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Melatonin



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amother
OP


 

Post Sun, May 05 2019, 10:05 pm
I'm at my wits end with putting ds5 to bed.

What are the drawbacks to melatonin? Anything you wish you knew before you started? Reasons not to? I have been a mother for 14 years and never used it.
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amother
Peach


 

Post Sun, May 05 2019, 10:10 pm
Ask your pediatrician about it. I had the same issue with my 4th child. Never with the others. I discussed it with my doctor to see if it was right for him then I felt comfortable with my choice to use it.
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mom of three bh




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, May 05 2019, 10:23 pm
I give melodrops, just one drop at night. if you give it early enough, like half hour before bedtime it works well and its only a 30th of 1 melochew. a nutrinitionist said its fine
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pizza4




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, May 05 2019, 10:28 pm
I recently started giving it to my dd6. Shes always had trouble falling asleep, practically since shes 1. I considered it several times but only this year when her teacher mentioned it because she was having some trouble in school did I start giving her.
It's a magic pill. I don't know about drawbacks, I'd also be interested to hear. I don't give it every day, only about 2-3 times a week. 1/4 of a pill. Her falling asleep time went from 10pm to 8pm! She could lay awake in bed for hours.
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amother
Powderblue


 

Post Sun, May 05 2019, 10:43 pm
I stopped giving it to my children (even in small amounts) for 3 reasons:
1. I read somewhere that its long-term safety hasn't been studied
2. It really is addictive
3. Main reason: whenever my 6 yr old dd took it, she would wake up numerous times a night with bad dreams. It did not happen with the other kids.
One child really got addicted and cannot fall asleep without his nightly crumb if a melochew .
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amother
Khaki


 

Post Sun, May 05 2019, 10:52 pm
I give a 1/4 few times a week. Other than it works wonders I haven't had a bad experience. I also make sure DC doesn't know the reason why he is taking it for so he shouldn't rely on it.
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amother
Sapphire


 

Post Sun, May 05 2019, 10:55 pm
My DS has a tentative diagnosis of ADHD but for various medical reasons he cannot be on medication for it. He isn't hyperactive so not disruptive to others b"h, but "spacey" snd can have trouble focusing and concentrating..

Anyhow, he has MAJOR sleep issues. When he doesn't take melatonin (doctor recommended it) he literally can stare at the cieling for 4 hours not able to fall asleep, we tried every "natural" remedy. The melatonin was a lifesaver. And wouldn't you know, when he sleeps better the "ADHD" like behaviors are mitigated. I wonder if ADHD isn't sometimes just a sleep disorder?
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amother
Forestgreen


 

Post Sun, May 05 2019, 10:59 pm
amother [ Powderblue ] wrote:
I stopped giving it to my children (even in small amounts) for 3 reasons:
1. I read somewhere that its long-term safety hasn't been studied
2. It really is addictive
3. Main reason: whenever my 6 yr old dd took it, she would wake up numerous times a night with bad dreams. It did not happen with the other kids.
One child really got addicted and cannot fall asleep without his nightly crumb if a melochew .


Weird or scary dreams is usually a sign of too large a dose. There's no rule about dosage, so I would start very small (1/4 mg) and only give more if necessary. Everyone's body handles dosage differently.

I personally only give my kids when dealing with a schedule change like jet lag.
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amother
OP


 

Post Sun, May 05 2019, 11:04 pm
Thank you, everyone!

If it's addictive, how do you ever stop? Has anyone ever stopped it smoothly after it being successful (the child was just old enough to stop)?
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batya315




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, May 05 2019, 11:16 pm
I've heard of people who find Sleep Ease, which is basically a mix of some natural herbs, very effective, and it's supposed to be safe.
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amother
Aqua


 

Post Sun, May 05 2019, 11:20 pm
Quote:
I wonder if ADHD isn't sometimes just a sleep disorder?

There is actually lots of research being done on this. My FIL treats sleep disorders in adults and he claims that studies show that more than 50% of patients that have been diagnosed with ADHD are "cured" once their sleep issues are resolved (this is in adulthood)
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pizza4




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, May 05 2019, 11:49 pm
amother [ Khaki ] wrote:
I give a 1/4 few times a week. Other than it works wonders I haven't had a bad experience. I also make sure DC doesn't know the reason why he is taking it for so he shouldn't rely on it.

Yes dd doesn't know what it's for, she assumed it was for her cold and I didn't correct it.
She has been having nightmares here and there though. I wonder if it its connected. Should I lower the dose? If I'm giving 1/4 of a mg? Maybe I'll try sleep ease.
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notshanarishona




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, May 06 2019, 1:00 am
I have used it for a week or 2 for jet lag and then stopped using it without a problem .
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FranticFrummie




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, May 06 2019, 8:50 am
It's not really addictive in the scary way, but you can build up a tolerance to it, and there's a bit of rebound insomnia at first when you go off.

Some kids simply don't produce enough melatonin by themselves. What you are aiming for, is giving them the level that they should be at. You're not drugging your kid, you're balancing something that's missing.

Definitely talk to your doctor about long term use if you are worried.

DD used to have terrible sleep problems, and she really suffered when she was overtired. I started giving her melatonin at her doctor's suggestion, and she slept like a baby. She woke up cheerful and happy for the first time in as long as I could remember.

When she would feel herself getting tired, but still wide awake, she'd come to me and tell me it was time for her pill. Her sleep schedule was very consistent from then on.

We did breaks on weekends, holidays, and summer, when I let her stay up late to play.

She's a teen now, and either seems to have outgrown the need for it, or is just being a teen, enjoying staying up late and falling asleep in class. Wink

If you have a child on the spectrum, or has Fragile X, these kids produce very little melatonin on their own. Definitely discuss this with their doctor if your kid is having major sleep issues.
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amother
Tan


 

Post Mon, May 06 2019, 9:24 am
amother [ Aqua ] wrote:
Quote:
I wonder if ADHD isn't sometimes just a sleep disorder?

There is actually lots of research being done on this. My FIL treats sleep disorders in adults and he claims that studies show that more than 50% of patients that have been diagnosed with ADHD are "cured" once their sleep issues are resolved (this is in adulthood)


Spinoff...sorry...
Where does ur FUL treat sleep disorders? How can I PM u? My DH has terrible sleep patterns. Possible OCD/anxiety related. Recently started snoring too... anyone knows a DR for this?
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amother
OP


 

Post Mon, May 06 2019, 9:27 am
He has adhd and is a special kid in a few ways. Is there a kosher version of sleep ease? What kosher melatonin drops do you use? Or chewables?
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