Melatonin, 12 year old boy?

[LNC]

For the last 3 years, he has had sleep onset insommnia. On his own, he doesn't fall asleep until 1am. We have to start school by 8am. I think our issues last year were bc of his sleep issues.

 

I am sure his sleep issues relate to type 1 diabetes: anxiety as he feels his blood sugar fluctuate, sleeping on his pump, catheter in skin pulling. We are having a pump break using shots. Benadryl causes a morning hangover, so we can't use it daily.

 

Melatonin is a miracle, but I don't think it is safe for puberty and reproductive health based on a quick google search. Any thoughts on that?

 

What to do???

[Guest submarines]

I just asked about melatonin at my 11yo DD's well child check up, and her doctor said she wouldn't use it at times of puberty, as it might mess up her hormones.

 

She also said that it is normal for sleep issues to be exacerbated during puberty (at least for girls, not sure about boys.)

 

DD has the same issues of difficulties falling asleep. The doctor's advice was not to force her to stay in bed, because the bed becomes a place of anxiety and recurrent thoughts and stress of "not being able to fall asleep".

 

She recommended that when DD feels she can't fall asleep that she should get up and go to another place in the house, and maybe read, draw, or write. With the first time of sleepiness she is to transition back to her bed. DD really liked this idea. So much, that she's now falling asleep easier without trying the getting up routine, because she has this option.

 

Good luck. Sleep issues are horrible.

[LNC]

Is she required to get up at a certain time?

[Ottakee]

I would check with the doctor.  Our endocrinologist (so a specialist in hormones) had me put my girls on it and they were on it through puberty.  Sleep is just so important.

[Swimtaxi234]

 

 

I just asked about melatonin at my 11yo DD's well child check up, and her doctor said she wouldn't use it at times of puberty, as it might mess up her hormones.

 

I was just talking with a friend a few days ago and she shocked me by saying her 13-year-old daughter's psychiatrist has her on 9 mg of melatonin during the day just to keep her calm enough to let the other meds work (big personality disorder issues).  I have been letting my son take 1 mg to help with his night terrors and sleep issues, but 9 mg was shocking.  I keep trying to find an alternative to the 1 mg melatonin since he didn't like drinking the Natural Calm.

 

 

[Catwoman]

This may not be an insomnia issue at all. Your ds may just be a night owl.

 

My ds and I couldn't fall asleep before 1am unless we were truly exhausted, so we adjust our schedule accordingly.

 

Is there a reason why you have to start school at 8 am? That would be pure torture for us! We can get up early if we have to, but because we homeschool, there's usually no reason why we can't sleep late.

[LNC]

We start at 8am bc he loves working out in the afternoons. He bikes 10 miles a day, plays organized sports etc. and needs the daylight.

 

My older kids took melatonin through puberty, but they have autism and a profound disability. I wasn't as concerned bc their neuro recommended it for them.

[Hot Lava Mama]

You need to be careful with long term use of melatonin.  I have read that it can do permanent damage to your eyes if used for a prolong time.  I read it on the web, so take it with a grain of salt.  But I do recall it was on a reputable site (I think it was WebMD or something like that.)

Hot Lava Mama

[kewb]

My 15 year old went through some insomnia bouts through the past couple of years.  I would give him a quarter of a melatonin for a couple of nights and that was usually enough to break the cycle for him.  I don't know that I would do it as a long term solution because I do not know enough about it.

[Ravin]

Appropriate dosage of melatonin can vary widely, having nothing to do with size or age and everything to do with brain chemistry. We used melatonin in a 1mg tablet form For DD for months. I dropped it out this summer when very early rising and daily swim at camp kept her burning enough energy that she easily fell asleep at bedtime without it. I finally got her out of the habit of falling asleep to tv, now she just listens to music. Darkness at bedtime is still a work in progress for us. All these things can contribute.

 

That said, if undisturbed in the morning, will he sleep in enough to get a good night's rest? Is there a reason why you have to start school at 8?

 

Melatonin for a month or two to reset his clock, paired with and followed by adhering to a regular schedule for bedtime (with darkness) and rising(with natural morning sun exposure), might make a difference.

[Joanne]

If anxiety is part - or all - of the problem, have you taught and learned anxiety coping skills?

[Jean in Newcastle]

If anxiety is part - or all - of the problem, have you taught and learned anxiety coping skills?

Not the OP, but can you elaborate on these?  Please?

[AngieW in Texas]

My 17yo dd was prescribed 15 mg of melatonin. She was able to back it off to 10 mg for a few months, but then she started waking up at 4am unable to get back to sleep and that time got pushed a little earlier each day, so she went back to 15 mg and was sleeping through the night again. The doctor started her at 5 mg and then 10 mg, but there were no results until she got to 15 mg.

 

ETA:

The doctor also had my 17yo dd try trazodone and remeron. Trazodone made her really edgy. She felt like she had to get up and walk around, but it also made her very lightheaded. She took it just two times because the effects scared her. Then the doctor had her try remeron.  Remeron worked great for about one week and then it started waking her up in the middle of the night feeling that she was starving. She had to get up and eat a full meal in the middle of the night, sometimes more than once. She was only on Remeron for a few weeks and then stopped. The doctor then had her try higher doses of melatonin. The highest she had taken previously was 3 mg.

 

My 15yo takes trazodone. She was prescribed trazodone after two years of insomnia. She is taking 3/4 of the lowest dosage of trazodone that is made. She has been on it for 1.5 years now. It works very well for her. She started taking it at 13.5yo.

[I.Dup.]

I am so confused on this melatonin issue. Is there anyone else that can weigh in who has met with an actual doctor about this? I have been letting my dd take 3mg nightly for awhile now. She can't seem to get to sleep without it.

[Spryte]

DS takes 1 mg at night and has for years. Recommended by the pediatrician. His other doctors all know about this as well (allergist, asthma doc, neurologist, and his alternative med doc). We have discussed it with each and every one of these docs, either in depth or as we were going over his daily meds. We have met with no raised eyebrows, no opposition to it, and no mention of it being problematic.

 

But I will probably ask again. :)

[Ottakee]

I am so confused on this melatonin issue. Is there anyone else that can weigh in who has met with an actual doctor about this? I have been letting my dd take 3mg nightly for awhile now. She can't seem to get to sleep without it.

My girls both take Melatonin, one takes 1.5mg and the other 3mg.  This is under the advice and supervision of their psychiatrist, neurologist, and endocrinologist (as well as primary care) so for my girls the doctors all clearly see the benefits as far outweighing the possible side effects.

 

My brother's kids take a small dose as well, again under the supervision and advice of the pediatrician.

 

I would suggest speaking with your doctor though about your specific case and any other medical issues that might be at play.

[Guest Thyly]

Much about melatonin's biological effects are not well understood but enough evidence is available that indicates the substance could be quite problematic, irrelevant of its "natural substance" denomination (a derivative of tryptophan). Studies show both good and bad findings with the element. Most commonly, however, only the beneficial findings are reported on. Many of the posts mentioned to have used several mg's (up to 15mg) of supplemental melatonin but it was found that only 0.5mg can suppress metabolic function (which is probably responsible for some user's experience of daytime grogginess). Also, it was linked to an exacerbation of depression, stress hormone release, and increased mortality in animals (all discussed at Tryptophan Side Effects: L-Tryptophan Is Far From Harmless). Getting enough sunlight, having a habitual bedtime routine, and improving nutrition seems more appropriate.

[kitten18]

Have you tried a smaller dose of Benadryl, maybe 1/2 a tablet?