Melatonin - Livonia,MI

I never heard of this, so I WebMD'd.... here is the link, look at the side effects, it is not recommended for children, I would not give it to my daughter!

http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/tc/melatonin-overview

My Nephew has ADHD and is Bi Polar my mom has him in the summer she started to give him Melatonin at night to help him sleep and it works great. My sister couldn't get him to bed before 12pm or later my mother couldn't stay up that late with him so she would give it to him around 830 pm and he will go to sleep by 930 and sleep till 7 am. My sister continued giving it to him when he went home and that was over a year ago. He now sleeps at night and knows that it helps him sleep and will ask for it. He is 9 now. I have given it to my 11 year old off and on over the past 3 years and he also knows if he is having a hard time going to sleep to ask for it.

My friend uses it sometimes for her twins who are 3, but since it is not regulated and there's no documented safe dosage for kids, I won't use it. Just because it's natural doesn't nessesarily make it safe. Smoking pot is natural too, but I'm not offering it to my kids. Just my opinion. :)

Our psychiatrist recomended it to replace other sleep aids he had been perscribing. If your child has a sleep issue, speak to a medical doctor, they are your primary source about what to do for this, inluding therapies, medications, or supplements.

M.

Our son has taken this every night for a couple of years now. He has ADHD and can't fall asleep naturally because he's too active. It works fantastic! We give it to him an hour before bedtime and it works like a charm. We've seen zero side effects.

Since melatonin isn't government regulated, we've found the potency varies significantly between brands. Start small, say 1 mg. (can dice up the tablets, if needed) and work up. Our son's psychiatrist said he can go up to 3 3 mg. tablets a night if necessary (he's seven and weighs 51 lbs.). We usually just give 3 mg.

Good luck! Hope it helps in your child's sleep situation. Don't hesitate to call your child's doctor, too, for input.

I have taken it for myself but I have not ever given to my kids. I would ask your kids pedi if it is okay. My daughters sleep has never been an issue. But it does work great for myself. Its not habit forming and I only take it when I find I cannto get my brain to shut up enough to sleep. I also feel great the next day when I wake up so it doesnt leave me drowsy. Again I would double check with ped before giving to children but I know it works great for adults.

umm I wouldn't do that... instead... an hour BEFORE bedtime... begin to dim all lights around the house, including the t.v..... this will help the children produce NATURAL melatonin... often, people have all the lights on and t.v. blaring right before a child's bedtime and hence , the child does not go to sleep readily.. that is because it takes the body a little while to produce the melatonin... give natural means a try first before trying something off the counter.. that's just my opinion..
best of luck

My 12 year old son has sufferred from insomnia for as long as we can remember. His insomnia has had a terrible impact on his daytime life, causing migraines and other problems. His pediatrician suggested that I try melatonin, at first I was hesitant to give it, but eventually did. We are very happy with the results, my son is much happier, feels better with fewer migraines, more energy and a better quality to his days. He takes his melatonin disolved in warm milk. He has not experienced any side effects and has been taking it for quite some time.

I would not recommend taking or giving any remedy natural or otherwise to anyone especially a child without first discussing with a MD.

I have my ADHD kid with it @ night, it helps him go to sleep but it doesnt help him stay asleep, he still wakes up like at 3, its natural and its not harmful.

I give it to my 7 year old. It has helped so much. I give him 1.5mg about an hour before bed and that works for him. He has not had any side effects. If he wakes up at night to go to the bathroom he has no problem falling back asleep. Im sure every kid will be different with side effects. For me if I take melatonin and wake up I will be up for the rest of the night so I dont take it anymore.

My daughter's doctor recommended melatonin because she is also being treated for adhd. It helped her a bit.

I would love to know the same thing--I have heard great things from other moms. One mom started her son when he was two. He couldn't sleep, never napped as a baby, etc. She claimed it made a world of difference. I have an almost 4-yo who seems unable to fall asleep which triggers a lot of aggression and OCD-like behavior, so I am so glad you asked this question! Thanks!

L.---Melatonin is a natural substance made by the brain to signal sleep when it gets dark outside. I agree with the post that shares that in our world today, we are losing a bit of that 'natural cycle' with our highly energized and light filled world. As we age, we are less able to make melatonin properly. That's why many adults have trouble falling and staying asleep.

Having said that, I do not know of the ramifications of giving it to children. Any kind of 'intervention' should be avoided until all other avenues of sleep aid have been explored. I would think that it would be dangerous to establish that kind of habit with a child. Most children need to learn how to handle these problems without intervention or they will be dependent on them forever...and, most likely the effectiveness of any sleep aid will diminish over time, such that stronger and stronger 'meds' will be necessary.

All of this very much depends on why you feel your little one needs this. Is is because she has health issues that do not allow him/her to fall asleep naturally, or is this a convenience for you? Please understand that I am not indicting you as a parent, I'm just posing the thought.

For all of you moms out there who have problems falling and staying asleep, a PhD friend of mine who is a cancer counselor recommends the Bach's flower remedies for stress and sleep. Helps to quiet the brain chatter during the night. Works pretty good, most of the time. Check it out.

BTW, a group I work with is hosting a Naturopathic Dr/ RN for a health education lecture in Troy on Sept 21. Would you be interested? Let me know and I can get you the flyer. Good luck, be well. D.

Someone posted about Melatonin a couple of months ago. I am not sure it's a good idea for kids. A calcium supplement might be a better choice. Remember the "old wives tale" about warm milk before bed...it was the calcium that helped to relax and sleep better. It's safe, relaxing and all kids need calcium. Win-Win!

I couldn't agree with Martha more.

Melatonin is a hotly debated issue in the medical world, and opinions are split right down the middle. There are several different grades and sources of melatonin, and I'd personally only take one that is FDA approved.

I'd never give it to my children. I haven't gotten a good night's sleep (one where I don't wake up multiple times) in over 10 years. Melatonin was recommended by a former customer of mine, a physician. My doctor very quickly objected and asked me not to use it.

I was wondering about it myself, for my 9 1/2 yo.

Talk to your pediatrician. I have used it, but I won't use it while pregnant or breastfeeding, and I wouldn't give it to my child, either, but I'm overprotective of my son, and often avoid things that others consider perfectly fine for their kids.

We do give our son melatonin, at the recommendation of his doctor, for chronic sleep issues. We don't give it to him all the time because you can grow dependent on it to go to sleep, but when its time for him to be sleeping and he's clearly a wild man still, we will give him some melatonin and it does help him drift off to sleep. There's a time release sublingual spray that has worked very well for our son. What I like about it is that you can adjust the dose by just giving 1/2-a spray if that's all you need. From what I've seen, Melatonin is safe but I would check with your son's doctor before starting him on it just in case.