We are not doctors. We are advocates. Always consult your child's pediatrician before starting melatonin, particularly for young children or those on other medications.
How Melatonin Works
Melatonin is a hormone the brain produces in response to darkness. It helps with the timing of the body's internal 24-hour clock and with sleep. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes there is still uncertainty about the best dose for children, when to give it, and the effects of long-term use, which is why these decisions belong with your child's doctor.
→Ask about dose and timing: Dose and timing should come from your child's doctor, not the bottle. Experts are still uncertain about the best dose for children and when to give it.
→Labels are not always accurate: A 2017 study of 31 melatonin supplements found actual content ranging from 83 percent below to 478 percent above the label, and more than 71 percent did not match the label within 10 percent. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about choosing a product.
→What it helps with: In a 2011 meta-analysis of studies in autistic children, melatonin improved total sleep time and time to fall asleep, but not night waking. Side effects reported in those studies were minimal.
Forms and Administration
Getting melatonin into an autistic child who is selective about foods, textures, and tastes is its own challenge. These forms exist:
Gummies
The most accepted form for many children due to taste and texture. Store them out of reach, since flavored products are easy for young children to mistake for candy.
Liquid drops
Can be added to a small amount of food or drink the child will accept. Taste varies by brand, some are more tolerable than others.
Chewable tablets
Often flavored. A good option for children who accept tablet textures.
Regular tablets
An option for older children and teens who can swallow tablets.
Extended-release formulations
If your child falls asleep normally but wakes repeatedly, ask your doctor whether a different formulation makes sense.
Melatonin Is a Tool, Not the Whole Solution
Guidelines for children's sleep problems generally recommend behavioral approaches, such as good bedtime habits, as a first step that may be supplemented with medicine. Think of melatonin as a tool alongside that work, not a substitute for it.
→Use melatonin alongside a consistent bedtime routine, not instead of one
→Keep lights dim in the evening, since light at night can block the body's own melatonin production
→Tell your doctor about any next-day grogginess or other changes you notice
→Do not increase the dose without professional guidance
→Discuss longer-term use with your pediatrician, since the effects of long-term use in children are not well known
