1 in 4 Kids Take Melatonin To Sleep At Night

More parents are turning to giving their children melatonin to help aid sleep, and pediatricians are warning about the long-term effects of the hormone supplement, according to a University of Colorado Boulder survey.

A survey of 1,000 children between the ages of 1 to 14 presented that 6% of preschoolers (aged 1 to 4) had taken it, and the number rises to 19% for school-aged children and teens.

Melatonin is a hormone produced naturally in the brain to regulate sleep cycles, and it is sold over the counter, so many parents assume it is safe. But pediatricians are counseling patients and families on a daily basis that it is not a long-term solution, saying that when we don’t know the long-term effect, especially on a growing body and brain, then it shouldn’t be used without the data.

In this study, most of the kids have been taking the hormone for a year or longer.

1 in 4 kids were taking it every single night, which is largely concerning because of the lack of regulation this hormone has. Research has found that some supplements can contain more melatonin than what is stated on the label, which could be a dangerous amount. Another study found that melatonin gummies - the ones most popular for children- can contain CBD.

Pediatric overdoses of melatonin have been on the rise in the last 10 years, and hospitalizations of the overdose with symptoms of headache and stomach pain have also been on the rise.

During 2017-2018, only about 1% of parents in the U.S reported that their children used melatonin.

In many countries, melatonin is classified as a drug and available only by prescription.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that the supplement only be used as a short-term way to help kids sleep.

Pediatricians advise that the solution needs to be to focus on sleep health first- meaning turning off screens well before bed time, as well as not allowing the kids to stay up past their bed time.