“Are there prescription drugs for childhood insomnia?”
My son has insomnia and melatonin does nothing. Are there prescription drugs for childhood insomnia?
3 Answers
Depending on the age of your son, under the age of 18, there are no prescription medications for insomnia. Most childhood insomnia problems are treated without medications. I always refer parents to Richard Ferber's book, "Solving My Child's Sleep Problem". Usually, the treatment is multifactorial and some medical problems need to be ruled out as well.
There are a few options to help your child sleep. Be sure you have maximized the dose of melatonin and developed good sleep hygiene first. Depending on the child’s age, your pediatrician may recommend clonidine, trazodone, or amitriptylline. Make an appointment to discuss this with your pediatrician
Sleeping medicine should never be used in children. Insomnia is a symptom and the cause needs to be considered. Anxiety and depression are frequent causes. There are also a large number of behavioral causes of insomnia. In general, treatment requires a formal evaluation with your pediatrician or a referral to a sleep specialist or psychiatrist depending on the details of the story.
