Melatonin to help with sleep

amother

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 9:30 am

Has anyone used melatonin for toddlers for short term like a few weeks to sort of teach their bodies that they need to sleep in their beds and then stopped the melatonin and they’ve learned to sleep better? And did the melatonin cause middle of the night wake ups or they’ve slept well? TIA

- also can you please link or say which melatonin has worked? 2.5 year old.

amother

Dahlia

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 9:32 am

Following.... I'm also thinking about it for my 5th child. I've never had to use it, but this little one is something else.

amother

Burgundy

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 10:09 am

I used it for my 4 year old, he’s my 6th and never had to use it before. I pushed it off a long time because I didn’t like the idea but it was the best thing for our family. I used chapter one by Zahler- a quarter of a gummy. In the beginning I used it every other night, and immediately I saw he was going to sleep better on the off nights. We are about three months in and I skip a lot. He really goes to bed bh right away on the off nights and is altogether much calmer when he’s falling asleep.did not have any issues with nightmares or waking bh- not more than without it.

amother

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 10:17 am

amother Burgundy wrote:

So you think it helped teach him to sleep? That’s great. You just cut the gummy up?

amother

Chambray

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 10:21 am

I use a chewable (not a gummy) that has just .3 mg in it. My kids would want the whole gummy lol.
Every health food store I’ve been in has it I can look for the company name if it helps.

I use it occasionally, tried using for a week straight but found my child’s sleep quality was worse and she was tired during the day.

amother

PlumPink

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 10:21 am

I find it very helpful to help them fall asleep and stay asleep.

Although it's suppose to train them to fall asleep by a certain time, I don't find that to be true. As soon as they don't take it they don't fall asleep.

amother

Obsidian

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 10:24 am

We used it for a bit after we took away the pacifier. Was a miracle for us. Kid was taking hours to fall asleep and starting falling asleep in 10 minutes and stayed asleep. Occasionally they woke up in the middle of the night but nothing to do with melatonin it happened sometimes before and after we started/stopped using it. At this point we use it very rarely.
Used this brand cut in half.
https://a.co/d/gYhNqzf

amother

DarkGreen

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 10:26 am

amother OP wrote:

Speak to your pediatrician for guidelines how to do it. That’s what I did, he told me exactly how much and how long to do it and it made me feel confident in my decision

amother

Banana

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 10:33 am

amother OP wrote:

Consult with your pediatrician, I think that's way too young.

amother

Banana

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 10:35 am

amother PlumPink wrote:

Yes, that's another problem, the body can get addicted to the melatonin and have even more trouble falling asleep without it.

amother

Burgundy

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 10:40 am

amother OP wrote:

So you think it helped teach him to sleep? That’s great. You just cut the gummy up?

I do think so. He didn’t know how to relax in his bed. I cut each one in 4- totally not evenly, sometimes it’s less than a quarter and it works fine.

amother

Navy

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 10:41 am

amother PlumPink wrote:

Same here unfortunately but the alternative was going to sleep crazy late every single night!!

amother

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 10:42 am

Does everyone ask their doctors beforehand? I think I asked one from the practice and he didn’t recommend. He was Very into changing the behavior with sleep etc. but I think I need to go with my gut…

Princess23

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 10:44 am

amother OP wrote:

No, I don’t believe in drugging up small kids. (I know what melatonin is, but still) It’s for adults or teens like 15 plus.

amother

Caramel

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 10:46 am

Depends. Is the not being able to fall asleep causing her to keep coming out? Or does she not settle down so she's not even giving herself a chance to fall asleep?

Is her behavior during the day due to to sleep deprivation, or is there something causing her to be wired all the time which also makes her not behave, not settle AND not sleep?

I'm a big fan of melatonin, and not even just as a sleep aid, but there are other ways to calm a child's nervous system and help them fall asleep.

amother

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 10:49 am

amother Caramel wrote:

Depends. Is the not being able to fall asleep causing her to keep coming out? Or does she not settle down so she's not even giving herself a chance to fall asleep?

Is her behavior during the day due to to sleep deprivation, or is there something causing her to be wired all the time which also makes her not behave, not settle AND not sleep?

I'm a big fan of melatonin, but there are other ways to calm a child's nervous system and help them fall asleep.

She needs my help to fall asleep. But sometimes that is after 9 pm. lately it’s been better since I started bedtime routine early. Last night fell asleep around 830 which is good but then woke up at 2 am.

amother

Caramel

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 10:52 am

amother OP wrote:

What does needing help mean? What is her schedule like? Does she still nap?

Why is she waking in the night? Pinworms? Thirsty? Bathroom? Habit?

amother

Burgundy

Fri, Feb 23 2024, 11:01 am

amother Banana wrote:

Yes, that's another problem, the body can get addicted to the melatonin and have even more trouble falling asleep without it.

Right that’s why we started with the smallest possible amount, every other night- with the intention of cutting down as soon as possible.

I think only someone who has an intensely difficult child at bedtime can understand how desperate some people get at bedtime. Positive reinforcement and rewards just don’t work for some kids. Especially if they are not doing it maliciously- they just dont know how to put themselves to sleep- and my son was sleep trained.