Melatonin

[JKF]

Does anyone here give their difficult child's melatonin at night? On Monday I started giving mine 3 mg before bed because he was having trouble falling and staying asleep. Since then he's out like a light by 8:30 pm and it just occurred to me that our mornings this week have been SO much easier. He's up on time, gets ready without a fight, and we're out the door when we need to be!

Just curious if anyone else here gives their difficult child's melatonin and if so what are your thoughts??

 

[AnnieO]

WOW.

I'm glad it works for someone...

Onyxx said it didn't work... I don't know, because she was good at cheeking.

For me, it made my heart race similar to a panic attack - 3 mg did no good, 4.5 no good, 6 - thumpthumpthump OMG. I was WIDE AWAKE. I said - NO MORE.

Then again... That was before Onyxx left...

 

[lmf64]

When my son was younger we used melatonin on and off for a few years. It worked for him, for the most part.
We began giving it to my nephew, who is 5, about a year ago and my sister in law would not go a night without him taking it. With him we have to crush and put it in applesauce (he has major food issues); but he goes to sleep like a little angel when he takes it and doesn't sleep hardly at all when he doesn't.

 

[confuzzled]

mine takes it every night and it works pretty well for her. it helps to fall asleep--some people have difficulty staying asleep on it, but mine doesnt have that issue.

i just bumped up from 3mg (on for YEARS) to 5-6mg because we are playing with stims and i found even a small booster dose was making it hard to settle in.

some people find the liquid works best, and fast.

 

[Ktllc]

V took 1.5mg for acouyple month. It helped him fall asleep (used to be a major issue) but he did not stay asleep. He would still wander at night from bed to couch to bean bag and so forth.
We have completly stopped even though it helped him fall asleep.
We worked on natural ways to fall and stay asleep. Now he has a noise machine and a weighted blanket. I also make sure to gradually switch all the lights off 1 hour before bedtime. It works good for us and sleep is no longer an issue. He falls asleep good and stays asleep all night.

 

[JKF]

WOW.

I'm glad it works for someone...

Onyxx said it didn't work... I don't know, because she was good at cheeking.

For me, it made my heart race similar to a panic attack - 3 mg did no good, 4.5 no good, 6 - thumpthumpthump OMG. I was WIDE AWAKE. I said - NO MORE.

Then again... That was before Onyxx left...

His dr. recommended trying it. I was really skeptical but it truly seems to knock him out. Usually I have to fight with him at 9 for lights out but when I went to check on him at 8:30 each night this week (since he started taking it) he was fast asleep already! That tells me it definitely must work for him because going to sleep has always been a big problem for him! Not sure if it will work forever but I'll take what I can get! lol

 

[buddy]

I just read an article....was it posted here???? I can't remember where it came from but it was about a study showing that it worked for a large percentage of kids with autism. I suspect that would translate to many difficult child's. I personally was so sleep drunk from it that I hated it. It did nothing for Q but he sleeps pretty well most nights anyway.

 

[JKF]

V took 1.5mg for acouyple month. It helped him fall asleep (used to be a major issue) but he did not stay asleep. He would still wander at night from bed to couch to bean bag and so forth.
We have completly stopped even though it helped him fall asleep.
We worked on natural ways to fall and stay asleep. Now he has a noise machine and a weighted blanket. I also make sure to gradually switch all the lights off 1 hour before bedtime. It works good for us and sleep is no longer an issue. He falls asleep good and stays asleep all night.

Well the Dr. recommended it because melatonin is naturally made by the body. He said some people just don't produce enough to help them sleep properly especially when taking medications like Vyvanse. Since the melatonin in a natural supplement he said to try it. So far good results so I'll continue to give it to him but I think I'll look into a noise machine as well!

 

[JKF]

I just read an article....was it posted here???? I can't remember where it came from but it was about a study showing that it worked for a large percentage of kids with autism. I suspect that would translate to many difficult child's. I personally was so sleep drunk from it that I hated it. It did nothing for Q but he sleeps pretty well most nights anyway.

That's interesting buddy! I'll have to research it more on the internet. I did some research and it's certainly safe but I'm curious about a few things. I've taken it a few times and it does help me sleep but not if I take it continuously. I have a script for Ambien because my sleep pattern was so disrupted by difficult child #1 when he was living with us. I literally had to try to stay awake as much as possible to "watch" him because he waited until we were asleep to do things like hack into our computer and take things apart etc. After he went to the PCR in October I still had that stay awake mindset. My Dr. finally prescribed Ambien in Dec and it definitely helps but for difficult child #2 I only want to give him natural supplements such as melatonin.

 

[Mamaof5]

For 18 months I've been using it for the 6 year old. She's at 6mg and it works well for falling asleep (I use quick dissolve tabs that taste like strawberries) some night she doesn't stay asleep but most nights it a charm that works well! It's a life saver for us!

 

[Ktllc]

You are right, melatonin is produced by the body. I also read some place that light pressure will help the body create its own melatonin. And V having sensory processing disorder (SPD), I had heard of weighted blankets already and their benefits.
V liked taking the melatonin and he would become anxious if I told him to try falling asleep without it. He is only 4 and I did not want him to think that he could not fall asleep without a pill (although I realize it is harmless).
In case you want to look into it, we bought a blanket online at http://www.sensacalm.com/ (their website has changed since then but it's the same company).

 

[DDD]

I used it for difficult child#2 and it was a Godsend. I no longer had to keep a sensitive ear all night to make sure he wasn't roaming. DDD

 

[JKF]

You are right, melatonin is produced by the body. I also read some place that light pressure will help the body create its own melatonin. And V having sensory processing disorder (SPD), I had heard of weighted blankets already and their benefits.
V liked taking the melatonin and he would become anxious if I told him to try falling asleep without it. He is only 4 and I did not want him to think that he could not fall asleep without a pill (although I realize it is harmless).
In case you want to look into it, we bought a blanket online at http://www.sensacalm.com/ (their website has changed since then but it's the same company).

Thanks so much Ktllc!!!! I'll check it out!

 

[JKF]

I used it for difficult child#2 and it was a Godsend. I no longer had to keep a sensitive ear all night to make sure he wasn't roaming. DDD

It really seems to be helping difficult child #2 sleep better! And now that he's sleeping better our morning routine is much easier! He told me last night that he feels better and less grouchy because he's getting sleep finally. I'm not saying melatonin is a cure all but it seems to be helping in that aspect at least. I was just reading an article in Family Circle last night that kids with sleep disorders are sometimes diagnosed as ADHD because the symptoms mimic each other. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm in no way saying that my kid doesn't have ADHD but I think it's so interesting how the symptoms of that and lack of sleep relate to one another.

 

[soapbox]

I was just reading an article in Family Circle last night that kids with sleep disorders are sometimes diagnosed as ADHD because the symptoms mimic each other

Is that article available on-line? If so, it would be nice to have the link over on Parenting News.

I haven't seen sleep issues tied specifically to ADHD-symptoms in published articles before. But it adds fuel to the case that many of these things cannot be diagnosed based on symptoms alone. ADHD-type symptoms can also be identical to Auditory Processing Disorders (APD)/Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) symptoms. And there are others.

It is SO vital to look at both what the propsed diagnosis is, and to rule out all the other options that produce similar symptoms. The second half tends to not get done. JMO, of course.

 

[Ktllc]

V is not diagnosis with ADHD, but he does fidget and, of course, has behavioral issues. The doctor ordered a sleep study to make sure it was not due to lack of sleep or poor quality of sleep. Turns out V has no sleep issue, but the doctor told me that, in some cases, all it takes is fxing the sleep issues and then the kids are 100% normal with no issues anymore.
In our case, it was a dead end but I don't regret the sleep study. It is 1 night at the hospital and completely painless.

 

[InsaneCdn]

ktlc... you have an incredibly good doctor!!!

 

[Steely]

Melatonin worked/works great for matt!!! (For me - not so much - at all) I hope it keeps working for your difficult child - I think it all depends on the bodies chemistry.

 

[crazymama30]

Melatonin works great for difficult child (maybe it if the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) thing) but does not do diddly for me. I can fall asleep, but without my trazodone? I could never stay asleep.