I’ve heard more cons then pros about melatonin for toddlers. What are your thoughts?
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Check with your pediatrician first before giving it to your toddler!!
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According to my daughters doctor yes.
I’d ask a doctor first
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My son takes it and so does my daughter I went thru the doctor and they assured me it was safe
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When you take Melatonin long term your body begins depending on the supplement and stops producing it naturally the way it should. You should never put a child on Melatonin unless under strict physician order and monitoring.
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Yes. My daughter never slept more than 4 hours a night till she was 2 and a half and the doctor told me to put her on them. It saved her and me lol. Always talk to their dr first though!!!
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You should check with your pediatrician that is familiar with your child. Not every kid needs to take it or may have issues that taking it could be problematic. While it can you fall asleep it does not keep you asleep.
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It should never be used for longer than 2 weeks and never without consent of your pediatrician. It can cause the body to stop producing it naturally and cause a dependance. Also it commonly causes nightmares and other issues in young children.
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Of course! The only thing that makes melatonin dangerous is when you use it constantly. Like every night. Once in awhile is perfectly safe, but long time consistent use will require the brain.
I refuse to give it to my daughter because she has nightmares. I don’t even give her night time meds because of it.
Why drug your child to sleep? Play with them, limit day time naps, don’t give them a snack a hour before bedtime, get into a routine ie. Bath at 8, story till 9
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My kiddos pediatrician said it was ok. She no longer takes it. Yes it worked getting her to sleep but she always had night terrors when she did take it. No thank you.
My sons Dr told us at 2 to begin using it. My son is autistic and won’t sleep or rocks too hard at night.
My 2 year old daughter is autistic and takes 1 mg every night to help her sleep!
It really depends. I dont believe in using it as the “easy” way out.
But…
Some toddlers have serious “chronic” sleep issues
Sometimes when they’ve ad a long day and they’re over stimulated…they may not sleep well
Vacation or unfamiliar places they may need a little help.
Meds aren’t my “go to” but both my kids have adhd. My youngest also has spd and my oldest has autism.
They “inherited” my insomnia.
At the peak with my oldest…he was getting maybe 4 hours of sleep a night. Getting into stuff in the middle of the night. Doing things that were dangerous and TRYING TO NOT WAKE US UP. I didn’t know about melatonin as an option then. But a friend suggested it. As hes gotten older…he became immune to it. He now takes clonidine (prescription) instead.
For my youngest his doctor wanted us to give benadryl instead. For him…it was what he was taking for allergies…and he was having issues with chronic ear infections and benadryl was being used to keep his ears “dry”.
Hes 3. Tubes have been put in his ears. He gets 0.5mg melatonin on “bad” nights.
It was recommended by a pediatrician for our children at night. It is natural and safe
In the UK it’s a prescription only medicine. This is to prevent it being given out like candy. It’s not a drug, it’s a hormone. Talk to a paed first.
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Always talk to the pediatrician. Yes, it’s safe but your pediatrician knows your toddler best.
help kids (and adults) produce their own melatonin–get sunshine during the day and keep room dark at night
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I would try other methods first. More activity during the day, and shorter naps. Then a very calming bedtime routine. Lavender bath story time bed time. I have 3 very active boys and that worked for them really great. My 15 yr old went through a phase from 2-3 yrs old when he wouldn’t sleep. The doc said try melatonin. It didn’t really work, and when it did he would sleep walk. We stopped giving it to him and just changed up our daily routine. First we cut out his morning nap, and did the bath routine at night. Plus increased his daily activity. It worked and no sleep walking.
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It caused terrible nightmares for my son
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I personally consider it child abuse in toddlers and babies. Check with your pediatrician. But please first look at your daily routine and your child’s food intake.
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I’ve never used a form of sleep aid I’d rather tough it out than do that
If you’re uncomfortable giving your child actual melatonin you could just feed them more naturally melatonin rich foods. Google it, there’s a list of them
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You’ve heard more cons than pros and now you’re asking a large group of random strangers on the internet. Sounds like you’re looking for someone to justify and side with you doing it. If you’re just going to do it anyway, don’t bother asking around, it’ll help you worry less.
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Yes they can, you can ask your pharmacist or your doctor
My daughters 4 and she takes it on school nights. Perfectly safe and she has had no side effects
I wouldn’t give it to my child . That age child shouldn’t need it . They should be worn out from a hard day of play . Make sure they get plenty of time / exercise outdoors . If you have to shorten naps , do so . But , a child that age simply shouldn’t need it . Also , consult with their pediatrician before giving anything like that .
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My granddaughter is 3 and takes it every night per her pediatrician.
Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone in the body. Sometimes, drs recommend it for little ones who are struggling to establish a circadian rythymn. It can help them to establish a better sleep cycle.
I personally dont give my kids any type of medication unless a doctor tells me they 100% need it but i dont think its thats bad id definitely ask your doctor and make sure theres an actual need for it though
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Better then using benadryl
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Why give a toddler meds🤷♀️
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I’d ask your doctor not a group of mothers who bash you over every little thing 
best of luck though
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Ask pediatrician. Never would have given my child anything if not recommended by dr.
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I got the okay for my son because he doesn’t sleep. If I let him he’d stay up past 1am and I can’t do that. Especially when I’m up at 4am for work.
We only give our 4 year old melatonin once every 2-3 weeks. He will get off his sleep schedule and spend days getting back on track. If we give him some for one night his sleeping straightens out. But we have also never had any reason to use it more often than that
No medication ever should be given to children for their parents benefits. Just because you are bored of your child it doesn’t mean you can just put it to sleep 
people should definitely educate themselves before they have children 
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Yes. My son is 4.5 years old and has been taking it for awhile. He gets 1mg every night
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Not judging but I never gave those things to my kids. A good run around outside, bath and book should do the trick. If that doesnt work ask doctor.
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My daughter, whose 2, her Dr said I could start giving it to her when she turned 2. The dr also gives her children melatonin. I like it for myself just not my child. Honestly, google side effects and make your decision from that. It helped my girl fall asleep but she woke up ALOT through out the night crying. We gave it off and on for about 2 weeks and stopped. Just not right for us. BUT it did help my daughter get in the routine of going to bed earlier then what she was so that’s my only pro to using melatonin for toddlers.
Only if prescribed by the doctor. Some kids may not encounter problems but every kid is different and I think this must be administered only when it’s medically required.
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Melatonin got rid of my 2 year olds nightmares and he sleeps a lot more soundly. He has a hard time winding down everyday. He’s been taking it for about 7 months now and he’s almost 3. I recommend it.
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My son has been on it since around half 2 or 3 years old every night (via paediatrician approval) and I swear by it for him.
This is the last place you want to ask. Your automatically assigned a shitty parent badge. To actually help answer your question, Zarbees makes a gummy with 1 mg that is safe at 3 yrs. My 4 1/2 yr old gets 1 when her schedule gets thrown off, she’s sick, etc, every once in awhile & it helps tremendously.
I would ask your pediatrician first rather than a Facebook group. There are some pros, but the cons can be much worse. Things like dependence, nightmares, etc.
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If your doctor prescribes it I believe it’s okay but I still would give it with caution. If we take too much melatonin it will (not can but will) hinder the naturally reoccurring melatonin our body. So ask your child’s pediatrician and go from there.
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I have autistic twins. One has insomnia. When he was 2 he stopped taking naps and barely slept. I started melatonin when he was 7. He told me that he finally slept all night. Never let me forget his sleep meds at night. Wish I had found them sooner.
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I just started giving my 6yr old melatonin when covid hit and school was cancelled…she wasnt burning enough energy being home a lot and would take hours to fall asleep after trying many different things… i didnt go to the doctor to ask🤦♀️ but shes also 6 not 3.
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Depends if your 3yr old has adhd and their brain does not turn off no matter what u do.
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Wow 
nah I ever gave my kids that
Definitely talk to your pediatrician but my daughter used it for a bit. It does say not to use for more than two weeks. I wouldn’t and I didn’t use it for longer than that and I feel like it helped my daughter. And I even used it for my older daughter and it helped her as well
Just read up on it because it was never tested on children only adults my son started having headaches so I stopped giving it to him
The best thing you can do, is take your child outside and let them run free and watch them pass out in the middle of the floor with a juice box in their hand.
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I buy the Vic’s melatonin and give it to my 4 year old. His brain is constantly running and sometimes he just needs it to sleep. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I definitely don’t give it all the time. Usually once or twice a month when I know he’s really tired and fighting sleep hard core
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It’s mostly natural so it’s not harmful. But having toddlers depend on things to get a routine is never a good thing. I suggest it as a once and awhile resort, it’s especially helpful when dealing with sleep regression stages, but I wouldn’t use it everyday or as the first thing you go to if your LO is struggling. Routine is the #1 thing.
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I’m sorry but I work in a pharmacy not all over the counter medications fda approved or have great studies done on them and just because your doctor says it’s ok doesn’t make it so
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Idk about melatonin but honestly if I get my three year old running around outside or on his bike for an hour before nap he’s right out. Then I just repeat at some point before bed and he goes to sleep much easier. It doesn’t take much. Also had to be a lot former with him, when it was time to sleep it was time to sleep and we had to put our foot down because he was being very defiant about it.
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Magnesium for toddlers and make sure they’re actually energy depleted at bedtime, my nephew is severely autistic and he’s on melatonin but they didn’t start him till he was older. It WILL fuck your kids ability to produce their own sleep chemicals if you start them this early and without proper medical guidance
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No judging just be cautious with the dosage , the gummies can induce vomiting 
in little ones which am is dangerous combined with sleep 
I asked the pediatrician and I use a small dose of liquid on occasion it is a lifesaver
I do the .03 mg drops when mine are teething really bad as well as a night or 2 when they’re going through a sleep regression. I personally wouldn’t recommend every night but I know some who use every night and it works just fine! 
do what works best for your family!
100% support melatonin use. It saved us!
My children are night owls like their father and it’s the only way they’ve been about to turn their brains off enough to fall asleep!
They are 5&7 and receive 3mg at bedtime.
Suggested by their pediatrician, it was a life saver!! They both started about 3.
It doesn’t always help my 7yo. Last night she was up until 1am, but she finally let go and slept.
It’s truly benefited them greatly. No adverse effects. They wake rested and never groggy as it only helps to fall asleep not stay asleep.
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Every child is different so it affects them differently… Definitely something to ask the pediatrician! You can probably just call and ask!
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My mother in law use to boil celery when my little one was a baby and put in a bottle “celery water” would put him to sleep every time and try another alternative is tryptophan found in Turkey, eggs, milk can also give sleepy affect
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My 14 month old was awake for 29 hours straight. We were on vacation and he refused to sleep in a new place. I called pediatrician because I was freakin out on why he was awake so long and she recommended melatonin 2mg. Liquid for his height/weight. So now when we travel he gets it the first night in new place and he has no trouble sleeping the following nights. It’s a once in a while thing. She specifically said,” do not use on regular basis or his system will reset to require it to sleep and anyone under 5 without underlying previous medical diagnosis should only take with caution and in rare situations” she is an amazing pediatrician and I trust her completely. I think you should definitely call your child’s pediatrician before giving anything OTC or not. Every child reacts differently to everything
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I gave my toddlers (yes, more than one toddler) 1mg melatonin … they’d stay up past midnight if I let them and getting them to bed was a fucking nightmare. Every. Night.
Melatonin saved me, saved them, saved everyone around.
It was so bad that their pre-school teachers started telling me they were sleepy and crabby in class. That’s when I decided to try melatonin.
To each their own though 
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I’ve been giving my 9yo melatonin gummies since he was about 3-4. 1.5mg was all he required per his pediatrician. He takes 5mg now but only on occasion when he’s having a rough night. Each child is different. Check with your doctor.
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Let them sleep the way sleep was intended. Melatonin is a mom break and it’s wrong.
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There are other food alternatives then giving them it in pill form. Crush up some pistachios, it’s a good source. But it is natural, but if your child can’t swollow pills
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I think they have children’s melatonin that’s safe for them. Idk what ages exactly. I’ve heard other parents give it to infants/toddlers but I would check packaging ages & amounts for safety
Only if they do testing and find out they aren’t naturally producing enough.
Otherwise when you take it your body stops producing it and you’ll have to take it forever just to sleep!
It’s horrible that so many people use it and not know how dangerous it could be on them or their kids
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Just a small suggestion…
not all children will do this , two of my nine did, use the drops and put in something they drink while they are around the ages of 4-7. I say this Bc two of my children thought they had to have a gummy after dinner or they would not be able to sleep. This giving them anxiety over being able to sleep without it. We were able to correct it but it’s just something I pass along to other parents Incase they have a little one that does this. It’s usually the hypochondriac that will.
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My daughter takes 3mg at night to help prevent night terrors and since she’s only 5 but is diagnosed with 2 anxiety disorders, if her anxiety is really bad or she has an attack I give her 1/2 1mg melatonin
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Talk to your Dr but my 4 year old recently started taking it and it has helped him alot. Its all natural. Make sure you purchase one appropriate for their age and weifgt
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kids bottles say 2yo and up
but just remember the more melatonin they take (or longer) the less their body will produce it. With that being said… I do give my toddler some because there is just days when his battery just doesnt die lol
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I had a daughter that refused to sleep. I dealt with it! Do natural things to induce feeling sleepy… comfort your child. I have no regrets on not giving it! Now my daughter is 10 and perfectly healthy with great sleep patterns.
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My pediatrician recommended melatonin for both of my kids. 2 and 4. 1 mg and they sleep so much better. It helps their minds calm down.
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I do it. I was told by his pediatrician if he wasn’t sleeping well or enough to use it. That it’s worse on his body not to sleep then it is to have extra melatonin in his system
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My sons been on melatonin since he was 1. He’s autistic and it he doesn’t take it he won’t sleep at all
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Check with pediatrition. Ours said it was safe. We give our 4 year old .5mg and it helps her tremendously. She weighs 42 pounds
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My kids doctor recommended it totally safe and natural doctor even said so it’s what your body makes already it doesn’t lead to issues later on
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yes they can and it helps relax them to go to sleep peacefully its a natural thing your body alread has and is not toxic.
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I recently started giving my 6 and 11 year old. Different doses. They sometimes get themselves to calm their minds, especially my 11 year old right now.
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I’d ask your pediatrician if the child is under 5. I gave it to my son when he was 6 during the school year and I’m doing it again this school year. If he doesn’t have it, he doesn’t sleep…he will be up all night most nights…weekends doesn’t matter. But he is cranky going to school
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There should be no reason, beyond an actual medical disorder to give a toddler melatonin. They’re kids, they eat when they want, sleep when the want, and shit when they want. Structure their day and work to get them on a schedule as best you can.
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No no (they say its okay) your body naturally makes it so when giving it your body makes less…which causes more issues
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They have some bath bombs that is made for kids,babies more natural and it works really good
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Here’s my tip. Stuff the toddler with food at dinner, maybe jello for dessert, bath after dinner and then don’t ever play after their bath.
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Ask your pediatrician. Always consult their doctor before giving any medications/supplements like melatonin.
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Give it to them naturally… Take them outside at sunset and their brain will produce melatonin. So will yours.
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I use it for my son only when NEEDED gotta be careful not to use it too much otherwise they become reliant on it bc their brain will stop making it bc it’s being put in their body
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Melatonin is good for some toddlers but usually only good to be used by toddlers who have diagnosed sleeping problems or sensory disorder.
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examining bed time routines, exposure to bright screens, exercise and diet - time consuming but safer
Unless you’re under advisement from a paediatrician don’t give it. It’s a hormone … you don’t mess with them.
Just because it works doesn’t mean , it’s right or safe
FYI Pretending it’s ok to give because it’s ‘natural’ is misleading. All that means is that it was extracted from the pineal gland of an animal and even more misleading is that natural is better than vs synthetic. the synthetic version is a purer form free of biological contaminants including possible viruses
don’t be fooled … the phrase “Natural” should be reference to a product’s origins, it says nothing about how a product is produced.
Usually a marketing ploy to play on emotions
… again it’s a hormone don’t give it without paediatric advice
Yes, it’s considered natural. It’s to help get your child back on a good sleep schedule. We use it on our 3yr old and it helps a lot. He is like an energizer bunny. It helps to calm him and he does fall asleep with it. I don’t use it on the regular, but the pediatrician said it’s safe to use.
I’ve heard that to much and to long use of melatonin will stop a person’s body from making it then they would need to take the pill all the time and they would become immune to it Better to limit screen time no bright light Give bath with lavender soap a small snack talk and enjoy being with child then prayers bed and read or tell a few stories But for parents that still want to try melatonin and your child is allergic to nuts read the labels because I don’t know why but some have tree nuts I know someone who’s son is allergic he was given it and had to go E R and given epiPen. Well getting sleepy good night
Talk to your pediatrician about proper dosing for melatonin mine recommended it for mine when they were two and a half. Both have either anxiety or ADHD or both
Small doses are okay, our therapist recommended it for him. We have gummies that are 2mg each and he gets half if he needs it.
We use the kids yummy kind… it’s like 1 mg… but we don’t do it every night… we only use them when we haven’t slept in like 4 or 5 days and need relief 
Yes they can, since it’s naturally made by the brain anyway. However, the best way to get a child tired is wear them out! Let them run, wrestle, play outside, jump around!