The pineal gland is located in the brain where it produces melatonin, a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. Light exposure determines how much melatonin the pineal gland makes. At night, hormone production increases to help you to go to sleep. Melatonin is also available as an over-the-counter sleep aid. Only give melatonin to children under the guidance of a pediatrician.
Children's Dosage
The ideal melatonin dose for your child is the one recommended by his pediatrician. In a 2008 interview with "USA Today," Susan Zafarlotfi, clinical director of the Institute for Sleep-Wake Disorders at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, recommends a melatonin dose of 3 mg or less for children age 10 or older. She does not endorse the supplement for younger kids. Zafarlotfi also believes children should only take melatonin occasionally. The University of Maryland Medical Center has even stricter recommendations when it comes to pediatric administration of melatonin. It says the maximum daily dosage that is safe for children is 0.3 mg. Children younger than 15 may suffer seizures after taking a dose as low as 1 mg.
Melatonin Use
As a sleep aid, your doctor may recommend melatonin supplements when a sleep disorder such as insomnia is present. If you are traveling across several time zones, taking melatonin before your trip starts may also help neutralize any resulting jet lag. A child with a sleep disorder or who is about to go on a long trip might also benefit from melatonin. Get a pediatrician's recommendation, including a specific dose, before giving your child the supplement.
Concerns
According to the USA Today article, most of the studies involving children tested melatonin on blind or developmentally disabled children. Researchers largely conducted the studies because the children selected could not produce a regular supply of melatonin. They found the chemical to be safe. But children without a similar impairment may respond differently to the supplemental hormone. Marcia Buck, who was interviewed for the article as the clinical pharmacy specialist at the University of Virginia Children's Hospital in Charlottesville, says melatonin supplements are not for healthy children who only occasionally cannot fall asleep.
Melatonin Concerns
Melatonin supplements are made of synthetic chemicals or of natural melatonin extracted from animals. The natural form can have a viral contamination, posing a health risk to your children, according to FamilyDoctor.org. If your child's pediatrician recommends melatonin, ask her for a synthetic brand name or inquire about it at your pharmacy.
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