Melatonin Safe for Toddlers?

I would not use it, personally. I have used it myself and found the results to be spotty. And when I used it, it was only short term to get over jet lag. I don't believe in unnecessarily medicating children, even with supplements.

NO.

Instead use an essential oil. Lavender may work. Look some things up. Also warm milk helps. There are alternatives but do not give melatonin.

If she's had a short nap or no nap at all, it could be that he/she is over tired. Try moving bedtime up a little and see if that doesn't help.

Do not give a child melatonin.

I say this as someone who would occasionally give this to my son. Research has indicated that this hormone (often synthetically created-- real melatonin is extracted from the pineal glands of pigs) can retard gonadal development. This:

http://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/melatonin-no...

I found that when I, took it myself at night, I would get cramps. A post-menopausal friend shared that when she took melatonin to address longtime sleep issues, her period actually returned.

Obviously, this is a very powerful hormone. I agree with others-- other than a cup of chamomile tea a while before bed, consider the ways kids naturally tire themselves out: vigorous play, physical activity, and the right amount of sunshine/sunlight. I don't think you need any extra supplements or special foods, just exercise. It may also be that your daughter is becoming aware that she is 'missing out' on the time others are awake after she goes to bed. Some kids don't like to rest when others are up.

Also, avoid television for the hour before bedtime. The light from tvs and computer monitors registers as 'sunshine' and tells our bodies to stay awake, so this is counterproductive for a kid you are trying to help rest. And lay off the tv in the daytime any way, so your kiddo gets enough exercise.

(Oh, and someone suggested that valerian was helpful-- for adults, sure. I've used small amounts to help get relaxed and rested from time to time. However, like many herbs, this is one of those that I wouldn't recommend for kids. Valerian can also have the reverse effect of being a stimulant if a person uses too much.--it's not 'more is better'. Knowing dosages of anything one ingests is so important. )

I find the below posts to be rather interesting. My pediatrician recommended melatonin for my older son when he was having trouble falling asleep, but not to be taken every night. He recommended it to be taken 3 nights in a row to help reset my son's circadian rhythm. No longer. We only used this method maybe an handful of times in total. It works great. Especially helpful for jet lag, travelling, and time changes.

Of course it will cause problems if you keep her on it every single night. That's not what it's for.

Here is the problem that I have with it. Not the medical aspect of it, although that raises red flags for me. It's the habit aspect. Kids at this age are developing habits and crutches that can become lifelong hinderances. You need to teach her healthy sleep habits through establishing routines, not by giving her crutches. Giving sleep aids, natural or not, at the age of two sets her up for years of medical intervention and sleep disturbances. Why would you want that? Of course you don't. Start as you mean to go. If you don't want a 16 year old who turns to self medication to solve stress and sleeplessness, I would not start that habit at 2.

Try different bed times to find the "perfect" time to put your toddler to bed then stick with it. I found that when I put my 21 month old to bed at 8 or later, it can take her about an hour to fall asleep. If I put her to bed closer to 9 (or later), it can take 2-3 hours for her to fall asleep. It doesn't matter how long her nap was during the day. For my daughter, putting her to bed between 7-7:30 helps her fall asleep within 10 minutes. My husband was surprised how the timing can really affect her sleep. He finally realized that I'm not a psycho for being so strict with bedtime.

I would try address her underlying sleep issues first. She might actually be overtired, as counter-intuitive as that sounds. Over-tired toddlers have trouble falling asleep. I loved Mary Sheedy Kurcinka's book, "Sleepless in America," when my toddlers/preschoolers had sleep issues.

I would also be wary of becoming dependent on a supplement to get her to fall asleep. I have used it on occasion with my kids or myself and I used it regularly with an elderly dog once, but I did have a scary experience that made me wary of using it with my kids other than occasionally or for a special reason. Once when my younger son was about six I gave him a very low dosage of melatonin. It knocked him out so completely and for so long it was scary and I was truly worried about him. I think different people react differently. He hasn't had that reaction since so I don't know what was going on that time, but I've only used it a handful of times. He also came up with a nickname for the pill after that experience and would ask me for the "sleepy pill" or whatever he called it. I can't even remember what it was, but it worried me that it left such an impression on him and that he would become dependent on it.

If your pediatrician is ambivalent I would follow his/her lead. Good luck--I had toddlers like yours and I know it's exhausting. Mary Kurcinka's book would actually suggest you make sure she naps during the day, although earlier as opposed to later, and that you trying put her to bed earlier, starting with 15 minute increments. Morning exercise and a calming bedtime routine with no screen time of any sort after dinner are also helpful. Also, limited, if any, screen time during the day.

I wouldn't give a toddler any melatonin.
More exercise in the early afternoon (play ground, fresh air, etc) helps to tire them out so they sleep well at night.
Some camomile tea an hour before bedtime might be ok.

I wouldn't for a couple of reasons, there are unknowns about its safety and you could end of feeling dependent on it, like the only way to get her to sleep is to give her some- kind of like the pacifier or bottle at night. Only this would be more serious.

If she takes hours to get to sleep, but stays in her room, then I would just let her do that and not worry about it. There are times I'll listen to my son just talk away in his bed before falling asleep.

One thought of something to try, and I don't think it falls into the same category as using Melatonin, but Chamomile tea? If she likes it a small amount might help settle her down.

I thought about giving it to my dd when she seemed to be having a hard time sleeping (much like your daughter, not falling asleep until a few hours after being tucked in.), and decided to look into it. My researched led me to firmly believe young children should NOT be given melatonin.

The problem is that the long-term effects are unknown. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the brain, which signals to the body that it's time to sleep. In adults, it's less of a problem because our bodies have had years to "learn" to produce the correct amounts. In children, it's unsure how it will effect them. Some studies show that it could cause problems when they enter adolescence and start producing all sorts of hormones with a vengeance, some studies show that it could inhibit their natural production of melatonin, and cause them to be dependent on it, some studies have linked it to causing seizures, the list goes on.

Now, these are just studies, not absolute findings. There have been plenty of people who give their kids melatonin with no ill effects. (Hence it's popularity.) but for me, until there is a SOLID study done showing that it is safe in the long run, or that the benefits outweigh the risks, I won't give it to my child.

I also want to add that what I found to work best in getting my dd to sleep at that age was to make sure she went outside into the sunshine for at least 20 minutes about an hour before bed. (Fun fact... Getting in the sunshine will help her body produce melatonin on its own.) I encouraged her to go wild and physically tire herself out. Then we would go inside, where a nice warm bath and lavender oil massage would relax her. Two stories while tucked in, then I would snuggle in with her for a few minutes. Usully, she would fall asleep within an hour. (Which, was really good for her.) She is now 4 years old, and usually falls asleep within 15 minutes if being tucked in.

E.,

No. I would NOT give my toddler melatonin. No, I don't think it's safe for toddlers. It's a SUPPLEMENT. You do NOT want to give something to your child that MIGHT stop her NORMAL internal clock from working.

I tried it on myself - I had WICKED nightmares.
I used it on my now 11 year old son - did NOT help him and he had VIVID dreams as well - not so much nightmares, but VERY VIVID dreams.

You NEED to get her into a routine. NO electronics THIRTY (30) minutes before bed.

Get her READY for bed....not just slam it on her. ROUTINE.
730 - bath
745 - brush hair and teeth
800 - read a book to her

put her in bed. A routine WILL HELP. IF your pediatrician isn't telling you this, you need a new pediatrician, in my opinion.

What time is bed time?
What time is her afternoon nap?
How long does she nap for in the afternoon?
How active is she during the day?

Schedules...routines...all make a difference...ACTIVITY helps. Ensure her nap is over by 1PM.

Good luck!

Hi E.,

Melatonin is known to regulate sleep however synthetic melatonin has not been shown, by several studies, to do very much at all. I would recommend having your little one eat foods rich in the hormone. Pineapples, Bananas, Oranges, Oats, Sweet corn (however I wouldn't recommend corn because of the abundance of GMO) Rice, Tomatoes and Barley are all melatonin producing. I believe a banana is almost a perfect food. I think the adage "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" should really say BANANA! Synthetics of any kind can build up in your system and contraindicate with other things because they don't just go away. If you little one is still not sleeping after a few weeks on theses foods, you might want to start him on an absorbable multivitamin. Almost always when things don't work right it's because nutrition is not absorbing properly.

Hope this helps!
M.

I myself have taken melatonin a lot and I have given a little to my kids at times but they're in grade school now. I've given it when we've traveled and there's a big time difference to adjust to. It doesn't necessarily do a lot though. I give about 1mg. I would say no to you for a couple of reasons - the effect seems to wear off so you'll need more and more. I can take like 5mg now and it does nothing for me... And as someone with long term sleep issues, I will say don't get her at all in the idea of needing something to help her sleep already. It'll stay with her and haunt her her whole life... I guess at 2.5 you can get away with not telling her what it is (and there's an orange flavored chewable one that's really good :) but unless you just try this short term, eventually she'll know what it's for. I do know someone with an autistic son who never slept and turns out often autistic children do not make enough melatonin so for this family, it was a blessing. But I don't think your child is autistic. Is she tired during the day? How many hours of sleep is she getting? My kids have never slept all that much. I've HATED it at times. Just HATED it and was so jealous of the people who had kids who slept 12-15 hours a day. But they are who they are and it'll be great later in life if they're the types of people who don't need so much sleep. I wish I didn't. If your child is cranky though and you think she really needs more sleep but is too wound up, then I personally would try 1/8 of a milligram for 2 or 3 nights and see if the "sleep begets sleep" theory works and she starts sleeping better. But definitely only short term. My pediatrician recommended Benedryl years ago for colds. That makes most people sleepy too. So I was giving it around a year old sometimes. That in hindsight was more risky that melatonin which is natural. I will say melatonin hits people differently too. Not sure if it's gender but my husband who is over 200lbs is so knocked out by 1mm or less it's unbelievable. And my dad only needs like 1/4 or 1/2 a milligram too while my mother and I can take, like I said, 5mg. So the 1/8th I suggest could do nothing or might be right or heavay for a 2.5 year old. Hard to say.

I would give her a predictable routine, make sure there are limited toys and no screens/electronics in her room, and make the hour before bedtime quiet time. No tv. Just some books and try turning the lights down lower, etc. My DD used to stay up regularly quite late til I really buckled down on the bedtime routine. Now we are so predictable the cats will start to meow for their dinner, knowing that once she goes to bed, we'll feed them. If she doesn't sleep, tell her she can play with a toy quietly or look at books, but needs to stay in her bed and be quiet. I still do this with DD and usually in 10 minutes of being still, she's out. I would try that first.

Your DD may also always have a harder time sleeping. My SD has sleep problems, but I will say that you also don't always want to give medication. SD has had allergic reactions to things, which doesn't help at all. One of them was melatonin. At least as a teen she could articulate her reaction. A toddler can't. IMO, if you don't have a clue the dosage, skip it. Better not to guess.

I don't have an opinion on melatonin, but what about an herbal tea? Celestial seasonings makes a kid's version of sleepy time tea that may work. I personally drink a tea called mother's little helper, which has chamomile and valerian root. It knocks me OUT!

ADD: I'm only suggesting sleepy time kid's tea for her, not the kind I use. I was just commenting that it was helpful for me personally.

I would also not recommend it.
She may be at a developmental stage where she's learning a lot and just wants to stay up and have fun!

Of course, it's hard on you, but I think I would make sure I have a real bedtime "routine" and turn all the lights down an hour or so before bed and keep things quiet with a bath and book time. And make sure her nap does not go later than 3 or so if you want her to bed at say, 8.

I say that as a mom who has been there. My oldest didn't like naps or bedtime at that age, but we eventually figured it out.

My daughter did develop more sleep problems around 11-12 years of age and just could not fall asleep. Or would fall asleep and wake up a little while later. At the recommendation of our pediatrician we tried melatonin...I think 1 mg. I gave it to her 1 night and never would again. I stayed in the room with her after I gave it to her just to keep an eye on her as I wasn't sure how it would work. She got REALLY groggy within about 20 minutes and just fell right to sleep. I guess that was the point, but it kind of freaked me out how groggy she got so quickly.

Also, in the morning she reported that she slept but had wild, vivid dreams and knocked all her covers off onto the floor. She did not want to take it again and I sure did not want to give it to her.

Eventually she got out of that phase too and now sometimes she still has trouble sleeping, she will have 1 cup of Sleepytime tea before bed, but she is 17...not sure a 2 year old should even have herbal teas even if they would drink it though.

Good luck!

I second the chamomile tea suggestion. Passion fruit juice can also have a very slight relaxation effect. The only sure trick for my boys is lots of physical activity during the day! But I would not give my kids anything every day without the direct supervision of a professional, including any drug or supplement.
Do you think that she is tired and just fighting sleep, or is she not tired? Maybe just push her bedtime back for a while. I know a family that would put their two year old to bed at 5:30pm and get her up at 6:30am. Guess what- she wasn't that tired :) Not saying you are this extreme, but she may be in a phase right now where her body does not require as much sleep.

Please post what her schedule tends to be.

For instance, if you're trying to put her to bed at 7pm then that's the issue, they aren't tired.

If you're getting them up at 5am and her nap is at 11am and she's up the rest of the day until 11pm then she's too tired at bedtime.

If she gets up around 7am or 8am, takes a nap around noon or 1pm then goes to bed around 8pm and stays awake until 10pm or 11pm...well, you see how knowing her schedule makes a difference.

Every night here for our now 3.5 yo for nearly a year ... Only the Natrol brand, as it has been tested and does t have any additional additives in it ... Just pure melatonin. I order it from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Natrol-Melatonin-Liquid-Fluid-Ounce.... We give between 2 to 4 mL before his shower and by the time it's time to get in bed, he's relaxed enough to fall asleep in a reasonable amount of time.

Now, all that said, we did take him to a ped sleep specialist before we started the melatonin and completed a full on sleep study. Melatonin will not keep them awake, it just helps them drift off.

Gah, I wish I could remember who told me or what they said it did but it is not recommended to give to children who are still growing. Why, I can't remember, sorry.

Hi E.,
First, I would find the cause of your little one's problem to fall asleep; she may be too stimulated, too tired or lacking more exercise or activities before bed time. You probably need to adjust her routine and even her meals.
Melatonin is a hormone secreted by your brain, and during the first years of a child's life is produced at higher rates, so I would think that is not suitable for children and the problem is actually something else. Pediatricians do not say a lot when asked because the use of melatonin in children (particularly younger than 10 yo) has not been verified. You can find this information everywhere or you may want to ask a pharmacist, sometimes they know much more about medications and supplements than doctors themselves.
I would suggest to keep the short nap, and after that encourage your child to do something fun outdoors; play with her and use a lot of imagination to make her MOVE, and even change her bed time. Avoid sugary drinks and more water, less candy, less cakes and cookies, and avoid also stuff for children sold as "natural" and more fresh fruits.
A. :)

**Then, reading your "so what happened", your kid doesn't need AT all melatonin; please do not try these things just because you want her to fall asleep earlier. **

My son has taken Melatonin here and there. He is on the autism spectrum and it did help him. But he was much older than 2.5 yrs. I don't know if I'd give Melatonin to a toddler. I tend to agree with the posters below who say establishing good habits now will stay with her throughout her lifetime. Toddlers are notoriously tough to get to bed. Keep working on that bedtime routine. There's a good chance it'll eventually become a habit and her sleep patterns will change for the better.

Also, I've taken Melatonin on occasion myself. It gives me crazy *CRAZY* dreams. Every couple of years, I find myself going through a bit of insomnia and think "Well, maybe those dreams were a coincidence and not the fault of Melatonin" and I'll take some. And every time, CRAAAAZY dreams. Weird, surreal (but FEEL real) dreams that haunt me throughout the next day. Don't know why I react to Melatonin like this...

Depends on who makes it, what else is in it, how you verify the quality, what designations and awards the manufacturer has received (from FDA, etc.), and so on.

I work in nutritional epigenetics and we've seen great results in children who take a patented supplement, not specifically for sleep but for overall nutrition at the cellular level and what has ingredients proven to help brain development. There's also a well-researched plant nutrient that helps boost the efficacy of the supplement, even beyond it's normal high results - we're seeing even better results then before with things like ADD, ADHD, and other things that get the brain racing. It's been researched for 15 years by multiple academic institutions, and in partnership with the NIH and other government agencies, as well as the National Cancer Institute (it has already been shown to have some anti cancer properties, and more studies are ongoing).

There are a lot of quick sellers jumping on the bandwagon so you want to be sure you have a solid company that is research-based, not just someone throwing their own label on something made by someone else. And yes, you want liquid nutrition, which is usually a powder you mix in liquid. You don't want pills, even chewables, in most cases, and with rare exceptions, you don't want a premixed liquid.

If you are using a food product vs. a drug or a supplement with warning labels, then you don't have to think about dosages. There should be no possibility of an overdose or side effects. That's a huge difference. Most children's vitamins, for example, carry warning labels to keep them away from children. That is a huge red flag.

Our son has severe ADHD and started taking it at three on the advice of his psychiatrist. He is naturally way too hyper to get to sleep at a decent hour on his own because his ADHD doesn't slow down at night. Melatonin has been amazing.

However, with a neurotypical child, I really would exhaust all other options first. Try the sleep sprays for pillows, try limiting electronics/TV exposure late at night, so soothing bath additives, dark/quiet room for a while before you leave. Our neurotypical daughter sometimes has issues falling asleep, but we've been pretty successful following more traditional methods with her.

When my girls have a tough time calming down and going to sleep, I rub this on the bottoms of their feet. They both swear it helps them. I love that it's all natural. http://www.planttherapy.com/index.php?main_page=product_i...
If the link doesn't work, to to "Plant Therapy" and pick "Calming the Child Synergy" in the pre-diluted roll-on. It's inexpensive and worth a shot. :)

It is a great help! Even for a nap our 3 yr old did not wake up groggy. We used it at night too. It was great. We used the smallest dose as he went to bed. He did have all kinds of a routine but this was an aid for a few months. Dr recommended and not iverused.

my daughter has a few disorders but for her mood disorder and adhd she needed. melatonin starting at age 3. Up until then she would be up for 3-4 days straight. they first gave her clonadine and it lowered her BP dangerously. I told the doctor I refused to give her that. He had me give her melatonin. She is 10 and uses it when she needs it. You want to use low doses at 2-3, I would ask doct but I think hers was 1-2 mg at that age. the most she has ever had was 5. It is naturaly produced in the body and harmless if not given too much. I know it saved her several times from wicked meds that are not so harmless. She did chew them up at times but they did not come in chewable. By the way keep in mind we secrete melatonin naturally so when someone does not secrete enough we can use it like any other vitamin. It is one of the safest things to do. Also if your child is sleepy in the morning cut the pill or mg in half the next time. it also helps to turn off all monitors early enough because any type of monitor (tv, computer, phone, ipad) interrupts the normal melatonin supply to the brain and only makes matters worse. be blessed

Sounds like she might just be getting too much sleep. Both my boys stopped napping regularly around that age. I know many parents enjoy that quiet time, but I prefered the earlier bedtime, and hated battling to get them to nap.

My daughter took it on the advice of her pediatrician when she was around 6. It caused her to have headaches so we stopped.

My sister uses it regularly for her school aged children though.

I agree that I short spurt (a few days at most) of Melatonin can be helpful. I use it myself during the winter because the changing daytime hours overturn my usual sleep cycle. I've never used it on my kids. Doctors generally say no, but they also say no to pretty much anything that hasn't been researched thoroughly. It's just the way of western medicine.

If it were me though I would determine why my child wasn't falling asleep. Evaluate when and how long her nap usually is and how it affects bedtime. Change up the daily routine a little. Also make sure you're not laying her down to sleep too early. My 2.5 year old goes to bed at 8:30 and is usually asleep no later than 9. She wakes up 10 hours later.