More parents are giving their children melatonin to help them 睡眠. According to new research, nearly half of them provide the over-the-counter supplement to 13岁以下儿童.
“When a child is having a hard time falling a睡眠, it often means nobody in the family will 睡眠 well,” 伊丽莎白R. 史密斯博士, a 儿科医生 at University of Utah Health. “Parents may resort to melatonin for help when 睡眠 schedules aren’t predictable.”
While melatonin is generally safe for children, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not recommend routine usage of the supplement and encourages parents to speak with their child’s 儿科医生 before providing it to them.
Pediatricians at University of Utah Health agree and urge caution. 原因如下:
Melatonin will not solve 睡眠 problems
Melatonin is a natural 睡眠 substance our bodies make that helps settle our brains and queue us to fall 睡眠. Melatonin is also sold as a supplement that helps you fall a睡眠, but it does not keep you a睡眠. It’s meant to be used short-term unless otherwise discussed with a doctor.
For short-term purposes, melatonin can help reset 睡眠 schedules or help establish bedtime routines. 然而, sometimes it’s used more regularly for children with developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, 注意力缺陷多动症, or mental health disorders.
Melatonin is not regulated by the FDA
Melatonin is considered a supplement. Because of this labeling, dosage can get tricky. 褪黑激素用量 can vary from half a milligram up to 10 milligrams.
“That’s where we get in trouble, because it’s not regulated,” Smith says. “No one is doing the quality measures to make sure the melatonin is exactly as the bottle describes.”
A 最近的研究 found that in a nine-year span, melatonin ingestion increased 530% in the United States, causing a rapid increase in pediatric hospitalizations and a 70% increase in calls to poison control centers for children under the age of five.
While parents should talk to a 儿科医生 about dosage before providing it to their child, Smith recommends to start with the lowest dose possible. Not providing the right dosage could potentially lead to:
- 生动的梦境
- 东歪西倒
- 搅动
- 乏力
- 头晕
- 头疼
- 情绪波动
- Increased urination at night
More research is needed
Melatonin is a 睡眠 aid, not a 睡眠 solution. And more research is needed to better understand the long-term use of the supplement among children. 研究 has shown that providing melatonin to children on a short-term basis is relatively safe. Still, some studies question the impact of melatonin on a child’s growth and development.
给父母的睡眠建议
The best advice for parents is to establish a night routine for their children with these three tips:
- 设定睡觉时间： Aim to put your child to bed at the same time every night.
- 制定一个计划： A bedtime routine may take 20-30 minutes and may entail changing clothes, 刷牙, 洗澡, 读故事, 或者唱着歌.
- 是一致的: 这是可以理解的, schedules and daily activities change every day, but establishing a bedtime routine will help your child settle down and fall a睡眠.
