Melatonin.................would it help dh with sleeping??

[puff]

I've read about melatonin on Mumsnet and wondered if I could ask advice from those of you familiar with it.
My dh has had problems sleeping for about 5 years now. They all started when I was pregnant with ds1 and my Mum committed suicide. People say you go mad with grief and I suppose I did. Dh was fantastic, but was under tremendous stress for a long time and I don't think he's quite recovered from it in that, whilst generally he's ok, he finds winding down and getting to sleep difficult.
His parents have also died in the last couple of years, so there's been quite a lot to deal with.
He hates the idea of sleeping tablets or other medication.
Would melatonin be worth considering?
TIA

Has he tried anything else, i.e. exercise, hypnotherapy, aromatherapy even? I don't know anything about melatonin, to be honest (my dh is a terrible sleeper but that is due to chronic pain).

There are loads of other things to try - sleeping tablets can be a useful short-term measure but it sounds like he needs something that he can use in the long term. Hypnotherapy really can be incredibly helpful for this, my dh only had 3 or 4 sessions and it's really helped him to find strategies for coping with the pain and relaxing.

Sympathies on your family history as well, what a time you both must have had.

You can't get Melatonin here except on prescription. YOu can buy it over the counter in the USA and over the internet here. As it is not medication but a hormone, it might be worth trying before sleeping pills etc. In theory he may be able to retrain his sleep pattern. I would say try it, can't be worse than 5 years of disturbed sleep!

firstly I am very sorry to hear of your loss, you seem to have coped admirably

this is from the childrens brittish national formula, ie the big book of doctors drug prescribibf for children

The prescribing of hypnotics to children, except for occasional use such as for night terrors and somnambulism (sleep-walking), is not justified. There is a risk of habituation with prolonged use and problems settling children at night should be managed psychologically.

Melatonin has been used in the treatment of sleep disorders in children with visual impairment, cerebral palsy, and autism. The long-term safety and efficacy of melatonin is unclear; treatment should be initiated and managed by a specialist
There is another option, and thast is having your boy reffered for some play therapy. where wigh a psychologist he will deal with unwanted deep emotions through play
have no experience of melatonin, but have experience of troubled children and play therapy is excellent

chapsmum, this is her dh, not a child - although the idea of him doing play therapy is making me laugh now sorry puff, not meant unsympathetically

just re read you message, one should read things more carefully, take it you husband would not want to do play therapy though he might...
I belive the adult equivalent of melatonin is zopliclone, i used it a few times to help re adjust sleeping pattern and it worked well, however, cannot emphsize enough that you need not do this alone, their are a wide vairiety of support networks avaliable to you that may help you deal with things on a more long term basis, good luck!!

Dh works nights, has had insomnia on and off for years and buys melatonin from Ebay, it's great and I use it occasionally too. DS1 also takes it, I buy it from America as stuck on an endless waiting list to see his Paed (AS).

The only thing I would say is it can give you really vivid dreams, so watch out for that as it can be a bit strange first time around.

Thanks everyone

Food for thought

I'd try it- (and I wouldn't take sleeping tablets unless a gun was held ot me ) In fact more than I w would take it I;ve given it to ds1. It's natural. In ds1;s case we only had to use it for a week or so and he was back to normal.

zopiclone is different- it's a drug- whereas melatonin is produced in the brain where it controls circadiam rhythmns

UM, chapsmum zopiclone isn't the equivilant at all!! My understanding of Melatonin and I'm not 100% on this was that it originated as a homeopathic remedy. It works to help restore carcadium rythyms (sleep pattern) to normal. In some people it is very effective, in others not at all. Where I work we give it sometimes to patients who are not sleeping as a gentle way to try and encourage sleep over usually 3-4 nights, just to try and get back into the swing of things. Don't actually think it is liscenced and don't think it is a long term measure.

sorry x posts, glad we agree JJ!

It;s not homeopathic- its the hormone that the brain uses to regulate circadian rythmns. It is entirely natural. It isn't licenced, because ... well I don't know- but it is commonly prescribed to autistic children by theoir paeds. I think it is on the way to be licenced, have the details somewhere because when ds1 was prescribed it we were asked to keep a record of how he got on with it to report back.

In the states you can buy it over the counter in health shops.

Here you can buy sleepy milk with small amounts of melatonin in from Sainsburys and Waitrose (the cows are miled in the evening so the milk has higer levels of melatonin).

melatonin and sleep

BTW unless you get slow release it won't keep you asleep, but it should get you to sleep (some people it doesn't but many it does) so sounds ideal for puffs dh.

My nephew has been on melatonin for a few years now, and I think it has been a lifesaver for my sister & her dh. It works by making him relaxed and sleepy, so that he is in the right frame of mind to go to sleep. The only thing that they have found is that if he doesn't go to sleep in the optimum period it doesn't work. I have asked dh to get me some next time he is in the States as I have huge problems relaxing enough to go to sleep, and get into really poor patterns, and I don't want to go down the knock out drops route. A few nights of proper sleeping usually gets me back on track, but it's hard when you get over tired.

Thanks again everyone - I'll tell him it might be worth trying.

I don't know where to start about ordering it from the States - any ideas?

I'm not sure the 'it's natural/not a drug' thing is really helpful; amitriptyline is a drug, it helps to produce more of the chemicals which promote sleep (in small doses) - just to give some perspective. Being anti meds, I would seriously suggest your dh look for non-drug treatment.

But amitriptyline is an antidepressant- a chemcial which then acts on the body affecting its secretion of various things. melatonin is the hormone itself- you're not giving a drug to make the body produce more of a hormone, you are giving the hormone itself. Obviously you don't want to go wild with it, (like you wouldn't with any other hormone, as you could affect feedback for startes), or use it long term- but its worth trying.

it's used a lot with autistics because they often don't produce enough melatonin and that leads to being up half the night. If someone isn't producing enough melatonin it will help, if that isnt the problem then presumably it won't.