A friend recommended melatonin when I was telling her how horrendous our bedtime routine had gotten.
I've looked into it a little but it seems like there are extremely mixed opinions, even from the medical community. I will absolutely consult LO's pedi before we decide (and I feel like we have some more work to do on his bedtime routine before we get to the point of considering it).
What has been your experience?
honeydew / 7622 posts
I've had insomnia my whole life I remember roaming around in my house is a child in the middle of the night unable to sleep. I've been on melatonin for about 10 years and it's been life changing . I would absolutely consider it for T.
nectarine / 2210 posts
My SIL uses it with her kids. But from what I understand no amount works on my nephew now and he's always awake in the middle of the night playing.
pomegranate / 3845 posts
@regberadaisy: Your body naturally makes melatonin in the evening, it's what makes you sleepy. An artificial form is available to help with sleep issues.
grapefruit / 4441 posts
It made a huge difference for my daughter when her sleep got really screwed up following 2 weeks on the west coast. We use it now maybe once a week. Her pediatrician okay'd it. I give her one VitaFusion adult gummy melatonin (1.5mg) about 30 min before bedtime.
@regberadaisy: It's an over-the-counter supplement. Your body's pineal gland secretes it in the absence of light... so basically it signals that it's dark out and thus bedtime. Because rodents are noctural, when their melatonin is released, they become more active... it doesn't cause drowsiness per se, rather, it helps set the circadian rhythm. (I used to work in a sleep clinic, and this is what I was taught then).
pomegranate / 3845 posts
@78h2o: our issue is that he just can't wind down at bedtime. We've ditched the iPad, cut out screen time in the hour or so before bed, use lavender in his bath, and try to do really calm stuff between bath and bed, but once he realizes it is bedtime, he flips out and gets really wild. We've been playing with his naps and his bedtime timing with no luck.
squash / 13208 posts
@Applesandbananas: I used it briefly with my DS - I gave him 1mg soluble tab 30 mins before bedtime and he was sleepy eyed within 20mins -
not sure I would use it long term but maybe try it for a week and then slowly back off of it
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
How old is he and how long has it been going?
pomegranate / 3845 posts
@regberadaisy: he's 2.5 and it's been rough for nearly a month I think (feels like it's been rough forever lol but realistically, about a month)
clementine / 878 posts
Do you think it could be related to a sleep regression?
We used melatonin when we were dealing with jet lag for a couple weeks (dd was 2 yrs old) for an international trip and it made a big difference getting her to sleep at night. It does make me a little squeamish to keep using it tho as I'm so afraid to rely on it. And possibly interfering with her body's natural production of it. Luckily we didn't need to use it on our last international trip at 2.5 yrs old. It only took a few days to adjust to the time change this time!
I also heard magnesium was the latest and greatest sleep aid? I don't know much about it at all tho.
pomegranate / 3375 posts
You can try tart cherry juice. It naturally boosts melatonin levels.
I take magnesium for stress and sleep issues. It's great. (but, I'd talk to a doctor first)
grapefruit / 4441 posts
@Applesandbananas: It helps my daughter with winding down as well. She is a total night owl.
papaya / 10343 posts
I got it for my husband after people here suggested it. He took it one night and he did sleep better but he said the next morning he felt awful, groggy, and drugged. He does seem somewhat sensitive to this stuff (which is the reason he refuses to take something like unisom), but he won't ever take it again. That being the case, I would prob not give it to a kid who maybe couldn't express well how they were feeling.
coconut / 8279 posts
@Applesandbananas: a friend suggested it for our son and our ped okay'd it.
I only use it for when we travel. He just won't go to bed or calm down (he gets that crazy over-tired hyper) and ends up walking around wherever we're staying until 4/5am and is a mess during the daylight hours. I wish I knew of it sooner, we had some trips that were nightmares before it!
nectarine / 2243 posts
I brought it up with my family doc. I had taken it as a teenager and thought it helped. She said to be careful regarding the source of the melatonin, most is bovine. She said some crazy stuff regarding the non-regulation of the harvesting of the cows pineal glands, disease, etc. I don't remember the details but I ended up buying a form of melatonin from Whole Foods. I don't have the bottle anymore but my family practitioner was more satisfied with the source of the melatonin.
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