-4E1A-98412E8380ADB508&locID=

Title: 10 Tips for Better Sleep

Note -- If you fly for a living, you can probably kiss #1 ("Stick to a schedule...") good-bye.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

And here's a link to a bit about what the FAA allows pilots to take for sleep:

http://www.aviationmedicine.com/meds.htm#sleep

FWIW, says melatonin is okay by them...

 

[FracCapt]

That doesn't sound to sweet. Waking up every two hours crying, needing to be changed or breast fed.

Umm....are you saying that I'm the ONLY one that wakes up every few hours needing to suck on a t!t?

 

[cforst513]

This is 100% accurate!

booze is the killer, makes sleep terrible.

i beg to differ, i think booze is the BEST way to pass out....

 

[F16TJ]

It's a vicious cycle...

Coffee during the day to stay awake and Whiskey at night to sleep!

 

[Negative Prist]

I'd have to second the melatonin recommendation. Melatonin can be found in the vitamin section of just about any pharmacy. Melatonin is the natural hormone secreted by your brain's pineal gland. It is the chemical which signals your body to fall asleep. It is completely natural stuff, not like a prescription drug.

It's really good if I have to get up at 2am, when I've been used to going to bed at 2am. What works for me is taking one regular melatonin along with a time-release melatonin. The regular one puts me to sleep while the time-release keeps me asleep throughout the night. Just be sure to take it no less than 8 hours before you want to wake up. If you wake up in 5 hours, you may be groggy and possibly dizzy. That effect usually goes away by the time you actually go on duty, though. But don't take any chances.

Also, you don't want to take melatonin on a regular basis since the pineal gland may decrease your natural production if it detects melatonin already in your system. I try to keep my usage down to only a few times a year. That's probably extremely conservative, though.

Since Melatonin is classified by the FDC as a dietary supplement and not a drug, there is no standardized dosage. Most manufacturers produce pills between 1 and 3 milligrams. Start off with a low dose on a day off, and increase your dosage if neccessary until you find what works best for you. If you wake up drowsy or dizzy after 8 hours of sleep, you've taken too much.

 

[Styles]

i beg to differ, i think booze is the BEST way to pass out....

Beer is god's nectar and will cure all that ails you.

 

[Maria]

(looks like Maria forgot to sign off )

 

[JediNein]

I have had the worst problems sleeping this past year and has effected my performance as an ATCS and effected me while flying the corp route too at times.

TV out of the bedroom. Same with the computer.

When ya can't sleep, get up and go do something you may or may not like.

Option 1: Hate scrubbing floors? Get a toothbrush, or a shoe brush, and put it by your clock. If you go to bed and are not asleep in 20 minutes, get up and start scrubbing. Do not go to the refrigerator, go directly past the TV & computer. Start scrubbing.

Get tired? Go back to bed. If you are not asleep in 10 minutes, get up and start scrubbing again.

Option 2: When was the last time you read say, 7110.65 or the complete works of Dickens? If you go to bed and are not asleep in 20 minutes, get up, stand by your mantle (or whatever), and start reading. When you get tired, head for bed. If not asleep in 10 minutes, get up, stand by the mantle, and continue reading.

*WARNING* I've stayed up all night to read a gripping thriller. I've also made a routine of reading something every night. I finally had to go to comic books (dilbert, far side, new yorker, klyde morris) or humor-type books (Pat McManus) to avoid the up-all-night.

Ear plugs, dark covers on the windows for the daytime sleeping, and cooling off the room also seems to help.

Fly SAFE!

Jedi Nein

 

[Daveman]

Umm....are you saying that I'm the ONLY one that wakes up every few hours needing to suck on a t!t?

Lucky you. I'm the one who needs a changing. The only chance of me sucking a teet would be from my dog. And she would probably bite my nose.

 

[GravityHater]

Sex!!

 

[701EV]

Run three miles a day, sleep like a baby at night.


701EV