You are feeling sleepy... sleeeeeeepy.... But if you're not, here! Take this!
The last time I remember hearing about Melatonin, it was the mid-90's. I was taking a trip to Scotland and was told to take some in order to sack out on the plane. In my case, it wasn't terribly helpful; I took a pill, couldn't nod off, and arrived in Edinburgh feeling like I'd been hit by a truck (or eaten a plate of haggis, which is almost as bad.)
Apparently Melatonin is back, and now it's for your kids. Strollerderby blogger Cole Gamble contributed this personal essay discussing how much Melatonin helped his daughter get a good night's sleep. The brilliant and talented Babble commenters chimed in with some of their own stories here. It wasn't that long ago that some pediatricians quietly suggested giving kids a little Benadryl to get them to sleep through a long plane trip. And before the FDA issued warnings about whether or not the cherry-flavored cold meds we all grew up with actually did more harm than good, many parents (this one included) would happily give little ones a capful; the fact that the stuff was sleep-inducing was just a nice side-effect. Then a bunch of baby cold meds were pulled, although not for safety reasons - some parents were overusing them. Despite the lack of stated danger, usage dropped off, at least among people I know: any suggestion that you are "drugging" your children tends to make people squeamish.
Then there's this WebMD blog post, with the provocative title "Is it wise to drug your kids to sleep?" The blogger, Dr. Steven Parker, seems to be saying both yes and no, depending on your situation: there are cases where children with ADHD or Autism have trouble sleeping and that affects their ability to function during the day. In those cases, a little "help" getting some shut-eye might be good, even doctor recommended.
The real juicy stuff is in the comments. For example, in response to someone who suggests that some of the commenters may not have read the article as closely as they might have, one user writes: "I, have not missed the point. Reading the responses of some of the posts THEY have missed the point." One commenter describes a child that appears to have become Damian from The Omen due to lack of shut-eye. A lot of the parental vituperativeness comes from the implication that they are being accused of "drugging" their children. It does seem like a strong word to use when Melatonin is considered a supplement, not a drug. Still, anytime you give a child something to ingest other than food and drink, it's probably a good idea to do your homework and make sure it's safe.
But what homework is that? Is a doctor's word enough to satisfy you, and should it be? Hopefully you trust your doctor or other health care professional (an acupuncturist, as in Cole's essay) enough to believe them when they say something is safe for your precious bundle to take. But we all know that doctors can be wrong sometimes.
Personally, I'm willing to try anything on myself if someone I trust has recommended it. This once resulted in my taking a pig pancreas pill (no, really) given to me by my former acupuncturist; I got a little bit ill and stopped taking it. I'm more cautious with my kids. Then again, if it really helps, where's the harm, right?
image: Amazon.com
