Kids using melatonin

Courtesy of USA Today

Parents who have tried melatonin say the pill has been nothing short of miraculous in getting their children to sleep. It's a trend that is occurring despite doctors' general reluctance to endorse melatonin as a sleeping aid for healthy children. "We have seen tremendous growth of the use of melatonin by parents," says Susan Zafarlotfi, clinical director of the Institute for Sleep-Wake Disorders at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey. "Melatonin is very useful for some teens who cannot get to sleep." Zafarlotfi says occasional use of melatonin for children is fine as long as the dosage does not exceed 3 milligrams. She does not recommend giving it to kids younger than 10.

Melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain, helps regulate the body's sleep-wake cycle, and its production is determined by light and dark. When darkness falls, the gland produces more melatonin, which promotes sleep. After reviewing numerous studies, the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in 2005 concluded that melatonin supplements are safe if used for days or weeks. The studies on children have been small and only focusing on those with attention deficit disorders, and there are no reports on the long-term effects of melatonin in children.

This is not a treatment for the healthy child who just doesn't want to go to bed or the child with occasional trouble falling asleep," says Marcia Buck, clinical pharmacy specialist at the University of Virginia Children's Hospital in Charlottesville.

Bonnie - I err on the side of caution with melatonin. There is no doubt that melatonin is effective. However, it is a hormone. Unless that hormone level is out of range (which can be easily be detected with a salivary test), I would never recommend it long-term, especially on children. More often than not, there are underlying reasons why the child is not sleeping. I always opt for getting to the root of the cause.