“Why doesn't melatonin work for my son?”
My 12 year old son has trouble sleeping and melatonin doesn't help. Why doesn't melatonin work for my son?
4 Answers
SleepMedicineSpecialistSleepMedicineSpecialist
He will need further evaluation by sleep specialist or pediatrician to rule out sleep disorders and detailed history to evaluate sleep hygiene.
In order for a therapy to be effective for a sleep issue, or any issue, it needs to be addressing the cause of the problem, not simply a symptom.
Is your son a night owl, and isn’t sleepy at bedtime. Does he have a similar bedtime every night? Is his sleep environment quiet, cool and feel safe?
Is he busy with activating activities prior to bed, including video games? Caffeine?
Melatonin is not nature’s sleeping pill. It is a hormone that is secreted at night, during darkness and it’s release is inhibited by light. That’s why it’s been termed the hormone of darkness. It is present in high levels during darkness in nocturnal animals that are fully awake.
Some people feel sleepy with it, others have bad dreams or grogginess the next day. The quality of the product and the actual amount of melatonin can vary as much as 10 fold from one “serving” to another in the same bottle. Dietary supplements are not monitored and can be a Pandora’s Box when it comes to actual contents.
The effects of melatonin on kids with developing brains, especially around puberty is unclear. The sensitivity to melatonin is increased at puberty when the body clock has more impact on the sleep wake timing, which is why teenagers often become more of a night owl and don’t get sleepy until a later time and then sleep much longer in the mornings.
During puberty sleep requirements can increase to 9 or 10 hours at night, so 8 hours is actually insufficient at that age.
There can be other sleep disorders that make it hard to sleep, such as Restless Legs which is often present in a parent also, but can be hard to recognize especially if they have had it for years but don’t realize other people don’t experience it.
Allergies and snoring, possibly with sleep apnea are causes that melatonin will not treat.
Start with good sleep hygeine(habits), regular schedule avoid video games within 1-2 hrs of bedtime and if that doesn’t help, talk to the pediatrician.
Hope this helps.
Is your son a night owl, and isn’t sleepy at bedtime. Does he have a similar bedtime every night? Is his sleep environment quiet, cool and feel safe?
Is he busy with activating activities prior to bed, including video games? Caffeine?
Melatonin is not nature’s sleeping pill. It is a hormone that is secreted at night, during darkness and it’s release is inhibited by light. That’s why it’s been termed the hormone of darkness. It is present in high levels during darkness in nocturnal animals that are fully awake.
Some people feel sleepy with it, others have bad dreams or grogginess the next day. The quality of the product and the actual amount of melatonin can vary as much as 10 fold from one “serving” to another in the same bottle. Dietary supplements are not monitored and can be a Pandora’s Box when it comes to actual contents.
The effects of melatonin on kids with developing brains, especially around puberty is unclear. The sensitivity to melatonin is increased at puberty when the body clock has more impact on the sleep wake timing, which is why teenagers often become more of a night owl and don’t get sleepy until a later time and then sleep much longer in the mornings.
During puberty sleep requirements can increase to 9 or 10 hours at night, so 8 hours is actually insufficient at that age.
There can be other sleep disorders that make it hard to sleep, such as Restless Legs which is often present in a parent also, but can be hard to recognize especially if they have had it for years but don’t realize other people don’t experience it.
Allergies and snoring, possibly with sleep apnea are causes that melatonin will not treat.
Start with good sleep hygeine(habits), regular schedule avoid video games within 1-2 hrs of bedtime and if that doesn’t help, talk to the pediatrician.
Hope this helps.
Melatonin is used for circadian sleep disorders and there are multiple reasons it would not work in your son. Proper sleep habits are the first treatment in children.
Melatonin is a regulator of circadian rhythm. It effectively tells people that it is nighttime. It isn't a sedative and for people who do not have problems with schedules, such as jet lag, it isn't terribly helpful. There are many many behavioral components that contribute to insomnia and it would be worth reviewing these with your son and a sleep specialist
