Melatonin for kids - advice please!

[Ricecakesaremyjam]

I’ve just given my 5yr old diagnosed ASD and adhd child melatonin for the first time. We were prescribed it a few months ago to be honest as he’s always had sleep issues but I’ve held off giving it to him as he had got into a good bedtime routine. However the last few weeks, I can only think it must be the heatwave, he has regressed massively and I’m fighting him to bed at gone 9.30pm. I’ve cracked tonight and given him the melatonin and I just wanted to ask, anyone who has used it with their children, have they had any side effects? Or become dependent on it to go to sleep? Thankyou

Its a naturally produced hormone designed to aid sleep
We tried it with my son and it didn't work
But many people swear by it
I would give it go .

My DD was prescribed when she was nearly 6. There were no noticeable side effects and she never became dependent on it, stopped using it on a daily basis after about two years, then only used as needed, as her sleep rhythm improved a lot thanks to it. Now her sleep is shit again (teenager) but she won't use it as she says it makes her feel too drowsy in the morning, so possibly she had that effect when she was younger too but never complained about it. But all in all, I think it was the right choice to make as it made a huge difference to her quality of life back then as she was chronically sleep deprived.

That said, when I've taken it myself it gives me horrendous nightmares, which is a known possible side effect.

@Natsku Oh no! Shit I hope he doesn’t have a nightmare. I’ll be monitoring him closely in the morning to see if he seems drowsy etc.

We use it after tricky days, to help ds switch off enough to sleep. Give it roughly 30 minutes before bed.

No side effects, although he does often sleep later the mornings after he’s had it, so we need to be a bit more organised those days.

Im pretty convinced that it’s something he’s missing naturally. When he falls asleep without it he keeps going till he drops. With it he tucks down and prepares for sleep.

We use biovea melatonin gummies every day and they are great for helping him to get to sleep. We've been using them for a few years under the GPs supervision and we have not noticed any side effects at all.

My adult son started it recently as he was not sleeping well.
A few friends swear by it for their teens and themselves.
There can be disturbed dreams if you are stressed, but it is a sign that you are in REM sleep which is the good kind.
It is non addictive and is definitely worth trying, bad dreams or not.
Sleep is the foundation of good health and anything that helps is worth trying IMO.

Has anyone’s children become reliant on it once they have started taking it? I’m a bit cautious about using it to get through the heatwave, as this is when he began to regress bedtime-wise, and then find he can’t sleep without it?

It doesn’t work if you take every night. We use it Sun-Thurs nights term time only.

What dose works? Does it depend on body weight? My DD is teen AuDhd and getting to sleep is getting a lot harder. She’s still doing handstands in her room at midnight despite starting the bedtime routine at 8.30pm.

My son took it from age 4 till about 11. He stopped taking it in his teens so I don't think he became reliant on it

Hopefully he doesn't. Luckily DD didn't, but she only gets nightmares when she gets a fever.

DD used 0.5mg and that was perfectly effective, even when she got older, though she hasn't taken it as a teen.

in my experience ( not personal ) paediatrician recommends coming off for a while often in school holidays as resistance can build up. Also it will help to fall asleep but not help with staying asleep.

My 65kg 5’6” 13yo takes 3mg slow release melatonin an hour before bed and works a treat for him. Doesn’t take it every night but if he has had a bad night or 3 he will take it for a while.

My DD13 started it a few months ago, she’s always been a night owl and we’ve never managed to get her to bed at the time of others her age, but since she hit her teens she’s really struggled and can easily be up til gone midnight and is then sleepy at school the next day. She’s been SO much better since starting it, she’s better getting up in the mornings as she’s had a good night’s sleep and is more awake during the day. Now wish I’d got it years ago!

The heat and light evenings definitely won’t be helping. My usually good sleeper is also still awake at 9:30+, she just can’t settle. I second to embrace melatonin though! There’s no need to suffer.

My DD has been on it for two years in term time, but we take a deliberate break in the school holidays. It works really well for her to ensure she gets enough sleep to function in the terms, then she doesn't sleep well enough to cope in the holidays but that's less of a problem.

My autistic daughter started on it age 9, after years of me battling for it. It honestly saved us as a family. She didn’t appear to have, or report any side effects. She could suddenly fall asleep within 20 minutes, and stay asleep for 8/9 hours, which she had never done before.

She’s now 13 and refuses to take it because she likes staying up late, which is very challenging. Didn’t become reliant on it as such, but now doesn’t sleep again. The reality is it’s different for everyone and the only way to find out is to use it. You would need to be consistent for at least a couple of months to know whether it’s helping.

One child used successfully for years. As teen he feels he doesnt need it most of the time

My ds has been taking it for over 10 years he takes it Sunday-Thursday in term time only. When on it he sleeps for 6 hours solid, when not on it he reverts to his normal 3-4 hours per night (which is why he was prescribed it in the 1st place).
You cant become addicted to it but you can build up a tolerance to it which is why the drs recommend taking regular breaks from it on long-term users like my ds.
Tbh it's a Godsend as although he can function perfectly well on 3-4 hours sleep it makes him more prone to meltdowns in the sort of situations he finds himself in at school. At home and on our hiking/camping trips he doesn't have those triggers so we can live without it though it leaves me knackered

My late teens ds takes 6mg per night. The dose they need depends on the child as he started on 2mg at age 5 and has only had to increase twice in all that time yet his friend is still on the initial 2mg dose after 8 years.
According to my DS's paediatrician some people are just deficient in the hormones and the level of the deficiency is what causes people to need different amounts rather than the size and or weight of the person in question.