Sleep Medications

Obtaining good, restful sleep is a problem for some people in our age range. The FAA will allow the occasional use of sleep medications, but continual use is not allowed. The primary concern should be the diagnosis, treatment, and resolution of the underlying condition. Untreated medical conditions that interfere with sleep are disqualifying.

All sleep aids can cause impairment of mental processes and reaction times. If medication is used, there is a required wait time from the last dose before resuming pilot duties. The number of required hours is: Ambien 24, Edluar 36, In-termezzo 36, Lunesta 30, Restoril 72, Rozerem 24, Sonata 12, and Zolpidem oral spray 48.

Benadryl is an antihistamine that is so sedating it is often used to induce sleep. It is the most common drug found in drug screens in fatal accident investigations. If taken, the required wait time is 60 hours.

Marijuana containing mixtures should never be used by pilots. It will show up on a drug screen for a long time. Although it is legal in some states, Marijuana is federally illegal. The FAA is very much against its use. There would be serious problems if there were a positive test after an accident.

Harry J. Wander, MD

Senior AME