Sleep disorders affect at least 4 percent of children, according to a 2010 study in "Pediatrics." These debilitating disorders change the lives of infants as well as adolescents. Prescription medications can effectively and safely treat adults, but children should use them sparingly. Melatonin supplements provide a bioidentical hormone, which may offer a better alternative. This substance, however, can also cause side effects. Thus, parents and kids should meet with a doctor before taking melatonin.
Epilepsy Screening
Neurologists use sleep to screen children for epilepsy. Most of these recordings occur in the daytime when it is difficult for kids to sleep. A 2010 report in "Neuropediatrics" tested melatonin's ability to initiate short-term sleep. The children received melatonin upon arriving at the hospital. On average, they fell asleep within 25 minutes and slept 17 minutes. Melatonin helped achieve usable recordings in 72 percent of cases. These numbers represented considerable improvement over drug-free visits. Melatonin did not affect the recordings or cause side effects. Yet, it remains unknown whether these effects would occur with repeated use.
Epilepsy Treatment
Melatonin can also help epileptic children sleep at night. A 2010 article in the "Journal of Pineal Research" evaluated melatonin as a treatment for seizure activity as well as sleep quality. Pediatric patients were first given a placebo for a week to establish a baseline. They then received melatonin nightly for three months. The data showed that melatonin improved both seizure control and sleep efficiency. It also helped the kids establish a regular sleep-wake schedule. The children tolerated the treatment well as few adverse events occurred. Scientists, however, must conduct long-term studies before melatonin treatment of epilepsy becomes routine.
Autism Treatment
Other pediatric conditions may respond to melatonin as well. Autistic children typically have an irregular sleep schedule marked by repeated awakenings. A 2011 study in "Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders" looked at sleep in autistic patients. These 17 children received either melatonin or placebo each night for three months. They then switched into the opposite condition. Relative to placebo, melatonin hastened the onset of sleep and increased total sleep time. It did not, however, reduce the number of nighttime awakenings. Side effects, brief and mild, occurred equally in each condition. While suggestive, these preliminary findings need to be replicated with a larger group of patients.
ADHD Treatment
Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD, also benefit from having a safe sleep aid readily available. Like autistic children, such kids often experience chronic insomnia. A 2009 paper in the "Journal of Pineal Research" followed ADHD patients for nearly four years after they started melatonin supplementation. Most parents found the treatment effective for sleep, behavior and mood. Sleep problems usually re-appeared during short periods of melatonin withdrawal. No adverse events occurred throughout treatment. Yet, 10 percent of these kids functioned well without a sleep aid. Parents, therefore, must determine if melatonin use is really necessary.
References
- "Pediatrics"; Prevalence of Diagnosed Sleep Disorders in Pediatric Primary Care Practices; Lisa J. Meltzer et al; June 2010
- "Neuropediatrics"; Melatonin, Experience in its use for Recording Sleep EEG in Children and Review of the Literature; Monika Eisermann et al; August 2010
- "Journal of Pineal Research"; Normalization of the Sleep-Wake Pattern and Melatonin and 6-Sulphatoxy-Melatonin Levels After a Therapeutic Trial With Melatonin in Children with Severe Epilepsy; Jose Uberos et al; Nov. 2, 2010
- "Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders"; Melatonin Versus Placebo in Children With Autism Spectrum Conditions and Severe Sleep Problems not Amenable to Behaviour Management Strategies; Barry Wright et al; February 2011
- "Journal of Pineal Research"; Long-Term Follow-Up of Melatonin Treatment in Children With ADHD and Chronic Sleep Onset Insomnia; Michel Hoebert et al; August 2009
