Melatonin…Should I give It to My Child?

I am a member of several mom groups on Facebook, and as you can imagine there is rarely a shortage of questions involving children and their sleep. This is always an exciting moment for me because I LOVE helping mamas get their little ones dreaming. It’s what I do! However, there never fails to be a few recommendations that give me a mini panic attack and cause me to go into some kind of mode that is a mix between a sleep consultant and a mama bear! One recommendation that immediately flips that switch is “give your child melatonin, they’ll go right to sleep”. This recommendation is typically followed by another mom who seconds the recommendation and has a clever little name for melatonin like “mommy’s sanity pill”.

There are few things that bother me about this kind of recommendation coming from moms in Facebook groups. Some of these are just personal (and professional) opinions, while others are backed by scientific evidence. Here is a list of these major concerns:

• Synthetic melatonin, even the gummies marketed for children, is a synthetic hormone. 

• Synthetic melatonin is marketed as being “natural” and “safe”, but it is also classified as a supplement so that it is not regulated by the FDA as strictly as over-the-counter medications.

• Synthetic melatonin has significant side effects in adults and these are exacerbated in children.

• Research has shown that giving synthetic melatonin to children may delay the onset of puberty and cause complications with sexual development.

Synthetic melatonin, even the gummies that are marketed for children, is a synthetic hormone. 

Natural melatonin is produced in the pineal gland and is often referred to as the “hormone of darkness”. This melatonin is called endogenous melatonin. Supplement and drug companies have started creating synthetic melatonin in their labs. This is called exogenous melatonin. Although melatonin is naturally produced within the body, is important to understand that exogenous or synthetic melatonin is not naturally produced. As parents, we should be taking this into high consideration because no matter if it is endogenous or exogenous melatonin, it is still a hormone. 

Synthetic melatonin is marketed as being “natural” and “safe”, but it is also classified as a supplement so that it is not regulated by the FDA as strictly as over-the-counter medications. 

First, let’s go ahead and break this thought process that everything labeled as “natural” is also “safe”. This is simply NOT true. Next, just because melatonin is naturally produced in the pineal gland, doesn’t make melatonin gummies “natural”. They are synthetic hormones, meaning they are made in a laboratory, not naturally produced. Finally, the FDA regulations for supplements are very low compared to the regulations that govern prescription and over-the-counter medications. This means that these supplements are not scrutinized near as much as they probably should be considering they often make health claims and target vulnerable audiences (such as children). 

Synthetic melatonin has significant side effects in adults and these are exacerbated in children.

Some of the side effects of synthetic melatonin use in adults include daytime drowsiness, headaches, dizziness, abdominal pain, mild anxiety, irritability, confusion, and feelings of depression. Most of the side effects have been identified in children who take melatonin on a regular basis. These children also experience agitation and increased bedwetting. 

Research has shown that giving synthetic melatonin to children may affect puberty.

There is honestly a shortage of studies and research concerning the effects of synthetic melatonin on children.  However, those that do exist should cause any parent to pause and rethink giving their child synthetic melatonin.  For obvious ethical reasons, there have not been any scientific studies completed that examine the effects of synthetic melatonin on children themselves. However, studies have been conducted on rodents and primates. What scientists found is very concerning. Rodents and primates have very similar reproductive systems as humans, and the experiments found that regular administration of synthetic melatonin to the subjects caused a delay in the onset of puberty, and also caused other effects on the sexual and reproductive organs. This information should cause the FDA to rethink the status of synthetic melatonin as a supplement, however, there has unfortunately not been any reconsideration of that status to this day.  As a parent who is considering administering melatonin to your child, you should absolutely be informed and understand the risk that you are taking.

There are several changes that can be made in order to fix a child’s sleep before resorting to giving synthetic hormones. 

Giving your child melatonin is an easy fix to sleep issues, however, there are many concerns with doing so. So, if you are not willing to take that risk, what can you do? Fortunately for you and your child, there are many interventions that can take place to reestablish healthy sleep habits without the use of synthetic hormones. Some changes you may consider making are…

• creating a consistent routine that helps bring sleep on naturally

• following a consistent schedule for bedtime and naps.

• ensuring the sleep environment is ideal for sleep.

•  ending screen time at least 2 hours before bedtime (big one).

• checking with your pediatrician to be sure there are no health concerns causing the sleep difficulties

Are there times that giving melatonin would be considered appropriate?

This is a question that I get from many people that I talk with about melatonin. Here’s the deal. There are a few situations where giving melatonin would be considered appropriate, but that is not up to me. As a parent, you must talk with your child’s pediatrician and together decide what is best for your child.

All in all, it is extremely important that we as parents do our best to advocate for our children. Part of advocating for our children is also educating ourselves on the medications or supplements we are giving them. Melatonin, while it is naturally produced in the body, has not been proven to be safe for our children synthetically, and in fact, there is research that suggests it is harmful and risky. 

If you feel that your child has difficulties with sleep, please seek out the advice of a sleep consultant before resorting to administering synthetic melatonin to your child. Sleep training is not just for young babies anymore and there are many adjustments that can be made to help your child.