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Melatonin EVERY night????? Safe??????
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shabbatiscoming




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Oct 16 2011, 4:09 pm
I have a relative who told me that her 4 year old does not fall asleep at night unless she takes melatonin.
Is this safe? To take it every night?
Wouldnt it make more sense to sleep train her? I know she is 4 already, but it is better late than never, no????
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Liba




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Oct 16 2011, 4:13 pm
I haven't read any studies on use in children, but I take it every night. I know plenty of special needs mothers who use give it to their children, with the doctors blessing, every night as well.
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newbie




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Oct 16 2011, 5:01 pm
In this weeks Sukkos Edition of Mishpacha family magazine the same question was asked- the Doctor answered that there are no long term studies regarding this, so he recommends using it for not longer than 6 months. He wrote a lot more but I can't get the magazine right now, if it's important for you I can quote from it tomorrow here.
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amother


 

Post Sun, Oct 16 2011, 5:06 pm
shabbatiscoming wrote:
I have a relative who told me that her 4 year old does not fall asleep at night unless she takes melatonin.
Is this safe? To take it every night?
Wouldnt it make more sense to sleep train her? I know she is 4 already, but it is better late than never, no????

When I spoke to an endocrinologist about my sleeping problems/melatonin levels, he told me to take 1 mg of melatonin- AND NOT MORE. He said if 1 mg doesn't help then I should go to a sleeping study before taking any more melatonin. UNLESS they have done blood work on her and found her levels low. (Which my doc said is rarely the case.) I would be careful before giving a child too much melatonin. I don't even take my 1 mg too many times in a row because I don't want my body to get too used to it.
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life'sgreat




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Oct 16 2011, 5:40 pm
From the research I've done (admittedly, not very extensive), it seems that if you take melatonin, your body lessens its own production of melatonin. Regardless if that's true or not, I wouldn't want my child to get used to taking something in order to fall asleep. Unless there are extenuating circumstances and it's with the ok from a doctor or another professional.
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granolamom




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Oct 16 2011, 7:15 pm
no one who has had a child with sleep issues would suggest 'why dont they sleep train'
I've walked miles in those shoes. and honestly, sleep is a priority for them right now. get the kid sleeping and when the parents are well rested they will be able to reevaluate their methods if necessary.
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Mama Bear




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 17 2011, 12:39 am
its not healthy for LONG TERM. I give it to my kids when they jsut cant fall asleep. not every single night. when I try to put them on a slepe routine, I give it for 2 weeks straight, and then... theyre used to falling asleep early & no longer need it.
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life'sgreat




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 17 2011, 12:50 am
granolamom wrote:
no one who has had a child with sleep issues would suggest 'why dont they sleep train'
I've walked miles in those shoes. and honestly, sleep is a priority for them right now. get the kid sleeping and when the parents are well rested they will be able to reevaluate their methods if necessary.

I'm not sure how you know that this mom tried what you did or has the same issue.
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Liba




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 17 2011, 6:39 am
I know a nurse who used to give her boys benadryl every night before bed.

Shabbatiscoming, did you ask your relative about the safety and which doctors told her to use it? It seems like a better place to get the information than Imamother. Smile
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Ruchel




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 17 2011, 6:51 am
In children, even teens, I would not consider it safe at all.
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seeker




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 17 2011, 12:30 pm
Frankly when I opened this thread I thought OP would be questioning advice she was given regarding her own child. Now that I see it's about a friend, I would just advise OP to assume that she doesn't know the full situation of what the child's issue is and what else the parents have tried.

But in response to the actual question, I have generally heard melatonin recommended as a short-term intervention to help get on a schedule. Good for jet-lag, end of summer vacation if you've been letting the kids go to sleep and wake up late and they're having a hard time adjusting, bad sleep habits... but a week or so of going to sleep and waking up at the same time should theoretically be enough to get you into a rhythm that can be maintained without chemicals. I say theoretically because sometimes there are other intervening factors...
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granolamom




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 17 2011, 1:40 pm
life'sgreat wrote:
granolamom wrote:
no one who has had a child with sleep issues would suggest 'why dont they sleep train'
I've walked miles in those shoes. and honestly, sleep is a priority for them right now. get the kid sleeping and when the parents are well rested they will be able to reevaluate their methods if necessary.

I'm not sure how you know that this mom tried what you did or has the same issue.


ok, true. point taken.
but most people who have kids that sleep somewhat normally dont explore other options like melatonin.
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granolamom




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 17 2011, 1:45 pm
Ruchel wrote:
In children, even teens, I would not consider it safe at all.


sometimes the best option isnt a good one
our story was that our child had not had a good night's sleep her whole life. she was in first grade and not functioning largely due to sleep deprivation. so its not always black and white. kids (and their parents and siblings) need sleep. we tried pretty much everything short of swimming with the dolphins, nothing worked. sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do

the biggest fear I had with melatonin, is that some people who take it and sleep with any amount of light experience vivid and disturbing dreams. my dd would only go to sleep with a nightlight so we never tried it.
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morah




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 17 2011, 2:11 pm
My brother has been taking it every night for a while (he's 11). I don't think it's unsafe, but definitely not a good idea to get a kid hooked on it. My brother is now incapable of sleeping without it. It's happened that the family went on a trip, forgot the melatonin, and then had to scramble for a health food store or whatever in order to get some, otherwise, cranky brother would ruin vacation for everyone.
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Mommy F.




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 17 2011, 2:31 pm
I once asked a pharmacist in Canada about melatonin for kids, she said that since there has been no studies on it (for using it on children) it's not recommend to giving it to children at all.
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life'sgreat




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 17 2011, 2:54 pm
granolamom wrote:
life'sgreat wrote:
granolamom wrote:
no one who has had a child with sleep issues would suggest 'why dont they sleep train'
I've walked miles in those shoes. and honestly, sleep is a priority for them right now. get the kid sleeping and when the parents are well rested they will be able to reevaluate their methods if necessary.

I'm not sure how you know that this mom tried what you did or has the same issue.


ok, true. point taken.
but most people who have kids that sleep somewhat normally dont explore other options like melatonin.

Not necessarily. Many moms love the easy way out because bedtime takes time and is tough.
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Raisin




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 17 2011, 2:57 pm
life'sgreat wrote:
granolamom wrote:
life'sgreat wrote:
granolamom wrote:
no one who has had a child with sleep issues would suggest 'why dont they sleep train'
I've walked miles in those shoes. and honestly, sleep is a priority for them right now. get the kid sleeping and when the parents are well rested they will be able to reevaluate their methods if necessary.

I'm not sure how you know that this mom tried what you did or has the same issue.


ok, true. point taken.
but most people who have kids that sleep somewhat normally dont explore other options like melatonin.

Not necessarily. Many moms love the easy way out because bedtime takes time and is tough.


I've never dreamt of using anything like melatonin. I have normal kids, some are better sleepers then others.
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Liba




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 17 2011, 3:04 pm
Mommy F. wrote:
I once asked a pharmacist in Canada about melatonin for kids, she said that since there has been no studies on it (for using it on children) it's not recommend to giving it to children at all.


Do you know how many medications that are given to children aren't studied on children? You would be astounded if you checked.

I am not saying to give it. I just don't think people should be judging the people who do give it to their children either.

FWIW melatonin is extremely expensive in Israel in my experience. I can't see people paying for melatonin every night for multiple children long term if other options hadn't been exhausted.
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freidasima




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 17 2011, 4:07 pm
It's been connected to many things including yenner machla. My middle daughter was a patient at the sleep clinic and was prescribed it, and as soon as these studies came out (she was a teen then) the doctor took her off it and told her to throw away the prescription and never take it again. Too dangerous. And she already had the blood work and everything else.

there are other things to take which are less dangerous even though more potent. Even sleeping pills are better under medical supervision. THEY haven't been connected yet to yenner machla.
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Liba




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 17 2011, 4:12 pm
FS, again I want to read the studies. Everything I have been able to find says it slows the growth of cancer and low melatonin levels (which are common in shift workers) are linked to higher cancer risk. In the lab melatonin slows down cancer growth and they are studying its use in cancer treatment.
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