Sleep problems affect about 15 to 25 percent of American children, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Falling and staying asleep are two of the most common problems children face. An article printed in a May 2008 issue of USA Today revealed that some parents are giving melatonin to children to induce sleep. However, this approach may cause additional problems.
Identification
The pineal gland in the brain produces the hormone melatonin, or N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, according to the AHRQ. Melatonin affects the body's circadian rhythms to help regulate sleep. During synthesis, melatonin converts into tryptophan--a precursor to serotonin, which promotes sleep. Melatonin supplements may be chemically manufactured or come from the pineal glands of beef cattle, explains the AHRQ.
Evidence
In a 2004 review published in the journal "The Psychiatrist," researchers found that melatonin helped children to fall asleep, but it did not improve other sleep disturbances. Another study published in a 2009 issue of the "Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine," showed that the supplement could cut the amount of time it takes children with autism or Fragile X Syndrome or both to fall asleep. In a long-term follow-up study published in a 2009 issue of "The Journal of Pineal Research," scientists concluded that melatonin was an effective treatment for chronic sleep onset insomnia in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Complications
Melatonin is generally safe to take for a short period. However, it has been linked to seizures in children with neurological disorders, epilepsy development in one child and impaired respiratory function in children with asthma when taken at peak levels. In "The Journal of Pineal Research" study, when children discontinued using melatonin, their sleep onset insomnia returned even after they had been on the treatment for several years.
Backlash
One argument against giving children melatonin to fall asleep is that most studies have been conducted on children with medical disorders whose melatonin production is erratic. Also, Dr. Andrew Weil, an integrative medicine specialist and founder of DrWeil.com interviewed a sleep specialist and melatonin expert to determine the safety of giving melatonin to children for sleep problems. He found that because children already have naturally high levels of melatonin and the effect on child development is unknown, sleep specialists do not recommend it.
Alternatives to Melatonin
Dr. Weil recommends not supplementing children 12 years or younger with melatonin for sleep problems. Instead, he suggests other natural approaches such as creating a bedtime routine that includes 15 to 30 minutes of relaxing activities. Do not let your child watch television or use the computer before bedtime and do not place a television in your child's room.Other strategies include a warm bath and white noise. If your child's sleep problems continue, schedule an appointment with a sleep specialist.
References
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: Melatonin for Treatment of Sleep Disorders
- USA Today: Kids Tucked in With a Dose of Melatonin
- "The Psychiatrist"; Melatonin in the treatment of insomnia in children and adolescents; David Armour, Carol Paton; 2004
- ScienceDaily: Melatonin Is an Effective Treatment for Sleep Problems in Children With Autism, Study Suggests
- "Journal of Pineal Research"; Long-term follow-up of melatonin treatment in children with ADHD and insomnia; Michel Hoebert, et al.; 2009
