Melatonin and Travel

I use melatonin nightly for my 3 year old son with autism. It helps him to fall asleep which is all it is intended to do. It will NOT make them sleep longer or more soundly. I realize our situation is a bit different but my 6 did ask to take it out of curiosity and yes I let her however it did not enable her to fall asleep any quicker. Talk to your doc and just as an FYI my 3 year old has been on melatonin since before he was 2. If you plan on giving it I would recommend .5mg to start with and get the chewable version, GNC carries a cherry flavored brand in 1mg tablets.

I've never tried melatonin w/ my kids but I have to tell you that my daughter is one of the "one in ten" that bendadryl makes hyper, which I found out on a 5+ hour red eye from Seattle to NY. It was absolute hell to say the least and all I can recommend is to do a test run w/ both BEFORE the trip. Best of luck to you! :)

You are NOT supposed to use Melatonin with children. Do not drug your kids on Benadryl -- that's like saying 'why not give the kids a few codeine to put them out for a while !!!' NOT !!!

I have the perfect solution. It is completely natural and safe and works. It is called 'moon drops' you can buy them at your natural health food store or online. They are a small soft lozenger that taste fabulous (vanilla) and will relax them and left them drift off to sleep naturally. All homeopathy. I can vouch for these working as I use one every single night because I love how well they work, I never wake up until the morning. My kids always use them when we go on overseas flights. They are totally non addictive and I can't say enough good about them. I buy them in a 12 pack, as it is cheaper that way since I use them often. Here is a link to see them. Many sites sell them....

http://www99.epinions.com/reviews/Historical_Remedies_Moo...

http://www.amazon.com/Homeopathic-Lozenges-Drops-Vanilla-...

I have used Melatonin on my 4 yr and my 10 yr old. I used it for long car rides. My 6 yrs falls asleep quick all by himself.

I'd be MUCH more comfortable with Benadryl than melatonin. The FDA doesn't regulate the OTC melatonin manufacturers so you never know if you're getting a quality product vs. the oversight they have of Benadryl.

Diphenhydramine is the active ingredient in OTC sleep aids like Unisom, Tylenol PM, Advil PM, and is the active ingredient in Benadryl.

Whichever you decide, please ask your pediatrician first. There's a lot of mixed opinions on the use of Melatonin, so if it were me, I'd check with him first before starting a regimen.

To all who do! Please be careful using melatonin in children. As said, it is not regulated & our bodies should make enough especially for the young. We make less as we age so it is useful for that but can also cause liver damage if the body finds in excess. check w/ your doc or homeopath for sure!

First of all, true that the FDA doesn't regulate Melatonin. True that there are different "opinions" about melatonin. However there a lot of different opinions from a lot of different things and subjects and that is exactly what they are: Opinions. There are even more things that are out there and not regulated by the FDA but people use on a daily basis. I think the major thing to remember is use your common sense and always ask your Ped for some advice and do your own research!
I have twins that drove me absolutely insane come bedtime. I would lay them down at 8:00 p.m. and they would sit up there and play, giggle, horse-around until almost 1:00 a.m. knowing full well they had to get up early the next day and they would wake up cranky and it would be the same process night after night. This all started when they were about 3 years old. I asked MY ped about it and she said it was absolutely fine. I have even heard of her "prescribing" it out to others so I know there are different opinions but I don't like the whole Benadryl idea and putting your kids out because then what if they really need it? Sometimes using that as a "lights out" attempt can have adverse affects in that their bodies can become used to it and if they got stung by a bee or something I guess you would have no choice but to go to the ER if they are allergic! Which I know I know your question wasn't about a daily type issue but just be advised that either one might have side effects: Benadryl might cause excitement (always did with mine) and melatonin "can" cause nightmares so I have heard but my kids have never complained and I myself have used and never had any problems but my mother has but she also takes a whole list of meds too so it may have counteracted with her. Another thing you could consider is chamomile I think but again ask your ped. My twins are 7 now and I still give it to them pretty much on the nights they have to be in bed early for school-they need their rest. On the weekends I pretty much make them go to bed at a certain time and I might hear them goofing off but I don't really care because eventually they do fall asleep. Now that school is back in session it doesn't take very long for them to fall out because of all the early days-lol!

I work with many pediatricians that recommend it for kids that have trouble falling asleep. There are different options that can work with kids 1 mg (chewable), 1/2 mg chewable or a liquid form. Talk to you pediatrician before you use it. I have used it off and on for my kids now 4 & 6. I personally prefer it over benadryl because it is an herbal natural remedy rather then a medicine. I always use melatonin with flying and right now my kids are using it most of the time at betime. I also need it, so I am not surprised that my kids need it to calm their body before bed. It takes my kids 1-2 hours to fall asleep without it, but only 15 minutes with it.