As parents know all too well, many children have an aversion to the word "bedtime." For some children, however, difficulty sleeping qualifies as a genuine sleep disorder and can cause irritability, fatigue and poor focus during the daytime. According to Keepkidshealthy.com, sleep disturbances are particularly common among children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), as well as among those with neurological problems like autism, epilepsy and cerebral palsy. One approach to such childhood sleep disturbances is to supplement with melatonin.
What is Melatonin?
According to Vanderbilt University, melatonin is a hormone generated by the brain's pineal gland. This hormone is crucial in establishing and resetting sleep patterns; the pineal gland secretes more melatonin when darkness falls, initiating sleep. It is commonly used to treat jet lag, general insomnia and migraine headaches in adults. There are currently two kinds of melatonin available: synthetic and natural. Melatonin is currently available in the U.S. without a prescription.
Effectiveness
According to a study published in Clinical Pediatrics, melatonin was effective in treating a group of 32 children with ongoing sleep disorders. The researchers administered an average dose of 2 mg of melatonin to the children roughly an hour before bedtime and continued this regimen for about two months. This study found that 90.6 percent of the children showed improvement in sleep patterns. Another study of 49 children, cited by KeepKidsHealthy.com, reported that melatonin improved sleep in 93 percent of these children, who had neurological conditions.
Safety
According to Dr.Weil.com, some experts are concerned about the safety of melatonin supplementation in children. Some believe that since children's brains produce abundant melatonin naturally, additional dosage may be unwise. According to Dr. George C. Brainard, a melatonin expert at Thomas Jefferson University, the use of this hormone is safe in children for a limited amount of time, but he adds that no one currently knows the long-term implications in children or adults.
History
According to the National Institutes of Health, scientists discovered melatonin in 1958 and initially focused on its potential use in treating vitiligo and other dermatological conditions. In 1963, research on rats suggested a link between melatonin secretion and the 24-hour light/dark cycle. By 1965, scientists had formulated a "melatonin theory" that more or less reflected the current understanding of this hormone's role in circadian rhythms. In 1993, melatonin was classified as an "orphan drug" by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a drug developed for a small market, to treat a specific condition.
Considerations
The National Insitutes of Health emphasize that currently, there is not sufficient data on the use of melatonin in children to support its validity. In fact, according to the NIH, there will need to be larger and longer-term studies of melatonin supplentation in general in order to confirm the findings to date. However, the majority of accumulated research does suggest that melatonin can improve sleep disturbances in both adults and children.
References
- Keep Kids Healthy: Melatonin for Sleep Disturbances in Children
- Sage Journals: Melatonin in Children and Adolescents with Insomnia--A Retospective Study
- Vanderbilt University: Melatonin--The Myths and Facts
- Dr. Weil: Is Melatonin Safe for Children?
- National Institutes of Health: Melatonin as a Hormone in Humans--A History
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