SAN DIEGO — A recent study shows 20% of parents are giving their kids melatonin to help them fall asleep. Just 5 years ago, that number was less than 2% and doctors say the spike in usage is concerning.
Dr. Saloni Rao with Kaiser San Marcos Pediatrics says melatonin is not a long-term solution for children with sleep issues.
“Lots of children have sleep issues and it's looked at as a quick fix," she said.
She also said parents should first talk with their pediatrician to get to the root cause of the issue.
“Is your child having any mental health concerns? Are they anxious, depressed? Are they troubled at school? Are they under a lot of stress?”
Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by the brain that helps with the timing of our body's internal clock, but that doesn't mean more is better.
“While melatonin can be part of the signal that tells you when it's time to be awake and time to be asleep, it's not really a sleep aid and really shouldn't be used in that fashion,” said Dr. Ari Laliotis with Sharp Rees-Stealy.
Dr. Laliotis adds that most of the over the counter melatonin supplements have doses well beyond what a sleep specialist would recommend.
“Just because it's natural doesn't necessarily mean that it is safe and/or effective.”
Some of the parents surveyed admitted that their child has been taking the supplement for at least 18 months. There were also parents of preschoolers – ages 1 to 4 – who say they regularly give their kids melatonin at bedtime. The findings are concerning to the study's lead author Lauren Hartstein because no studies have been conducted to show the long-term effects of melatonin on children.
“We don't know if it affects internal melatonin production over time,” said Hartstein. “We don't know if it becomes less effective the longer that children use it.”
Doctors say most sleep issues can actually be resolved without medication. They say sometimes it can be as simple as limiting stimulation, like screen time, right before bed.
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