Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate the body’s sleep-wake cycle. The pineal gland naturally produces it in the brain, and its production decreases as we reach adulthood. This makes melatonin the most popular wellness products for children who have difficulty sleeping or otherwise suffer from poor sleep quality. In this guide, we’ll explore the potential benefits of melatonin supplementation for children, as well as some guidelines on how to use it safely and effectively.
Table of Contents
What is melatonin? What does melatonin do?
Melatonin is a hormone that the body produces naturally. It has many important functions and can be found in nearly all living things, even algae and bacteria! For example, melatonin regulates our sleep-wake cycles (also known as circadian rhythms), so it helps us fall asleep at night and wake up in the morning. When we’re exposed to light during regular sleeping hours, melatonin production decreases significantly; melatonin levels rise rapidly until they reach their peak around midnight when we get dark (either through closing our eyes or by using eye masks).
This process allows for deep restorative sleep throughout the night, among other beneficial effects such as stress reduction, increased immunity from disease, better blood sugar regulation, improved memory function, lowered risk of heart attack (for those with heart disease), and possibly even an improvement in mood.
How often are children using melatonin?
In a study of over two thousand children from three to eighteen years old, nearly 60% had used complementary medicines in the past month. In another survey of parents with similarly aged kids, one-third reported giving their child melatonin at least once during the preceding six months.
The most common reasons for using it were:
- Difficulty going to sleep or staying asleep (59%)
- Waking up too early (47%)
- Fussiness around bedtime and waking in the night (32%).
How effective is melatonin for sleep problems in children?
The overall effects of melatonin on sleep in children are modest at best. A meta-analysis of all available trials determined that, while some studies showed improvements with use, these results were likely due to chance alone. The same analysis found no evidence for an effect on the quality or duration of sleep among children who used it as compared to those given a placebo (i.e., without any active medication).
As is often true for supplement usage in kids, most parents don’t actually know if their child has improved with its use; they assume improvement based upon subjective reports from their own perspective instead of objective measurements taken by someone else. Similarly, many parents do not realize how poor pediatricians are at predicting whether or not a kid will respond well to melatonin.
There is some evidence to suggest that specific groups of children may benefit from supplementation: those with developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorders and those who suffer from sleep-phase delay or phase advance (i.e., kids whose internal clocks are not aligned properly). There also appears to be a role for melatonin in treating jet lag among adults and adolescents traveling between different time zones – but it does not appear to improve the symptoms among younger travelers.
How should parents approach using melatonin?
Start conservatively – take an extremely low dose at bedtime, such as 0.25 mg (half of a milligram) for young children, ½ tablet for older ones under five years old, one tablet for those over five years old.
Provide a strict bedtime routine – turn off all screens (TVs, computers, tablets) at least an hour before bed and redirect your child’s focus to more relaxing activities like reading or listening to music.
Make sure that the bedroom is dark enough – use blackout shades if necessary, so outside lights don’t disrupt sleep patterns; consider using eye masks as well for additional darkness cues.
Monitor efficacy of melatonin usage by keeping a logbook with details about dosage, timing administration relative to desired effects on circadian rhythms, etc., along with notes from parents/caregivers regarding any changes in behavior after taking it several days in a row.
