Should Melatonin supplements be given to kids? Here’s what to know

Trouble falling asleep? This can be a common problem among children and teens. Not getting enough sleep often leads to some pretty difficult behaviours like crankiness, and trouble paying attention. Health problems like high blood pressure, weight problems, obesity, headaches, and depression follow too. It’s no wonder why many are searching for a solution.
Melatonin can be that solution.

What is Melatonin?

Melatonin is a hormone made in the body. It regulates night and day cycles or sleep-wake cycles. Melatonin in supplements is usually made in a lab. Darkness triggers the body to make more melatonin, which signals the body to sleep. Light decreases melatonin production and signals the body to be awake. Some people who have trouble sleeping have low levels of melatonin. It’s thought that adding melatonin from supplements might help them sleep.
People most commonly use melatonin for insomnia and improving sleep in different conditions, such as jet lag. It is also used for depression, chronic pain, dementia, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support most of these uses.
Melatonin supplement: It’s estimated that up to 75% of school-aged children don’t get enough sleep. Poor sleep can affect a child’s mood and ability to pay attention and learn. It has also been linked to health issues such as childhood obesity. This is why some parents consider giving their children melatonin supplements, a popular sleep aid.
Melatonin is sold as a sleep aid. It can be found over the counter as a dietary supplement, which means one can buy it at the pharmacy or a health food store, without a prescription. However, this also means that its use is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or approved for that purpose.

Is Melatonin supplement good for kids?

Many parents wonder if melatonin supplements can help their children fall asleep. This especially applies to children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, and other neurological conditions that can affect their ability to fall asleep.
However, sleep problems are complex and can be caused by a variety of factors. For instance, using light-emitting devices late at night can suppress melatonin production. If this is the case, simply limiting technology use before bed can help treat sleep issues. In other cases, an undiagnosed health condition may be why your child can’t fall or stay asleep.
Most studies show that short-term melatonin use is safe for kids with little to no side effects. However, some children may experience symptoms such as nausea, headaches, bed-wetting, excessive sweating, dizziness, morning grogginess, stomach pains, and more.
Currently, health professionals are unsure about the long-term side effects of melatonin, as little research has been done in that regard. Therefore, many doctors are wary of recommending melatonin for sleep issues in children.
Additionally, melatonin supplements are not approved for use in children by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Until long-term studies have been conducted, it’s impossible to say if melatonin is entirely safe for children. If your child struggles to fall asleep or stay asleep, it’s best to see your doctor.

Effectiveness of Melatonin:

Taking melatonin by mouth seems to shorten the time needed to fall asleep in young adults and children with this condition. It also seems to improve sleep in children and adults who are blind. Melatonin helps with sleep disturbance caused by certain blood pressure medicines (beta blocker-induced insomnia). Taking melatonin by mouth might reduce sleep problems in people taking beta-blocker drugs. Taking high doses of melatonin by mouth or as a shot, administered by a healthcare provider along with chemotherapy or other cancer treatments, might reduce tumour size and improve survival rates in some people with cancer.
Taking the controlled-release form of melatonin by mouth before bedtime seems to lower blood pressure in people with high blood pressure. Immediate-release products don’t seem to work. Taking melatonin by mouth, short-term, seems to shorten the time it takes to fall asleep in people with insomnia, but only by about 7-12 minutes. It’s not clear if it affects the amount of time spent sleeping. It also seems to be more helpful in older adults and those with certain other conditions.
Besides, in children receiving a medication called sevoflurane during surgery, taking melatonin by mouth before anesthesia might help to prevent anxiety and agitation while waking up. The effect of taking melatonin in adults undergoing surgery is unclear.
Melatonin also helps with soothing jet lag, migraine in adults.