Meltoniam - ok to give to kids?

amother

Silver

Fri, Apr 27 2018, 7:28 am

My boys could spend hours trying to fall asleep... They are tired but just can't unwind and fall asleep.
I heard about meltoniam (chew o Mel) and started using it. It works amazing. It relaxes them and they fall asleep within minutes.
My question is- is it safe? Any side effects? Is it healthy to give every night? Just want to know if it's ok to give to children. Age 3,8 and 10

amother

Green

Fri, Apr 27 2018, 7:39 am

You really need to ask your pediatrician, some are ok with it and some are not. But even if they say it's fine, it's not a good long term solution. Eventually, you need to keep upping the dose for it to keep working. It can also be habit forming. I mostly use it at the end of a school break or YT to get everyone back on schedule. My friend uses it only on week nights but not on weekends, and this keeps them from getting too dependent on it or needing more for it to work.

FranticFrummie

Fri, Apr 27 2018, 8:22 am

amother wrote:

THIS.

DD was exactly the same way for many years. Our ped said it was OK to give the lowest possible dose, and to take breaks whenever we can. DD would be so overtired she was miserable, crying, and begging for her melatonin so she could collapse!

She's 14 now. She's learned how to regulate her stress levels and emotions better, and has outgrown the need for it. She does have ADHD, so I think that might have had a lot to do with things when she was younger. She was also emotionally younger than her peers, and seemed to be a real drama queen.

Some kids just learn how to settle themselves later than others.

amother

Tangerine

Fri, Apr 27 2018, 9:20 am

My pediatrician and my child’s specialist recommended it for my children.

amother

Sapphire

Fri, Apr 27 2018, 9:27 am

BE AWARE: As per my doctor ( he did a lot of research), It may cause infertility issues later on in life. I give calcium, banana, glass of milk, works as well without any side effects.

amother

Gold

Fri, Apr 27 2018, 9:31 am

Here's the scoop on melatonin. (taken from this thread: https://www.imamother.com/foru.....rt=20)

Posting with permission from the author:

Mellow Out
By: Ruchy Reese

For many people in our fast-paced society, a good night’s sleep is but a dream. With contemporary living being a far cry from the days in which people retired with the sun, modern man pushes the bounds of the circadian rhythm in the attempt to do more, see more, and be more. And once that natural rhythm is lost, it’s hard to get back on track. Enter the world of sleep aides.
With the global sleep aide market raking in over $580 million in the year 2014 alone, there’s clearly a lot of tired people walking the planet, desperate for something to help them mellow out and settle down. For some, relief comes in the form of prescription medication. Others, however, opt for over-the-counter (OTC) options in the assumption that non-prescriptives are safer and less addictive. One of the most popular OTC options is melatonin.

Mommy’s Little Helper
“I give melatonin very infrequently and in very small doses,” Shira* tells me, “But there is a time and place, like after Yom Tov or when the clock is moved. The body has trouble regulating, and it gets my kids back on track.”
Shira’s not the only one that feels this way. Many parents, in fact, turn to these easily obtainable and often chewable little “helpers,” allowing their children to be lulled into a melatonin-induced slumber. For themselves, as well, adults purchase melatonin in the hopes of sweet sleep. But where does melatonin come from, and does it actually work? And more importantly, is it safe?

What Is Melatonin?
Often believed to be a vitamin or mineral, melatonin is actually neither. Touted as a natural dietary supplement, melatonin looks relatively benign when lining the shelves of a vitamin shop. The truth, however, is that melatonin is nothing like the helpful herbs available for purchase, because it is, in fact, something completely different.
Melatonin is a hormone.
Much like its daytime counterpart cortisol, melatonin is a hormone related to stress and is produced naturally by the human body — though their mechanisms are drastically different. While cortisol energizes and enables the body to handle stress, melatonin has more of shut-down effect. Commercial melatonin is either extracted from the hormone-producing glands of animals, like bovine, or created in a laboratory with synthetic ingredients.

Does Melatonin Work as a Sleep Aide?
While many people are devoted users of melatonin, claiming that it helps them fall asleep, melatonin has actually never been proven to relieve insomnia. The quality and length of sleep when using melatonin has also been shown to be comparable to sleep without ingestion of the commercial hormone. Why then, do so many people stock this product in the medicine cabinet as the turn-to supplement for days when sleep just doesn’t beckon?

How the Hormone Works
Surprisingly, melatonin natural to the body has little to do with sleep and everything to do with darkness. Every evening as dark settles upon the world, melatonin levels in the human being begin to rise, eventually reaching its peak around 3 a.m. This is because the body naturally interprets darkness as a significant stress to the body, and responds by releasing the hormone in question: melatonin. A common misconception is that melatonin is a sleep hormone, when it is actually an anti-stress hormone.
Melatonin, in the attempt to relax the body, causes it to feel less-focused and slightly disoriented, allowing a person to more easily succumb to sleep. It is a sleep regulator that works by sending a message to the brain that slumber is appropriate at the given time, due to the stressful nature of dark. It is not a sleep initiator on its own.
Natural melatonin production in the body can be disrupted by light, most significantly those of the white (like light bulbs) or blue (technology) origins. Even if the hour is extremely late, but the lights are still bright, melatonin production will be minimal, though it is possible for a person to sleep.
In short, though melatonin is intrinsically connected to night and the circadian rhythm, it does not directly induce sleep. When taken in pill form, the “sleepiness” felt is actually a mild stupor and cognitive impairment that is the body’s way of responding to stressful stimuli.

So… Is It Safe?
As of yet the FDA has not approved use of melatonin as a sleep aide, though the FDA does allow it to be sold as a dietary supplement because it can be found in certain foods, such as cherries, oranges and tomatoes. That being said, it is the only orally administered hormone allowed to be dispensed in America without a prescription.
Hormonal balance, however, is a delicate system that takes place naturally inside of the body. Without FDA monitoring, many companies sell melatonin in excess of even 20 times what the body produces naturally. Sadly, this can wreak havoc on growing children’s bodies, as well as people of any age.
Melatonin in normal, internally produced amounts is vital to immune system function, and acts as an anti-inflammatory. It’s also been shown to be an effective deterrent to yena machlah, slowing the rate of spread of some types of the dreaded disease. In fact, night workers who have significantly lower rates of melatonin production have been shown to have a higher chance of contracting specific types of dangerous growth, lo aleinu.
When taken in pill form, however, risk of that delicate hormonal balance being disrupted is of large concern, and carries the additional risk that the body can become accustomed (read: addicted) to even high levels of melatonin, causing the body to no longer respond to lower doses of — or even be able to produce it’s own — melatonin.
As Dr. Esther Apter says, “Whenever we take a hormone from outside the body, like synthetic melatonin, our own bodies stop producing their own melatonin. It’s a much better idea to take a natural supplement that stimulates the body’s own production of melatonin.”
She also recommends going to sleep early on a regular basis for optimal melatonin stimulation, as well as herbal options that contain St. John’s wart, valerian root, and valocordin, like her own mixture called “Calm and Sleep.”
Certain foods also have the power to boost melatonin, with pineapple the forerunner of the bunch. According to one study, pineapple naturally raised melatonin levels by 266%, while bananas rated second at about a 180% increase.
And yet, synthetic hormones are still being welcomed into many a home, perhaps due to simple marketing and the naivete of the masses. Perhaps most telling about the true nature of the pop drug, is that when this writer reached out to manufacturers of commonly sold melatonin, no answer was the only answer received to my inquiries.

On the Flip Side...
“I had kids who couldn’t sleep, and I consulted with some of the most health-minded people out there, and I was told that melatonin is safe to give, because there is nothing worse than not being able to sleep,” Shaindy*, a well-known alternative health practitioner tells me, admitting that she gives her own children the hormone up to five times a week. Shocked though I am, on the latter point regarding sleep, I do concur. How can the body heal from daily wear and tear or even infrequent trauma without sleep? A human being can survive over a month without food, but only a few days without restful slumber. Sleep is, after all, the most significant cornerstone of a well-functioning human being.
According to Dr. Sondra Heiligman of Baltimore, a pediatrician specializing in endocrinology, there are certain instances in which medical professionals can legitimately recommend use of melatonin, though it should not be the immediate go-to option.
“I propose first, long before suggesting melatonin, looking into all the normal factors to see if there are negative habits and rituals, and then work on sleep methods to help them fall asleep. Is the room dark? Is the child too hot or too cold? Of course, you have to rule out certain conditions like sleep apnea or sleep night terrors.” She says, “There is a place for melatonin’s usage in certain circumstances, but it’s not my first recommendation when discussing sleep problems with parents.”
Even when prescribing melatonin, it comes with a measure of discomfort.
“Because it is ‘natural’ and is readily available, there isn’t as much supervision of its use in individual cases,” adds Dr. Heiligman. “It may come up as an option, however, when other methods have been reviewed.”

To Pop or Not?
Though the evidence seems stacked against the use of the hormone on a daily basis, perhaps, in special circumstances, melatonin-induced stupor may actually be a decent option when weighed against the risks of long-term sleep deprivation.
Only you can ask yourself: Should I pop this pill, or shouldn’t I?
As for me, I think I’ll skip the stupor.

*names have been changed for privacy

flowerpower

Fri, Apr 27 2018, 9:32 am

amother wrote:

BE AWARE: As per my doctor, It may cause infertility issues later on in life. I give calcium, banana, glass of milk, works as well without any side effects.

My dr said that there is no connection between infertility and sleep hormones.

I gave it to my kids 4 nights a week when they were younger because they never fell asleep. Not that they fall asleep now....

amother

Mauve

Fri, Apr 27 2018, 9:45 am

And my pediatrician recommends against it. It's a hormone that has not yet been proven safe in long-term studies. He says that it's better to give Benadryl - which has been studied for decades - on occasion to get kids back on track than to give melatonin. (I don't do that either because Benadryl has the opposite effect on my kids, but I don't give melatonin. I don't know what I'd do if we had long-term sleep issues.)

Shuly

Fri, Apr 27 2018, 9:49 am

I used to give it to one of my kids, but he outgrew needing it.
What I discovered is that you do not need to give a lot of it for it to work. Trader Joe's makes pills with the smallest amount - 500mcg (less than 1mg) and I would even cut them in half and it still worked.

crust

Fri, Apr 27 2018, 9:57 am

OP my nephews and nieces that used it from ages 2-4 till ages 16-18 already have housefull of kids. All of them.

Infertility myth busted.

Some of my kids take it on weekdays.

It's eaither they take it or they can't wake up in the morning because they couldn't fall asleep at night because they got up too late because they couldn't fall asleep the night before.

amother

Orange

Fri, Apr 27 2018, 10:18 am

crust wrote:

no that does't bust the myth. one family having lots of children is not a counter proof for the claim that melatonin supplements may cause infertility.

(as an aside, I've never read any study suggesting a connection between the two - but anecdotally - when a person's hormones are out of wack, chances of getting pregnant decrease).

Ruchel

Fri, Apr 27 2018, 11:28 am

I am not trying to be nasty but... if you cannot spell it, you probably didn't research it.

Anyway. In my country only a neurologist will prescribe it to a child especially!

Don't listen to people calling it a "vitamin"

amother

Pearl

Fri, Apr 27 2018, 11:29 am

The research goes both ways. Some laud it as a powerful antioxidant, some say it's an artificial hormone and can cause issues. My child gets 1/6th mg at bedtime. I take the 1mg chewable melo-chew and cut it into 6 or even 8 slivers, he takes one sliver each night. It takes him 3-4 hours to fall asleep without it, and he is a wreck the next day. At the same time we are also working on fixing the issues that are contributing to the insomnia, so that hopefully he can come off it in the near future. There are other natural things you can try before melatonin, celestial seasoning makes a sleepy-time tea, some forms of magnesium are supposed to be very calming, there are herbs like ashwahganda, l theanine, valerian that are supposed to help with sleep. Cherry juice is also high in natural melatonin, some find that helpful.

mha3484

Fri, Apr 27 2018, 11:41 am

My pediatrician reccomended it for one of my kids who has a lot of sleep issues. He suggested two mg which I found to be too much. It gives him really weird dreams. 1 mg works much better. I am looking into having him tested to see if hes naturally deficient in melatonin because my other kids sleep very well.

SixOfWands

Fri, Apr 27 2018, 11:44 am

crust wrote:

My grandmother (a"h) smoked two packs a day and lived to be 89. Smoking myth busted.

The plural of anecdote isn't data.

That said, I've no idea whether or not melatonin effects fertility.

Jstar

Fri, Apr 27 2018, 11:55 am

OP - I take a calcium magnesium supplement before bed and give it to my children too if they are having trouble sleeping. I have recommended it to other moms to and sometimes it really does the trick for them. I know for myself it has literally transformed my sleep.

I think its worth a try - totally natural and non habit forming, there's no down side. It helps the body naturally correct itself.

Feel free to PM me for more info on the one I use.

Lots of hatzlacha!

amother

Sapphire

Fri, Apr 27 2018, 12:05 pm

SixOfWands wrote:

My grandmother (a"h) smoked two packs a day and lived to be 89. Smoking myth busted.

The plural of anecdote isn't data.

That said, I've no idea whether or not melatonin effects fertility.

This

amother

Olive

Fri, Apr 27 2018, 12:07 pm

I give for 1 wk when clock changed. Helps get them on track. Dh did loads of research on it. We give alot less than dose. The dose they give is too much. Continued use could have consequences. A wk or two a yr is ok. (Low vit D levels made it hard for my kids sleepless btw)

amother

Purple

Fri, Apr 27 2018, 2:03 pm

I know a few people that used melatonin and 2 of them have infertility issues.
It's not medically tested and noone knows forsure what causes the infertility. But there are doctors that say it can cause infertility especially in boys.
I'd stay away from it.

amother

Aqua

Fri, Apr 27 2018, 3:15 pm

I know a girl that was developing at 9 needed a bra already and the mother said she was taking melatonin and it causes early developing. I was scared to give it to my kids after that.