Framer: spot on. I empathise with all that. Also a huge difference was where you slept, and thus what you could do in your off duty time. 6 days in a hotel then 3 days at home, or each night at home. The former creates a long list of 'jobbers from herself' that need doing during your 3 days. That is hardly R&R time, and anything left over is rolled over to the next 3 days off.
However, 5 days of earlies doesn't leave a lot of enthusiasm to get your hands dirty before retiring to your own bed at 21.00-ish.
The fatigue analysts do not take into account any family/social element of the roster. They look only at the work/sleep time relationship. Utter nonsense. My AME's always said that health was all about a balanced life. Today's airline managers are all about maximising productivity and to hell with anything humane. FTL's are legal and will be used as targets because that satisfies the basic philosophy. It's all about money/profit/bonuses and the abuse of vocational workers.
The medical people have acknowledged for years that there are owls & larks. (look how they are now even talking about adjusting the traditional schooling schedule for teenagers). Those who prefer earlier or lates might be due to personal characteristics or family life. The medics are convinced that quality of performance, especially under stress, is affected positively & negatively if in or out of your natural owl/lark natural state. Yet airlines do not allow you to bid for a preference. Why not? productivity is not affected. It's because they want to remain in control and not open the door to pilot control. Daft.
And, as you get older, or family aspects change, so your preference will change. Are you allowed to adjust roster? No.
Airlines, in many aspects seem to roster in total disregard of medical opinion and human performance data. Screw all that CRM stuff; start with the basic foundations. Don't use sticking plasters of new fangled human behaviour ideas when at the same time you weaken the weakest link.
The comments above are, perhaps, more applicable to the new generation of airlines. I've mates in 3 different national carriers who have a bid line system. They seem to be able to generate a much better balance in work/social life, especially the long-haul guys. Everyone you speak to, including myself, say that the only way to achieve a real liveable sustained balance is to go part-time. That can't be correct, but it is reality.