Melatonin

bmacadoozle

bmacadoozle

Pre-Flight
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bmacadoozle
Is melatonin a no-go in regards to the faa medical? I hold a first-class and don't want to jeopardize it. Supporting documents welcome
 
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Yes. Couple years ago when the FAA came out with their approved list, Melatonin was on it. There is wording though about not treating a sleep disorder.
 
Melatonin is an amusing hormone, able to generate some remarkable big spiders and possibly other illusions after a couple weeks........your mileage may vary but it was pretty freaky for me.......was using as a sleep aid but gave it up pronto.....not flying at the time and lapsed class 3.......
 
I’ve had great results with Melatonin. Never really had problems sleeping but after taking Melatonin I get a far deeper sleep with it. Dreams are much more vivid and I wake up with a solid 8 hrs...so my phone tells me. I don’t take it on a regular basis. Only when I need to get to bed early and wake up early. Never take it while at work.
 
I haven't had any negative effects with Melatonin, but sometimes I wonder if it does anything at all. That said when I have an unusually early wake-up for a trip, the biggest obstacle to getting a good night's sleep is worrying about getting a good night's sleep - so even something I believe is helping is a good thing!
 
kayoh190 said:
That said when I have an unusually early wake-up for a trip, the biggest obstacle to getting a good night's sleep is worrying about getting a good night's sleep - so even something I believe is helping is a good thing!
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Ain’t that the truth.
 
kayoh190 said:
I haven't had any negative effects with Melatonin, but sometimes I wonder if it doe
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Greg Bockelman said:
Ain’t that the truth.
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So true.

For me, unlike OTC sleeping pills, Melatonin does NOT make me “sleepy”. So, I need to put effort into trying to sleep. Meaning, go to bed, close my eyes...Zzzzz. Melatonin does not give me that “groggy” feeling when I wake up. And, since my body makes it, it is not “addictive”.
 
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JuggyJet said:
So true.

Unlike OTC sleeping pills, Melatonin will NOT make you “sleepy”. So, you need to put effort into trying to sleep. Meaning, go to bed, close your eyes...Zzzzz. Melatonin will not give you that “groggy” feeling when you wake up. And, since your body makes it, it is not “addictive”.
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That is not universally true at all. Reactions to melatonin can vary wildly. Personally when I take it I get sleepy but in a semi-uncomfortable way, almost like “drunk sleepy” (but not in a good way). My partner also takes melatonin sometimes and does not report feeling sleepy at all.
 
AKiss20 said:
That is not universally true at all. Reactions to melatonin can vary wildly. Personally when I take it I get sleepy but in a semi-uncomfortable way, almost like “drunk sleepy” (but not in a good way). My partner also takes melatonin sometimes and does not report feeling sleepy at all.
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I made changes to show MY experience.
 
Velocity173 said:
Yes. Couple years ago when the FAA came out with their approved list, Melatonin was on it. There is wording though about not treating a sleep disorder.
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So, everyone who uses it takes it “recreationally”? LOL.

What if it’s hiding a sleep disorder?

All their silly dancing on pin heads... amazes me.
 
Your body produces melatonin naturally anyway.. so it's not like they could really test for it. (Unless they found some scientifc way to discover what is too much for an individual but I doubt that is high on the priority list) So yeah it's semantics mostly just don't say you have a problem. As per the usual..

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
 
I’ve used the GNC 1mg cherry flavored “lozenges” for a long time. They go under the tongue, like a nitroglycerin tablet.

I consistently use them for jet lag and they’ve worked great; no drowsiness the next morning yet they do the job. I carry some stateside as well for trips where the new surroundings are too distracting and they work well there too. Even for jet lag I seldom take - or need - maybe three nights in a row. At home, I’ll take one maybe once every three months if something is really distracting me from getting to sleep.

I can’t recall the other brand I tried - from CVS? That did give me a headache. The GNC may be at the placebo level but if it works and doesn’t cause problems, I’ll let my brain believe what it wants.
 
According to this AOPA article, the FAA has said that you need to wait 24 hours after taking melatonin before flying, which renders it semi-useless.

However, I can no longer find a reference for that in the FAA's own documentation, so maybe they changed their mind.
 
So what does everyone take at night so they can sleep instead of looking at the ceiling wondering and worring what hoops you need to jump through and what I's and t's are crossed to keep your pilot priveledges. We are from the Faa and want you to sleep well, if you dont we are taking your medical. Sleep on that.
 
Llewtrah381 said:
I’ve used the GNC 1mg cherry flavored “lozenges” for a long time. They go under the tongue, like a nitroglycerin tablet.
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I might try those. I tried the melatonin capsules a few years ago and I slept but had a roaring headache in the morning.
 
the dude said:
So what does everyone take at night so they can sleep instead of looking at the ceiling wondering and worring what hoops you need to jump through and what I's and t's are crossed to keep your pilot priveledges. We are from the Faa and want you to sleep well, if you dont we are taking your medical. Sleep on that.
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Magnesium seems to work for my partner; she has an ultra-high-stress job.
Does nothing for me, nor does melatonin, but since I stopped using caffeine, I maybe have a sleepless night every two months or less. Otherwise, I'm out in a few minutes.
 
I never understood special relativity, so I just start trying to come up with another way to reconcile the speed of light being the same for all observers and BAM, I'm out.
 
dtuuri said:
I never understood special relativity, so I just start trying to come up with another way to reconcile the speed of light being the same for all observers and BAM, I'm out.
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Maybe you could post your theory for us to read and then BAM, we’d all be out.
 
Half Fast said:
Maybe you could post your theory for us to read and then BAM, we’d all be out.
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Yeah, sorry. If you understand space-time, then I have no cure for insomnia for you because I have no other theory. If I did, I couldn't get to sleep. :(
 
I fall asleep naturally, within minutes of hitting the pillow. Quite consistently, so no complaints there.

My problem is I wake up 6, 6 1/2 hours later, and can't get ever back to sleep. I'd like to hit 8 hours...I'd settle for a consistent 7, but I can't seem to get there.
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:

Surprisingly readable.
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I swear to you this is true. Last night I opened the eBook, read the front matter and skimmed the contents. Then I jumped to page 25 to read what Einstein says about time. Two pages later I was so tired I couldn't keep my eyes open and fell asleep over an hour before my usual bedtime with a life saver in my mouth. Woke up four and a half hours later but couldn't get back to sleep. So, I did my own thing — tried to imagine the universe if these "coordinate systems" themselves were expanding rather than time as a fourth dimension. BAM, I was out again.
 
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