Kids tucked in with a dose of melatonin

[flashl]

Like millions of parents, Lynne Bruton tried all the usual ways to get her three children to bed on time: turning the television off 30 minutes before bedtime, stopping them from eating and drinking well before going to sleep and sticking to a nightly routine that included sitting with her children in their rooms to help them "wind down."

...

Two years ago, Bruton discovered a new way to keep Clint, then 12, on a regular sleep schedule. At night she gave him melatonin — the nutritional supplement that is available at any pharmacy or health food store and is mainly promoted as an aid for travelers who have jet lag.

...

Parents who have tried it 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.

...

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.

USA Today

[notadmblnd]

1. I never had to drug my child

I got him up early, filled his day with physical activity (lots of playing outside) and by the time he came in at night, dinner, bath and boo, he was out.

[Celebration]

8. but it doesn't always work!

Mainly, I remember when I was a kid. I got up early and filled my day with lots of playing outside and physical activity. At bedtime, I just wasn't ready to sleep. It took about an hour for me to get to sleep, just lying in bed. I never felt like I got enough sleep when I got up in the morning. Even back then, I realized that the universe worked on a 24 hour per day cycle, and my biological cycle was more like 25-26 hours. And that is how I grew up.

Possibly, for someone like me, a tiny (and I do mean tiny) dose of melatonin might have worked wonders.

On the other hand, I was a lot better off that portion of the time when I took a small amount of Armour thyroid. It still took me awhile to get to sleep at night but at least I felt really energetic during the day.

[Happyhippychick]

2. I would heartily recommend Melatonin over ADHD meds for sleep aid

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. My husband and I have used it

and found it highly effective. I rarely have trouble falling asleep, but when I do, melatonin does the trick. My husband has sleep problems, and melatonin helps.

[DavidDvorkin]

4. I use it, but I'm in my sixties

Children produce it naturally and plentifully. Giving it to children as a supplement seems questionable to me.

[BuddhaGirl]

5. children can suffer from low melatonin levels

n/t

[DavidDvorkin]

6. Be wise to have it diagnosed first, though.

Not to just give kids melatonin to help them sleep.

[BuddhaGirl]

7. of course - their practitioner should check it out

n/t

[Tumbulu]

9. This is shocking to me

as I am of the opinion that fooling around with any hormones during puberty or before it is an unjustifiable risk.

However natural their source.

[Orrex]

10. Yet woos will howl about trace elements of hormones in ground beef

While administering what amounts to megadoses of a substance that has somehow won the coveted "alternative medicine seal of approval."


This thread is simply the latest in a very long line of alternative-friendly threads that explicitly give medical advice. Follow that advice at your (and your child's) peril.