Insomnia affects about 4 percent of children, according to a 2009 survey in "Sleep Medicine." Many kids receive sleeping pills to help them cope with sleep disorders. Hypnotic drugs, however, often cause unwanted side effects including daytime sleepiness and strange behavior. These untoward reactions become especially problematic in children. Natural substances, such as melatonin, may provide a better alternative. Yet, this hormone can also cause adverse events. Speak with a doctor before you have your child take melatonin.
Facilitate Epilepsy Screens
Epilepsy remains a difficult disorder to diagnose in children. Brain wave recordings taken during sleep help reveal seizure activity. Yet, it's often difficult getting children to sleep during routine physicals. Sleeping pills can help, but they may introduce artifacts. A 2010 paper in "Neuropediatrics" evaluated melatonin's ability to facilitate sleep in diagnostic tests. Children, including many with behavioral problems, received melatonin for a single testing session. Melatonin triggered sleep onset in more than 75 percent of the kids. They fell asleep relatively quickly and slept for about 17 minutes. This amount, while brief, allowed a proper assessment. The children did not report any negative reactions, but placebo-controlled trials should confirm these preliminary results.
Benefit ADHD Patients
Pediatric cases of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder continue to increase. Children with ADHD typically receive stimulant medications to manage their restlessness. While effective, such drugs make it difficult for these kids to fall and stay asleep. Melatonin may safely counteract stimulant-induced sleeping problems. A 2006 article in the "American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry" tested this hypothesis. Patients first received either melatonin or placebo for 30 days. They then received the opposite treatment for another 30 days. The hormone caused a 16-minute reduction in the time it took for the kids to fall asleep. It did not produce side effects in this trial, but the long-term impact of melatonin remains unknown.
Improve Autistic Symptoms
Children with autism spectrum disorder and those with fragile X syndrome often experience behavioral difficulties. Such kids typically have a difficult time initiating and maintaining sleep. These changes may relate to their low levels of circulating melatonin. A 2009 report in the "Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine" assessed the impact of melatonin supplements in 12 developmentally challenged children. Patients were given the hormone or a placebo for two weeks. They then switched into the opposite condition for two more weeks. While receiving melatonin, the kids went to bed earlier, fell asleep faster and stayed asleep longer. Parents did not notice adverse events, but the conclusions remain limited by the small number of subjects tested.
Treat Sleep Disorders
Some children, like many adults, suffer from idiopathic insomnia. This sleep disorder results from a psychological process instead of a biological process. That is, people have developed bad habits which cause this form of insomnia. A 2010 study described in "Psychopharmacology" looked at the effect of melatonin supplements on idiopathic insomnia. Children received the hormone each night for a week. Three different doses of the supplement were tested. Relative to baseline, melatonin hastened sleep onset by 35 minutes. It also had a positive impact on biological rhythms. All doses of the hormone had similar effects. Scientists must confirm these findings in additional tests before doctors can routinely prescribe melatonin for sleep disorders in pediatric populations.
References
- "Sleep Medicine"; Community-Based Study of Insomnia in Hong Kong Chinese Children; Jihui Zhang, et al.; 2009
- "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 the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry"; Sleep Hygiene and Melatonin Treatment for Children and Adolescents With ADHD and Initial Insomnia; Margaret D. Weiss, et al.; May 2006
- "Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine"; Efficacy of Melatonin for Sleep Problems in Children with Autism, Fragile X Syndrome, or Autism and Fragile X Syndrome; Juthamas Wirojanan, et al.; April 15, 2009
- "Psychopharmacology"; Dose Finding of Melatonin for Chronic Idiopathic Childhood Sleep Onset Insomnia; Ingeborg M. van Geijlswijk, et al.; October 2010
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