Melatonin for toddler

[KittenOnTheTable]

Ds had an operation for sleep apnea they removed his tonsils and adenoids and put grommets in due to glue ear too. Since then his sleep has been absolutely buggered. Most nights going to sleep around 4am and sleeping till late. I've tried waking him "early" and getting him on a nap routine again but nothing works. He's so grumpy due to lack of sleep. I let him do his own thing once and apart from the lack of sleep he was a dream behaviour wise. I really have tried everything. It's been 2 months of this

I miss my wee happy chappy (and my bed)
Wibu to use melatonin just for a couple of days to fix whatever sleep issue he's having?

The issue is his bedtime. You need to fix his bedtime rather than pump him full of shit.

Yes yabu

You seem to have missed the part where I've said I have tried that. Bringing it back every half hour ect nothing works. Obviously I'm not just doing it for the lols

The owner of the nursery my kids went to (and I went to) told me to bring it back earlier 10 mins a night. Now obviously this would take a good while if they aren't sleeping u til 4am but I'd definitely try 10-15 mins.
I'd also make sure they are outside running around for 2 hrs a day to get their circadian rhythm back in the right track. Start bedtime routine at 6 and maybe by 9pm they'd be ready for sleeping.
No naps in the day.

Thank you for the advice. he loves nothing more than a run outside at the park he never sits still. I always swore fresh air and exercise would fix it but he's a tough nut to crack. He will take himself off to a corner and fall asleep as he's so knackered during the day. When I wake him he cries for at least an hour.

Sorry to say op but you likely won't get melatonin without an assessment of adhd and/or autism and then it's another waitlist for the sleep clinic.

Toddler sleep changes a lot and this is hopefully just a short lived but very tiring blip.

The persons suggestions of routine starting at 6pm is a good one. I would follow that and make sure he doesn't nap during the day.

We have had disrupted sleep schedules and being awake all night and the only thing we found that works is hauling then out of bed at 7.30am regardless of what time they went to sleep. They can have a nap for 1-2 hours late morning/ early afternoon but the would be hauled out again.

Melatonin is a natural hormone but have you actually got someone willing to prescribe it for you?
I'd be very keen to try non-pharmacological methods

I got Melatonin without prescription in the US for my kids jet lag. Most are not suitable for kids under 4 and are not a long or medium term solution. Would not hurt to try for a few nights, but I think you need a prescription in the Uk.

My daughter (15) is already on a low dose of melatonin I was thinking I could borrow hers. I've tried the whole waking them at 8 no matter what time the went to sleep and no naps but then seems he gets over tierd and hyper.
It would just be for a couple of days to kick the routine back into place so to say.

Obviously will check dosage ect beforehand

How old is he? I can check the dose I am
currently using in the US. Would not hurt to try until he has a new established routine.

What it says on my kids melatonin (1mg gummies)

Directions

For children 2 years of age and older, take one (1) vegan gummy 30 minutes before bedtime as Melatonin may produce drowsiness. For best results, allow your child to sleep for more than 6 hours. Take only as directed. This product is intended for short term, occasional use only. Do not exceed recommended dosage. As a reminder, discuss the supplements and medications your child takes with their pediatrician.

I've used melatonin once with my kids for jetlag (13 hour time difference, 30+ hour journey). It's not something I'd ever considered before and as people are saying you need a prescription in the UK, I assume it's not the norm there so I think I'd never really heard of it. It's very much the norm in some countries, as I discovered living overseas with people from all over.

As others have said, it's a short term thing and I wouldn't personally use it for more than a few days (though I have friends who give it to their kids regularly). For us, it was amazing! We were basically on the new time zone within 2-3 days, with no mad awake hours during the middle of the night or struggling to stay awake in the day.

Obviously be careful with dosage. Check US websites as it's definitely more commonly used there so you should find clear guidance.

And also - give yourself a pat on the back for getting through this so far! Sounds very stressful!

Thank you guys. Been googling and seems the right lowest dose he can have would be between 0.5mg - 3mg. He's 3

8 is late to get up anyway.

I wouldn’t be giving unprescribed prescription drugs to a child. How old are they? What time are they napping?

I would be getting up at 7 every day no matter what for at least 2 weeks and making sure he gets at least 3 hours of exercise a day, ideally a lot more.

A word of warning, the melatonin in the US is a supplement and not regulated in the way medication is. The doses in a bottle can be all over the place strength wise.

OP I hope you find something that works for your lo.

Cross posts. As he is 3 drop the naps, he doesn’t need them and it’s stopping him producing his own melotonin.

i wouldnt give him melatonin.
speak to your health visitor and get some sleep hygiene ideas

given my children 1mg for jet lag (recommended dose). Youngest also 3.
would not use it for a more than a few nights to get him back into swing of things.

Yeah, drug him, sounds perfectly reasonable 🙄

Don't be stupid
That is extremely dangerous and highly illegal.

Are you honestly that unbelievably ignorant to give a prescription medication to a toddler!

I would report you if I knew you, making such a ridiculously dangerous decision.

"check the dosage" With doctor Google? Seriously head wobble!

I’d go back to the gp or consultant. Why do you think it’s altering his sleep specifically? Pain? Breathing issues? Just messed up from the anaesthetic? I can’t tell from your post but if it’s due to medical intervention I would be seeking more advice. x

No I wouldn’t give an unprescribed drug to a child so young.

Talk to your GP about a referral to a sleep specialist, or see if any local charities offer a sleep service.

I would try and weather the storm a bit longer before giving the melatonin, but I think other posters should be mindful that melatonin is not actually a drug, it's an artificial hormone and in the US is considered a supplement, which is why it's available over the counter. My daughter is autistic and I had a chat with a GP about melatonin use recently. I told him that I knew of people in my support groups who buy it for their children and honestly he wasn't totally horrified or surprised by that. I said I wasn't comfortable doing it, but he wasn't exactly convincing me not to (GPs can't prescribe it without paeds input, which we are trying to get). Generally it is considered perfectly safe.
OP you could try tart cherry juice, which is available as a syrup on Amazon and has lots of naturally occurring melatonin - some people swear by it,

And in the UK it is only available on prescription. What you are advocating is illegal. It is not considered good medical practice in this jurisdiction.

Quoting a jurisdiction approach which is primarily questionable influenced by manufacturers? You do know the stats of cases each year against US drug companies for supplying supplements which have unintentional consequences?

Honestly, how irresponsible!