Feel guilty for giving melatonin

ora_43

Sat, Jan 22 2022, 2:47 pm

amother [ Mauve ] wrote:

This is all around 6:30/7, with an hour and a half nap during the day.

A lot of toddlers aren't going to be able to get to sleep at 6:30 or 7 if they nap during the day. At least one of my kids would only be able to sleep at 10:30 or 11 pm if she napped during the day (at age 2).

It is what it is. If school insists on naps, bedtime might need to be later at home.

(this is just a general comment, not connected to melatonin. if your kid's doctor recommends melatonin, then by all means. just commenting on why a good bedtime routine is probably not enough for a toddler who naps.)

amother

Mauve

Sat, Jan 22 2022, 6:24 pm

ora_43 wrote:

Unfortunately this child doesn't sleep past 6 am, on a good day, no matter when she goes to sleep, so later bedtimes just leave her an overtired mess. We tried getting rid of the nap over the summer, and bedtime was even worse, so we let school put it back in happily.

Admittedly, she's a kid with a lot of sensory issues in general, and it seems sleep trouble and sensory issues often go hand in hand

amother

Khaki

Sat, Jan 22 2022, 10:14 pm

amother [ Mauve ] wrote:

It could be that your Shabbos lamp has a very white light and that's what gets her bouncing all over in her room. Some of them have a very harsh light. Try a different lamp or light bulb with a warmer light. It can make a big difference.

amother

Saddlebrown

Sat, Jan 22 2022, 10:33 pm

ora_43 wrote:

This is my 2 year old exactly. Naps for 1.5 hrs in school, and bedtime is 10 or 11. I'm an early to bed type who loves being under the covers at 9:30. It's a real struggle.

miami85

Sat, Jan 22 2022, 10:55 pm

andrea levy wrote:

Basically, in North America, melatonin is unregulated and the pill can have the content of between 18% and 475% of what’s on the label, so whoever said as long as the dose is right is wrong. There is literally no way to know how much is in each pill.

The half life of the hormones melatonin in pill form is around a half hour. It’s not a sleeping pill. It’s meant to help being on sleep when the pineal gland produces it in our bodies. It’s exogenous use is most effective in helping with jet lag but here’s wfsts even more helpful.

Exposure to bright light and screens.

If you went camping outside for a week, your kids circadian rhythms would change sbd you’d find them going to bed at sunset or just after and waking up at sunrise.

All societies that use electric light are messing with circadian rhythms.

So, if you want bedtime to go better, then lowering the light exposure earlier than bed time is the best way to do it. It helps natural melatonin to be produced and over time, the kids adjust to a new, earlier bed time. They might also get up earlier, unless you have blackout curtains.

The good news is that there’s actually not much evidence that melatonin is toxic, even in large doses. It’s used therapeutically in some medical treatments. It IS a hormone and there is some evidence that in insulin resistant people it can increase insulin resistance, and of course it’s a hormone, which is why it is regulated in many other places. You probably should be careful with it and try other means to get them down better.

In any case, I do t think your odds of hurting your kids is very high.

I think there's a high genetic component to circadian rhythm as well. My siblings used to tease me about taking a nap at 5pm when I was 3--and now I have a child who does that as well, no matter what we try we can't keep him awake, and even when we do, it's not like he goes to bed earlier.