Is 6 mg of melatonin unsafe for a 47lb child?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We did a sleep study and saw the head of sleep medicine at Childrens. She recommended indefinite melatonin use.

Again you had a sleep study. Does your child have issues then yes, it is being rx by a specialist who hopefully told you how to monitor AND suggested other bedtime/sleep-inducing behavioral modifications.

[Anonymous]

Scott Alexander's review of the literature suggests .3 mg-- note the decimal -- is probably the right dose for adults. (Because of the way people interpret numbers, this gets sold sometimes as "300 ug")

https://slatestarcodex.com/2018/07/10/melatonin-much-more-than-you-wanted-to-know/

I wouldn't worry about a kid getting 6mg, though. It's pretty safe.

[Anonymous]

I don't understand why anyone would give a child extra hormones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never gave my children melatonin. They slept just fine. Let them play and give them work to do, and they'll tire themselves out. I have six children, ages 17-30. I believe in using work and play, not melatonin or any other sleep aid.

Thank you for your totally irrelevant sanctimony. Here’s your cookie and your gold star.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Holy crap! Our kids are 40-50lb and they take .5mg

How many kids are you giving that to? Sounds like you just drug your kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.npr.org/2022/06/03/1102933012/melatonin-poisoning-kids-sleep-aid-overdose

It is also highly ineffective and not studied to be safe for children in the long-term. stop using it. use things like magnesium or tart cherry juice.

Why is anyone even giving children something to make them sleep? This is terrible.

If you have never had a child with autism or a sleep disorder, then you just don't get it.

There are people on here who are giving it to multiple children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.npr.org/2022/06/03/1102933012/melatonin-poisoning-kids-sleep-aid-overdose

It is also highly ineffective and not studied to be safe for children in the long-term. stop using it. use things like magnesium or tart cherry juice.

Why is anyone even giving children something to make them sleep? This is terrible.

Our 3 year old started keeping himself awake at night. Swinging his body around, getting out of bed and changing clothes, kicking the wall, jumping in the bed, talking to himself, singing. This was after almost falling asleep at the dinner table because he was so tired. I tried laying with him to help him calm down but it didn’t help, but then I could hear the mumble jumble talking he was doing and it was like his brain was short circuiting. He’d fall asleep after 90 minutes- 2 hours then be UP 8-9 hours later at 5am. We moved his bedtime later, he got up at 5. We moved his bedtime earlier, he kept himself awake. We tried many many behavioral interventions. This lasted several months.

The pediatrician agreed that a 2 week trial of melatonin made sense to help him get to sleep and catch up on his sleep deficit. It did help him get to sleep but when we stopped it we were right back to the same problems. We’re noticing behavioral issues because he is so tired. He is sleepy soon after waking and well before bed. He naps pretty well. We went back to the pediatrician, who recommended an ENT. We waited for the ENT appointment. We saw the ENT, who has us trying some stuff, and we go back in 3 months.

Does he have a sleep quality issue/sleep disorder? Maybe. Does he have normal 3 year old separation anxiety that makes bedtime difficult? Doesn’t seem like it, but maybe. Do we have any idea how long it will take to figure this out? No. In the meantime, we will continue to give him .5 mg of melatonin a night, to give this very tired boy the nudge he needs to put his body to sleep. It isn’t ideal, but it is better than the alternative.

I know it’s my fault for clicking on the thread but the parent shaming is just ridiculous. We’re all doing our best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We did a sleep study and saw the head of sleep medicine at Childrens. She recommended indefinite melatonin use.

Again you had a sleep study. Does your child have issues then yes, it is being rx by a specialist who hopefully told you how to monitor AND suggested other bedtime/sleep-inducing behavioral modifications.

Yes, if only this person with a child who needed a freakin overnight sleep study had thought to look into some common sense sleep tips first. LOL!

[Anonymous]

If you don't have a child with a sleep disorder, you have no clue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:that's a ton of melatonin - even for an adult

Lol what? 5mg is low to average for an adult. Not even close to "a ton".

[Anonymous]

Our developmental pediatrician recommended 4mg nightly for our 40lb son. Yes, that's toward the upper range of what is typically recommended for a maximum dose, but the point is nothing even remotely close to that is going to be dangerous- particularly as a one-time thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never gave my children melatonin. They slept just fine. Let them play and give them work to do, and they'll tire themselves out. I have six children, ages 17-30. I believe in using work and play, not melatonin or any other sleep aid.

Neither have I but this righteous moralizing on your sleep-hygiene-superiority is sooooo unhelpful and doesn't even address what the person has asked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Scott Alexander's review of the literature suggests .3 mg-- note the decimal -- is probably the right dose for adults. (Because of the way people interpret numbers, this gets sold sometimes as "300 ug")

https://slatestarcodex.com/2018/07/10/melatonin-much-more-than-you-wanted-to-know/

I wouldn't worry about a kid getting 6mg, though. It's pretty safe.

Scott Alexander has zero expertise in this area.

[Anonymous]

There are studies now suggesting melatonin may help cancer metastasize. While it may be a coincidence as your body produces melatonin when dark or sleeping , they now believe cancer spreads while you are sleeping

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.npr.org/2022/06/03/1102933012/melatonin-poisoning-kids-sleep-aid-overdose

It is also highly ineffective and not studied to be safe for children in the long-term. stop using it. use things like magnesium or tart cherry juice.

this link is about accidental overdoses because it got left out. Not saying it’s not effective

There are no long-term studies about safety or correct dosage. https://www.childrens.com/health-wellness/is-melatonin-safe-for-kids https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/18/parenting/melatonin-sleep-kids.html

It should not be used for anything other than irregular sleep disruptions and only in the short-term, if at all, for neurotypical children. If your child is having that many issues falling asleep you need to get a sleep study, a neuropsych exam, limit TV or use blue light blockers, try a bedtime snack (one with protein, some carbs, and foods with natural melatonin like cherries or bananas) and manage expectations around sleep. The worst thing to happen to kids sleep are the mommy bloggers and sleep trainers who make it seem like every kid must be in bed by 7pm and/or sleep 12 hours overnight.

They arent even regulated so you have no idea what dose is being provided. Its ridiculous to give a child some OTC product and not be willing to do anything else. There is no way 15-30% of kids need melatonin to fall asleep- its not the kids who are the problem.

Agree. 100%.