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According to recent health recommendations, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) urges parents to consult a medical professional before starting melatonin in their children.
“Melatonin may help treat certain sleep-wake disorders, such as jet lag, but there’s much less evidence that it helps healthy children and adults fall asleep faster,” said the Commission and Indiana. Press release from University Health Physician Respiratory, Sleep Medicine, Critical Care Physician.
“Instead of turning to melatonin, parents should encourage their children to develop good sleep habits,” he added.
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These sleep habits include “setting regular bedtimes and waking times, setting a bedtime routine, and limiting screen time as bedtime approaches.”
According to health recommendations, our bodies naturally produce the hormone melatonin, which regulates sleep.
It’s available as an over-the-counter drug and is often touted as a sleep aid, but “there’s little evidence that it’s effective when taken as a supplement to treat insomnia in healthy children,” says Sleep. Academy said. in Darien, Illinois.
Because melatonin is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration as a “dietary supplement,” studies have found that melatonin content in supplements is not uniform, according to a press release.
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A 2017 study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine examined the melatonin content in nearly 30 supplements. Over 71% of supplements were found not to meet label claims.
The study showed the greatest variability in the melatonin content of the chewable tablets. This is the most commonly used form for children.
“One of the surprising facts I share with my patients is that over-the-counter melatonin is not strictly regulated.”
The study “found significant inaccuracy in the actual content of these supplements,” said a pulmonologist, co-owner of the Pacific Coast Critical Care Group in Southern California. says Dr. Barjinder S. Sidhu, a sleep expert at
“This may not be a big deal for adults, but it can have a big impact on small children.
He recommends using melatonin with caution.
“One of the surprising facts I share with my patients is that over-the-counter melatonin is not strictly regulated,” Sidhu added.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), melatonin intake in children reported annually to the US Centers for Poison Control increased 530% between 2012 and 2021.
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“When melatonin becomes available as gummies or chewable tablets, it becomes more attractive to give children melatonin and they are more likely to overdose.
“In many cases, behavioral interventions other than medication have been successful in addressing insomnia in children,” he added.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine shares these key tips:
1. Melatonin should be kept out of reach of children.
2. Parents should discuss this topic with their health care professional before starting any medication.
3. Parents should know that “many sleep problems can be better managed by changing schedules, habits, or behaviors than by taking melatonin.”
For parents looking to give melatonin to their children, Sleep Academy recommends making sure the product has the USP Verified mark for safety reasons.
“Melatonin is never a first-line treatment for children,” Sidhu told Fox News Digital.
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“Insomnia is not uncommon in children with onset after the age of two,” he added.
“This bedtime resistance can be difficult to manage, and there’s even a diagnosis called ‘limit-setting insomnia,’ which can generally be managed with a bedtime routine. “
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He said that melatonin can be used for certain sleep disorders such as ADHD and autism as well as other chronic health conditions that affect sleep, but should always be recommended and managed by a doctor first. Remind people that