MELATONIN - IS IT REQUIRED TO GET A FULL NIGHTS SLEEP?
A magic pill that means sleep.........could it be true? And when it feels like you haven't slept in days, months...or in my case 4 years, let's be honest a pill that could fix this seems like being given a life jacket on the Titanic.
For overtired parents who can't seem to get their kids on a healthy sleep schedule, the promise of a magic pill can be pretty enticing.
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Sadly it seems to me that more and more doctors and parents are turning to melatonin as a Band-Aid for sleep issues with their children. I get emails regularly from people telling me they are giving their babies and children melatonin to help them fall asleep at night, and I have serious concerns about this.
Here is an idea and I know I'm not a doctor but - put the ipad down, turn the tv off, take them out of the jumparoo and give their bodies chance for their OWN internal melatonin to be produced and kick in before sleep happens.
Here’s the deal:
Melatonin is NOT a long-term solution to poor sleep habits. Healthy sleep habits need to be learned at a young age in order to set kids up for a lifetime of healthy sleep habits. While some studies have shown that melatonin can be helpful with autistic children and children with ADHD, most babies and children do not need melatonin; they need to be taught good, independent sleep skills.
Here’s why:
Melatonin is a hormone that is secreted by your brain and is present in every person’s body. According to the National Sleep Foundation, “no other hormone is available in the United States without a prescription. Because melatonin is contained naturally in some foods, the U.S. Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 allows it to be sold as a dietary supplement. These do not need to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or controlled in the same way as drugs.”
Dr. Johnson-Arbor, a Hartford Hospital toxicologist, says, “It’s (melatonin) possibly thought to affect growth, and to affect sexual development and puberty.” Other side-effects can include headaches, drowsiness and stomach ache.
According to the National Institutes of Health, “Melatonin should not be used in most children. It is possibly unsafe. Because of its effects on other hormones, melatonin might interfere with development.”
You're the parent, the decision is yours. I just want to share that the best long term fix for sleep issues is to deal with the root cause. Teach your baby or child the skills they need to sleep properly - just how we as parents teach them manners, to use a knife and fork, to ride a bike and to brush their teeth. Sleep is no different and great sleep associations and habits need to be taught. There’s no need to put your kids at risk just to get them down for the night.
As always, get in touch if you want to have a chat about your little one's sleep issues. I am always happy to have a conversation and share tips if you want them.
Happy Sleeping People
Carly Wintle
778-877-6380
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