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Tasha (Springfield, USA) on 04/20/2009

Hi all was wondering if anyone was sure if melatonin is safe for kids to take, I have heard that they can and some say they cant I am a mother of an 11 year old boy with ADHD and severe anger issues and need help. I have tried medicating and and decided to take him off the concerta and clonidine he was taking that to help him sleep, but he stays up till 2 and 3 in the morning which is really starting to affect him at school failing grades are a big issue right now, not to mention the phone calls from his teacher several times a week, So I am wanting to try the melatonin 3mg. to see if he gets some better sleep and hope maybe he will start doing better in school. Thanks for any feedback I am desperate at this point, Tasha
EC: Here's an article on medscape that might help:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/448467

... "While there is an enormous amount of anecdotal information available, there are few well-controlled studies that have examined safety, appropriate dosing including amounts and timing, use in special populations such as children or the elderly, side effects, or interactions with other products. However, the few published studies that have looked at use of melatonin in children have generally found the product to be safe, though most have focused on use in children with neurodevelopmental disabilities.

One study of 20 children with developmental disabilities found that children given melatonin fell asleep significantly more quickly, but did not experience overall longer sleep durations or wake less frequently.[4] A second slightly larger study of 46 children with neurodevelopmental disorders found that sleep improved in 34 of the children and none experienced side effects.[5] Only a very few studies have examined the use of this hormone in children without disability. For example, a study of 40 elementary school children without neurologic problems who were experiencing delayed sleep onset found that over the duration of the 4-week study, melatonin was relatively safe and significantly more effective than placebo in advancing sleep onset and increasing sleep. Of note, tests that examined attention span in these children found that, even in those whose sleep improved, measures of attention did not change.

The National Sleep Foundation[3] suggests that the product may be useful for teenagers who experience delayed-sleep-phase syndrome, an inability to fall asleep during the early nighttime hours that causes problems in awakening the next morning. However, appropriate dosing and duration of use in teenagers is not known."

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Replied By Cathy (Pataskala, Ohio) on 07/26/2009

My son has been taking Melatonin for almost 4 years now. He is now taking up to 6 mgs at age 10 and he sleeps great and has had no side effects. He is ADHD and never slept well thru the night before melatonin. It really makes a difference in his behavior as well. I would strongly recommend it.
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Replied By Jerilyn (Mobile, Al) on 01/18/2011

My son has been on Melatonin for a few years now. We started at 3 mg and it did nothing to help him sleep. We are now on 5 mg. My pediatrician says that it cannot harm your child. It is completely safe. I have my child on FOCALIN 40 mg. We deal with ADD as well in the mornings.

I am just getting on board with homepathic remedies b/c I do not like the side effects of this controlled substance. We have been on it for a while and it has not made my life easier at all. My son deals with ticks/twitches, has anxiety and has trouble sleeping. I need some guidance in this aspect as well. I did want to comment on the MELATONIN though. My son is also on TRAZADONE at night to sleep. This was not working until I added teh 5 mg MELATONIN to it. I think it(Melatonin) is wonderful and start off low first then increase if need be. I just want my children to be normal...

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Replied By Jquacken793 (Cathedral City, Ca) on 06/25/2012

My son tried the 3 mg of melatonin because he was staying up all night and it did put him to sleep, but he developed a rash on his body that really bothered him so he decided he's rather stay awake. He is 11.
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