![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Concerned Mother on March 27, 2000, at 15:19:50
Would Melatonin help my daughter get to sleep at night? Has anyone had success with this? If so what kind should a person use or are there different kinds or brands? She has just gotten into the habit of staying up late. No mental probs or other drugs. Of this I am certain. Just would like to hear others stories. Don't want to go sleeping pill route or prescribed stuff.
Posted by Mark H. on March 27, 2000, at 18:16:22
In reply to Melatonin, posted by Concerned Mother on March 27, 2000, at 15:19:50
Among several sensitive people I know, the two biggest problems with melatonin are 1.) the bottled dosage is way too high, and 2.) we can't get up in the morning!
A friend finally told me a trick that seems to work for others, including my wife (but not me): take ONE-FOURTH of a tablet and see what that does before increasing the dosage. 3mg or even 1mg just wipes out a lot of people, it seems.
By the way, I don't think melatonin is entirely safe -- too much is unknown. Your daughter's body will probably tell her what she needs to know. If it helps her sleep and she feels alert in the morning, that's great. If she can't get up or otherwise feels strange or depressed after taking it for a couple of nights, my advice would be to discontinue use.
For me, melatonin just increases my depression, at any dose -- so be forewarned.
Posted by Gordon on March 27, 2000, at 18:43:44
In reply to Re: Melatonin, posted by Mark H. on March 27, 2000, at 18:16:22
One of the reasons older people supplement melatonin is supposedly the body makes less of it as we age; however, there's a recent study that disputes that. Another is to adjust to time changes after a long East-West flight. You don't say how old your daughter is, but presuming she is not yet a mature adult, I think it would be inadvisable to supplement the melatonin. Also, 500 mcg is more than enought to replace what the body produces. Some people take several milligrams but that is mostly to counter the supposed aging effects in the body. You might go to www.raysahelian.com for more info.
Posted by dove on March 27, 2000, at 19:49:35
In reply to Re: Melatonin, posted by Gordon on March 27, 2000, at 18:43:44
If you can find sublingual, melt under the tongue rather than swallow, the dosage is a mere fraction of the normal amounts. 0.25 mgs is enough to send my big burly husband off to dream land in 20 minutes, sometimes less. Safety is a barbed issue, many folks in certain circles have been using Melatonin for twenty years or so. I know of many parents of autistc children, who have had to fight a real battle to enable their children to get enough sleep, and melatonin has been used extensively by some of these folks. They speak of calmer children, have more self-control, happier, ect... I would not feel as comfortable as them with the longevity and dosages they are using, but I'm not in their shoes.
Your daughter could give it go, take one the first night, skip the second, then the third, alternating, and then ceasing. Wait and see if her body can keep the rhythm without the Melatonin. I am taking Adderall, my last dose is five in the evening, and only take it on the rare occassion, less than once a month now. Let us know how things work out.
dove
Posted by Sherry on March 27, 2000, at 20:51:54
In reply to Melatonin, posted by Concerned Mother on March 27, 2000, at 15:19:50
If it were me, I would ask her pediatrician's advice.
> Would Melatonin help my daughter get to sleep at night? Has anyone had success with this? If so what kind should a person use or are there different kinds or brands? She has just gotten into the habit of staying up late. No mental probs or other drugs. Of this I am certain. Just would like to hear others stories. Don't want to go sleeping pill route or prescribed stuff.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.