Medised everynight to get children to sleep is this healthy?

[Runnerbean]

A friend of mine told me she was concerned about a freind of hers who gives her two children (3 and 18 months) Medised or Nurofen every night to get them to sleep! This has been going on since the oldest was 12 months. She is concerned that it is unhealthy for the children, the are drug dependant aren't they? Does anyone else give medicines to help children get to sleep?
Is she creating problems for the future?
I was horrified personally but didn't want to alarm my friend. Wondered what anyone else thought.

lockets: It is not fun to watch your baby climb the walls following a dose of medication. I wondered if it as the colour or the aritificial sugar rather then the meds themselves but we tried the colourless one with real sugar and it had the same effect.

I feel upset thinking about some mother that I will never meet giving her children drugs every night. (Perhaps I need to get a life.) I feel for you and your friend runnerbean. What an awful situation.

Lockets, OK in himself but fear it's not over yet. Hunker, you in work Sunday? Would you mind posting my parking tickets again? Sorry for hijack.

Oh, no, not in on Sundays any more! Will post them for you on Tuesday - will you email your addy to my work email in case I deleted it last time? Will be in on Fridays, so will still see you

Sorry hijack over.

oh, brilliant - thanks v much.