ARLINGTON, Va. (7News) — 7News with a health alert and a warning about giving children sleep aids on a routine basis. Most parents have experience with kids fighting their bedtimes, and children’s melatonin supplements or kids’ Benadryl may seem like a reasonable solution.
7News’ Adrianna Hopkins spoke with Dr. Nilong Vyas, a pediatrician, sleep specialist and owner of Sleepless in NOLA, about whether melatonin supplements or other sleep aids are safe for children.
“Melatonin has been shown to cause improvement in certain children with certain sleep disorders, such as delayed sleep phase disorder and circadian rhythm disorders," said Dr. Nilong Vyas. "For neurodiverse children, those with ADHD, and those with jetlag."
She said a problem arises when kids use melatonin or another sleep aid regularly.
“The body senses that and says, ‘Hey, I already have enough of that I don't need to produce it.’ And so it feeds back and says, ‘Hey, we’re producing too much.’ And so over time, when the product is excessively ingested, is when it creates potential problems,” Dr. Vyas said. “The body's realizing that there's a lot more hormone available, and so they stop their production and then they become dependent on that higher dose.”
Dr. Vyas said that some families have difficulty maintaining a sleep routine during the summer months, but as best as you can:
- Maintain a consistent bedtime and wake time: A little inconsistency is okay, but getting out of routine can present problems with sleeping.
- Have a lot of outdoor time and see daylight: See the sunlight when the sun is rising or soon after having some daytime sun exposure and early evening sun exposure. When the sun is setting, those are all good modulators for regulating that sleep-wake cycle.
- Limit screen use an hour before bedtime: Do some quiet activities to help transition the child to a restful state of sleep.
Substituting melatonin for a proper sleep-wake cycle also creates “a paradoxical effect, in that it causes kids to wake up at three or four in the morning, and then they have a hard time getting back to sleep.”
If you find your child is dependent on melatonin or another sleep aid, Dr. Vyas says, “In order to wean a child off of melatonin, I would start working on taking the dose that they're currently on and decreasing it by a quarter or half every few nights until they're completely weaned off.”
If you’re having a really hard time with bedtime, reach out to your pediatrician to check for sleep disorders or find a sleep specialist to help nail down a routine that works for your family.
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