Should You Give Your Child Melatonin to Sleep?

Sometimes, let’s put it mildly, kids just have a hard time going to sleep. We hate to see our little ones struggle so as parents we would try almost anything to get them to rest. Have you ever tried or considered giving children melatonin to help them sleep? If yes, it might not be the best idea. Of course, that statement begs the questions why shouldn’t I, and what can I do instead? Please keep reading.

I was recently in a group with a lot of moms at church, and one of my friends was having a problem with her son waking up really early. Another one of the moms suggested melatonin. I thought to myself, “why would you give your child melatonin?” I mean yes, it will help them sleep, because melatonin, which is a naturally occurring hormone in the pineal gland that regulates the sleep–wake cycle, is what helps us sleep at night.  Basically, melatonin levels increase at night, and that’s what lets our bodies know it’s time to go to sleep! 

I did some research which led me to Amazon. There are so many brands of children’s melatonin available, it’s fascinating! There are thousands and thousands of reviews on these manufactured products which shows just how many parents are using them. Look, unless there’s an underlying medical reason, there’s just no reason we need to be giving our children melatonin. I get it - we’re all tired. The last thing we want to deal with is kids – and so desperately we give them something that seems “magical.” 

I remember when my son was little and my husband and I would spend 30-45 minutes, up to an hour, holding his hand and singing “You are my sunshine” - and I’m tone deaf, so I have no idea how he actually fell asleep - haha! Not one time in all his sleep struggle days did I think to give him melatonin when he had problems with sleeping. There’s no magical trick or pill that will replace a good bedtime routine. So, what can we do?  I’m sharing 3 strategies that worked well for us and that you can implement as well. 

Reduce Screen Time, Especially Before Bedtime. 

I’ve personally noticed that if my little guy, who’s 5 now, is on his Kindle or watching TV, he could easily do it until 11pm, 12pm, 1am - I mean seriously, left to his own devices I don’t think he would ever go to sleep on his own. The reason we should avoid screen time before bed is because screen time actually reduces melatonin! Their little bodies don’t produce enough for bed if they are watching a device.  

Studies by the National Sleep Foundation show using electronic devices before bedtime can be physiologically and psychologically stimulating in ways that can adversely affect your sleep, as it delays your body’s internal clock (circadian rhythm). Screens suppress the release of melatonin and makes it more difficult to fall asleep. 

So, we decided to stop screen time one hour before bedtime. Then, he either plays with his cat, takes a bath or we read a book.

Now, as I’m writing this blog post we are in the midst of a Coronavirus pandemic and school is cancelled for the year, at least here in Virginia. So, the amount of time kids spend on their screens has increased. Just try to set up a routing where they turn off the screens one hour before bed.

Sugar.

Kids are crazy about sugar! I remember the first time our son had a ton. It was at a birthday party and he was about 2 years old. I mean, it wasn’t the first time he had sugar, but we’re talking about eating the frosting off of multiple cupcakes kind of quantities. My husband and I thought he was going to go crazy, and he was bouncing off the walls until after 11 at night! 

The National Sleep Foundation did a study and showed the more sugar you eat during the day, the more often you’re going to wake up in the middle of the night. Even if you don’t fully wake up, the sugar in your system can pull you out of a deep sleep, making you feel exhausted the next day. What increased sugar does, especially before bed, is it decreases the ability to go to sleep. Then, when blood sugar goes down, you’ll wake up at night. The fluctuations in the amount of blood sugar in your system wreak havoc and prevent you from getting the uninterrupted deep sleep that we all need. 

I try to reduce sugar later in the day. Fascinating fact: when I was looking at kid’s melatonin, the main ingredient in many of them was… you guessed it, sugar! That doesn’t even make any sense, it’s counter-intuitive! Don’t even get me started with the additional dyes and artificial flavoring…

Using Essential Oils to Help Calm Down and Relax.

I have a diffuser in my son’s room (and in ours as well), and I always diffuse Lavender and Chamomile before bed. They’re very relaxing. Why can these essential oils help one calm down and sleep better? Well the aroma in essential oils is directly connected to our limbic system, which is the system where our emotions, motivation, etc. live. It basically impacts how we’re feeling. The scents of Lavender and Chamomile affect the limbic system in a way that calms a person down and relaxes them. 

As a Certified Aromatherapist it still fascinates me how well Lavender works for sleep! I usually diffuse about a half an hour before my son goes to sleep so he starts benefitting as he’s reading his book and relaxing. Sometimes he even gets a little back massage from his Mama.

Another option is to add a drop or two of lavender into your child’s bubble bath or soap (Note: Don’t add the oil directly to the water because oil and water don’t mix!) 

In conclusion please don’t use melatonin for kids - I know it’s super tempting, but in the long run you will be grateful for finding another way.