THE TRUTH ABOUT MELATONIN: What parents should know before offering it
- Caryn Shender
- Apr 7
- 5 min read
is Melatonin the right choice to help your child sleep?
When your child struggles to fall asleep, it can be extremely frustrating; I know. I see it all the time. I also see parents resorting to medication because they think they have tried everything and have exhausted all their options.
The good news is many sleep issues can be resolved without medication. Before turning to melatonin, it is important to understand the underlying reason why your child is having trouble sleeping AND what exactly melatonin is and how it affects a child.
As a pediatric sleep consultant and owner of Sleep Tight Tonight, here’s my take on Melatonin: It is like using a band-aid on a wound when what you really need is stitches. Like a band-aid, it is not a long term solution. It slows the bleed but doesn’t stop it.
UNDERSTANDING MELATONIN BEFORE OFFERING IT:
WHAT MELATONIN IS:
While melatonin is Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved and marketed as ‘natural’, it is considered a dietary supplement in the United States, which means that regulations around it are less strict than a prescription or over-the-counter drug would be. ‘Natural’ does not automatically mean ‘safe’. In many other countries, melatonin is classified as a drug and can only be obtained with a prescription.
Research suggests that melatonin plays other important roles in the body beyond sleep. However, these effects are not fully understood.
What we DO know about it…
Melatonin is a hormone that your brain produces in response to darkness.
It helps fall asleep not to stay asleep
Adult studies have shown that taking melatonin can stop your body from producing melatonin
Can cause crazy dreams and nightmare and more nighttime wakings
Can cause increased bed wetting.
Can cause drowsiness, headache, dizziness, agitation
Melatonin dietary supplements can be made from animals or microorganisms, but most often they’re made synthetically.
*if you ask me, these side-effects do not sound like they outweigh the risks and may still increase or create new sleep issues.
What we DO NOT know about it…
There is still much we do not understand regarding the use of melatonin in children due to a lack of comprehensive studies. Without reliable research:
The appropriate dosage and timing for administration remain uncertain.
The long-term effects of melatonin use, as well as whether its benefits surpass potential risks, are still unknown.
information on the long-term safety of supplementing with melatonin is lacking.
How will it affect the child’s development? Since melatonin is a hormone, there is a very real possibility that its supplements could influence hormonal development, including puberty, menstrual cycles, and excessive production of the hormone prolactin.
MELATONIN WILL NOT…
Melatonin may help a child fall asleep but it will not help them stay asleep.
Melatonin will not correct any sleep associations or issues or teach them how to go back to sleep.
Melatonin is not a magic sleep solution. It’s not appropriate to use it to:
In place of sleep training
Making “good” sleep “better”
Treating sleepwalking, restless sleep, or night-terrors
Long-term use without medical supervision
Forcing earlier bedtimes for school/parental schedules
WHY - COMMON CUPLRITS/CAUSES OF SLEEP DISTURBANCES:
Sleep is behavioral. What kind of sleep issues are you having?
Sleep Schedule: are naps and nights being offered at age appropriate times? Are naps happening or being skipped? Have you tried capping the nap? Is the time between nap and bedtime too long causing overtiredness? If no nap, when is bedtime? How do you respond when they are struggling to fall asleep? All of this impacts sleep.
Are you turning off screens at least an hour before bedtime?
Is the bedroom too quiet/noisy, cold/warm?
Is there too much light in the room? Light triggers cortisol. Darkness triggers melatonin production
What does your bedtime routine look like? Does it need adjusting?
Are there any underlying medical conditions or medications?
Is your child experiencing any stress from school, friends, or family changes?
Every child is different and every situation is different. Let's get on a free consult call to talk about your concerns and specific situation, see if we can make a few changes, and come up with a plan of support, before turning to medication.
WHEN MELATONIN MAY BE HELPFUL
Talk to a pediatrician first. Many sleep problems can be handled with a change in schedules, habits or behaviors.
If you’ve addressed these factors and your child still struggles with sleep reach out to me first. Let’s try to see if the issues are behavioral first. If not, melatonin might be helpful.
If your child is neurotypical and does not produce melatonin naturally.
Jet lag
SAFETY FIRST:
Safety is critical. we’ve all heard stories of kids getting into their parent’s medicine cabinets. Melatonin, which often comes in candy-looking gummy varieties, is especially intriguing for kids. Prioritizing safety is essential.
Store melatonin just like any other medication – keep it out of reach and in childproof containers. Never combine gummy melatonin with regular gummies or candies.
If you do choose to use melatonin, select a product with the USP Verified Mark, and only use under supervision of a health care provider.
Based on case surveillance data, a 2024 report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that from 2019 to 2022, 11,000 emergency department visits were for unsupervised melatonin ingestion by children 5 years and younger. The report noted that many of the incidents involved ingestion of flavored products such as gummies and emphasized the importance of keeping medications and supplements out of children’s reach and sight. *
Potential for overdose is real. The 2022 study also showed that the number of reports to U.S. poison control centers about people 19 years and younger who took melatonin increased from 8,337 in 2012 to 52,563 in 2021.*
Steer clear of unregulated items from online marketplaces. Some melatonin supplements may not contain what’s listed on the product label. Researchers at University of Mississippi found that 22 out of 25 over-the-counter melatonin gummy products were inaccurately labeled, with some containing significantly more melatonin than indicated. One product contained over three times the labeled amount, while another had none at all. **
WHEN TO REACH OUT FOR HELP
Sleep struggles can be overwhelming and frustrating. You are not alone.
Whether you have already started with it or you are considering it, before you grab that melatonin, call me. If you feel like you have tried everything, we can help.
If your child (age 0-6 years old) is struggling with sleep, schedule your FREE 15-minute Sleep Consultation call to talk through your child’s sleep challenges, your goals, and what Sleep Tight Tonight programs offer, so that we can make a plan for change together.
*Studies provided by NIH , University of Colorado, JAMA pediatrics
Caryn Shender | Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant | Owner of Sleep Tight Tonight
Caryn is a proud mom of two, certified pediatric sleep consultant, safe sleep ambassador, and author of My Scar is Beautiful. She is passionate about and committed to helping families turn sleepless nights into easy, peaceful nights and sweet dreams. Being a parent is hard. Being an exhausted parent is next to impossible. Together, we’ll make sleep easy.
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