Any experiences with melatonin for sleep issues

[Cryingatthegym]

DD10 (almost 11) has always been a worrier and not a great sleeper, but in recent months (and after a difficult couple of years at home) this has escalated to almost OCD level intrusive thoughts/anxiety and subsequent panic attacks every night about not being able to sleep/control her thoughts. She's up until around midnight/1am most nights and I think it's a bit of a viscous cycle, with the anxiety and bad thoughts getting worse because of the sleep deprivation, and then making it harder for her to fall asleep, and so on.

We're at the point where both me and DD are exhausted and struggling to cope with the lack of sleep. I've spoken to both school and the GP and referrals have been made for mental health and sleep support, but I've heard nothing back from either yet. My mum is a nurse practitioner and recommended giving her melatonin, which I've bought online at the correct dose, but I feel a bit uncomfortable giving it to her without a doctor's supervision.

Does anyone have any experience of using this for sleep issues in children, or have any advice for next steps we could take? Many thanks in advance.

My DS had terrible sleep issues when he was 14/15, he was up until 1-2am and only getting a couple of hours sleep. It was affecting his mental health in a significant way. Melatonin transformed him, he still takes it now 5 years later. I think this was one of the biggest actions we took to help him deal with his MH issues. The melatonin was prescribed by our GP.

You need to take it about an hour before you go to bed, it doesn’t necessarily help you fall asleep but helps to keep you asleep. Good sleep hygiene practices are also important -no blue light/phones before bed, read a book instead etc.

My DS had the exact same issues, and also diagnosed with ASD and anxiety disorder.
We started melatonine prescribed by the psychiatric np and it has made the world of difference for us.

The only downside is that every once in a while he gets nightmares (vivid dreams is a well known side effect) but after years of struggling to fall asleep, often falling asleep around 22:30/23:00 (he was 7 yrs old at the time, now 9).

It is VERY important to get pure melatonin in the right dosage at the right time. So no gummies or supplements that contain melatonine, but actual melatonine where nothing else is added.
My DS takes 0,2 mg each night (this is two tablets of 0,1, see link) at 1900 and he sleeps by 20:30- 21:00 most nights.

I've read a lot of research on the topic and the problem is that many people give too much melatonine too late in the evening which doesnt work and causes disturbances in the day-night biorythm.

Where I am melatonin is available over the counter but we get it from the pharmacy prescribed mainly because that way they can keep an eye on interactions with other (future) medications (he sometimes needs anti histamines for urticaria etc)

I am also ND and had the same sleep issues and recently started taking the same melatonin dosage as my DS and I know have a normal sleep rythm. Took my 40 years but hey 😂.
I think in ND people melatonin isn't produced in the right quantity or at the right time, which is why -for us anyway- it acts as a kickstarter. This is maybe why melatonin is only officially prescribed to children with ADHD/ ASD.

Sorry for the long post, I am bad at filtering lol

I have no idea why MN wants to check my post, I hope it comes through otherwise I'll try again.

My DD is also 10 and had similar sleep issues starting around age 8/9. We started melatonin about 8 months ago and it was pretty miraculous tbh.

Since then we have had a couple of short periods where it didn’t seem to work, we are in one now and I think she needs to come off it for a few days/week to reset. (Actually reading the post above, it coincides with switching from dropper to gummies so I may go back to dropper and see if that helps. Also may try giving it earlier.) But overall it has helped enormously and I would definitely recommend trying it. No nightmares here.

I get it from Piping Rock, recommended on here.

@OyWithThePoodlesAlready84 your link didn’t show, pls can you repost it?

Yes, ds is now 13 and I ordered melatonin around 11 as I was at the end of my tether, he was lying in bed unable to sleep till 3am sone nights. Melatonin just helps him stick in a routine. He did take it when he was ill with tonsillitis and had a sleep walking incident so we are more careful now about not taking it if he's ill/exhausted already or has a temperature. Over all it has been really transformative for his sleep.

This is what we use, we' re in the Netherlands https://www.varuvo.nl/phital-melatonine-01-mg-866552

We were advised by the specialist nurse to start with two tablets and increase as needed (to 5 tablets i think? That would make 0,5 mg) but we are still at 0,2 after a year. We also have some weeks where it doesnt seem to work as well and are contemplating doing a break in the summer to see how he manages. And maybe we will increase in the future but for now 0,2 does the trick most nights (even for me as an ND adult!)

It's crazy to me that in the Netherlands you can buy 5(!!!)mg tablets over the counter and people use this for themselves and for their kids! It s classed as a supplement which is why the dosages are so wild!

I hope you can find the brand I linked in the UK, I would think through GP is safest route?

No experience of melatonin in children, but it has been a godsend for me. Takes about an hour to send me to sleep and no after effects whatsoever.

Yes we were advised to use it for DD when she was about 14 by the paediatrician who diagnosed her with ADHD. It's such a game changer. We actually buy it online (reputable brand) rather than having a prescription, on their advice.

Thanks all. I strongly suspect that she might be mildly ASD but until now it's never negatively affected her so I've never seen any benefit in pursuing a diagnosis. However it sounds like it might be worth doing now. I've just submitted a self referral form to CAMHS so will see what comes of that in addition to the sleep referral made by school.

Sounds like the melatonin could be really helpful too, I already have it at home but have just been reluctant to give it to her without it being prescribed by a doctor.

Good luck op! Our DS started the diagnostic route because our GP referred him after we came to her for the sleep drama and his anxiety. We always knew he was on the spectrum and until then we didn't "need" a diagnosis as he was doing well otherwise. I never expected it to help us so much (the team treating him - which consists mainly of learning about how his brain works and some therapy for anxiety- was so nice and it was a very positive influence on our family. We have the teenage years ahead and keeping my fingers crossed he will be ok through them, but having and accepting a diagnosis, understanding what works and what doesnt is an advantage.

For contrast; I am 40 and finally understand why I always seem to burn out so quickly, and now learning to accept I also have a neurospicy brain and try to live accordingly. Looking at my son now I think being diagnosed young is so much better than trying to undo years of masking, overload and impossible expectations.

Wish you the best and feel free to reach out ♥️

Thank you for such a kind message @OyWithThePoodlesAlready84 and so glad it was such a positive experience and outcome for you and your son 🙏

My DS got melatonine when he started adhd meds. A godsend! Yet, 5 years later, he has decided not to take it anymore and now sleeps without. I think being on it when it was needed (undiagnosed so lots of anxiety) was really helpful. When the progresses he made were consolidated enough for him to feel less anxious, he did not need the melatonine anymore and was just able to stop.

Have you taken any professional advice? I found our local sleep clinic to be very helpful. They completely rewrote ds2's evening routine at 10yo and he slept much better. I didn't need to resort to melatonin after that.

Worth a read: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/jun/15/parents-black-market-melatonin-gummies-children-sleep?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Melatonin is mostly a placebo effect. It does work initially, but if you ask a good doctor, they say it stops working biologically after about 3-6 months. After this, it's all psychological.