So I have a very rambunctious soon-to-be three-year-old, kids wild. Not in a bad way. He is just very energetic all the time. Which is great at times because he has so much fun with life, and I’m happy. Then comes bedtime. It is very difficult to get him to wind down and fall asleep; staying asleep is not a problem it’s the falling asleep at first that is, I have to be at work at 7:15, so he wakes up on or around six his nap schedule is 11 am to the latest 2 pm, and he’s good with naps because he gets up a little early, it’s not difficult waking him up, sometimes he gets up on his own while I’m getting ready for work. We have a nightly routine already of bath, a learning activity, a puzzle if he wants, make sure he goes to the bathroom, read him a story, and all that. He’s a great eater, pretty much only drinks water throughout the day, he likes almond milk, so I’ll give him some of that in the morning but no sugary drinks, nothing sweet including fruit after 6 pm, we get him to do the whole running around to tucker him out, we stick to the schedule every night. About a month ago, my husband started giving him gummy melatonin for kids half of the serving; we checked with his doctor first because it says four and up, and she said it wouldn’t hurt him. We don’t give it to him every night, but it worked great one gummy, and 30 minutes later, he is snoring. My husband wants to give him one every night now, and I don’t like that idea at all; I’d actually like to not give it to him at all; I worry he’ll become dependent on the melatonin, I know that sounds crazy because our body produces it anyway but still. So any suggestions you mamas may have will be greatly appreciated.
Melatonin can be habit forming so I wouldn’t do it every night
Absolutely not every night!
My 4yo has melatonin and my god its a life saver for us. He doesn’t sleep without it so has to have it every night without fail or none of us will sleep x
No. Wow!When did this become normal?
No. Melatonin is only meant to reset your sleep patterns. Not good for you nightly.
Not more than 2 weeks, they will have sleeping problems with continued use. .
3 is WAY too young to be taking sleeping agents, even natural ones. Melatonin can cause awful night terrors in young children. You really need to be talking to a doctor about this, not us.
and I’m sure some offended parent will pop up to tell me I’m wrong. I don’t care what you think though because I was that kid that was drugged with Melatonin too young, and got traumatic night terrors that affected my sleep well into my 20s.
I would be careful with melatonin. Some kids get hangover feelings in the morning. Smaller ones don’t know how to tell you that they are not feeling their best. My 2 daughters tried melatonin when I was giving it to my 3 year old. They said they felt very out of it in the morning. I changed his bath routine with lavender salt or lavender bubble bath.
Absolutely not. Should never be used for longer than 2 weeks and shouldn’t be given to children except in extreme circumstances… Cut out the nap or cut it to NO MORE than 1 hour instead of drugging the child to sleep…
Absolutely not every night…he may stop producing it naturally and if course depend on it
Try tart cherry juice. I don’t ever sleep. I’ve started having a glass.of that before bed, and it actually seems to help
My kiddo is blind and has used it nightly since he was 4. He doesn’t have a natural circadian rhythm. It’s harmless and helps keep him on a normal sleep schedule. He’s 11 now.
Some kids don’t have enough in their bodies naturally. My kids doctor said you can give it every night. My 14 year old is adhd and had anxiety. If my kids don’t take it they toss and turn all night or can’t sleep cause they are naturally hyper children.
Viktorya Fullerton wasn’t this your topic to!?
Cut out the nap. I wouldn’t give it to my kid just to make them sleep 
Every night I wouldn’t. I would give it to him until he forms a schedule and then cut it off. Giving melatonin every night is bad for the body, it will eventually make the body rely on it and the body will stop producing its on melatonin naturally.
My son take Melatonin every night before bed . If doesn’t have he will stay up til 2am or 4am maybe 5am , but I would just start off with smaller dose maybe 5mg and see how he does . Trust me it’s my life saver in my house hold …
My cousin is 23 and as a child he was given melatonin every night to sleep. His body now does not produce enough for him to sleep on his own so he has to take sleep aids. He absolutely despises it and I feel awful for him.
I give my 3 year old son and 1 1/2 year old daughter melatonin every night. They have sleep issues no matter what but it helps them
(Soon to be 3yo) this means that babe is only 2 right now!!! Wtf?
The more you use it, the less your body makes on its own. Tart cherry juice. Probably time to skip his nap or shorten it
No not every night!!! We noticed a mood change when we have in the past (Drs orders)… My son has sleep apnea tho as well… So he doesn’t sleep the greatest!
We use it… but only if my (almost) 3 year old isn’t sleeping properly just to reset her sleeping schedule… usually only no more than a few weeks… and we may skip a night or two to see how she does. Dr recommended it
Talk to your pediatrician. Ours recommended melatonin because it is worse for them to have no sleep, that can then cause behaviors ect . I never would have dreamed of giving my child “a sleeping agent”. Its safe and natural and I’m glad that we had that discussion.
If he has trouble getting to sleep he obviously doesn’t need a super long nap during the day🙄
No, it can cause nightmares/night terrors.
For the love of god. Waking up at 600 is almost sleeping in. Your first problem is letting him nap for almost 3 hours…one hour should be plenty. Do not give it to him every night.
I give all three of my kids (ages 2, 6, and 8) melatonin gummies almost every single night.
I don’t see a problem with giving it when needed. If you gave it for a few days or like a week it might would help regulate his sleep during night time and he’d get on a night schedule
Pistachios, almonds, tart cherries and goji berries are all natural forms of melatonin.
Please consult your pediatrician. Melatonin can be a great way to help your child, our Dr. Told us to use it previously. Short term for our scenario. Others might need it long term. But you should really chat with the dr.
You should try camomile tea. I always say to use holistic medicine before you start taking “pharmaceuticals”
My children are 3 and 5, both are autistic and have severe sleep problems (my 3 yr old is worse) They’re both on melatonin and clonidine (dr prescribed of course) for sleep. Melatonin literally wasn’t doing anything. If they weren’t on meds, they would never sleep and neither would we. Children NEED sleep, especially little ones. My dr asked me before prescribing clonidine, if I tried melatonin. It will not hurt. Ur body naturally creates it. She didn’t warn me about “temporary” or “short term” She’s fine with it bc she knows my kids don’t sleep well AT ALL.
Maybe try sleepytime tea or something instead. If he grtd it every night then his body will quit producing it naturally
Cut the nap out before you drug him nightly.
Melatonin can cause hallucinations and also disrupt natural hormones.
My daughter has ADHD and her mind won’t shut off for her to go to sleep. Her PCP and every single one of her specialists all have said melatonin is safe for her.
Your body naturally makes melatonin so giving them melatonin is not going to become a problem maybe it even helps them when their body can’t do it for them but I’m not a doctor and I’m sure I’ll get shit for this but carry-on
Let him sleep if he’s tired! What’s the point of not letting him sleep when he’s tired? That will just worsen it altogether. When you’re tired and forced to stay awake…you get grumpy. Who wants to deal with an irrational grumpy child? No one.
Look into tart cherry juice… it’s way better
Aldo to whomever is asking this question, I’m so sorry for all of the mom shaming going on here.
Absolutely fuckin not.
Limit the nap to an hour at the most, if not cut altogether. Had to do with my boy and helped with nights. Good luck
My son has ADHD and his pediatrician has said to use meletonin for sleep.
11 til 2 for a nap is a long time… then to expect them to go to bed 6 or 7 hours later after napping for 3. Try cutting the naps shorter and then see if that works? Or cut nap time out all together. No sense in giving nightly meds if one of those solve the issue
My nephew and niece are both hyper active and have trouble sleeping they both take melatonin every night cleared by there doctor of course
Get a bottle of melatonin gummies, dump em out, fill with fruit shape children’s regular gummies. Placebo effect for ur husband, extra vitamin for ur kid.
I give the melatonin drug free gummies from iherb
I would never give my child melatonin to sleep! Take nap time away and loads of exercise/playing! My daughter had problems not being able to sleep around the age of 1 because of a 4 hour long nap during the day took that away now she’s 5 hasn’t napped in 4 years goes to bed completely fine!
Cut the naps short or cut them out completely. I just started do that with my 4yr old…and it works…I put him and his sister to bed at 8pm on the dot…and he stays asleep
I’ve read that if you give your kids melatonin every night their bodies will stop producing it on their own.
I have always given my daughter melatonin. She never slept. All the other kids would fall asleep in their food food she was wide awake.
I was always told by her doctors it was fine, it’s already naturally in her body. The only side effect was she had very vivid dreams. She we really went to a small dose of clonidine
I would try cutting naps out imo. See how he behaves without having one.
My daughter has been taking melatonin since she was 2 she is now 4 her doctor approved it. I only give it to her a day or two at a time then stop for a couple days her doctor also approved this.
Talk with your doctor. I had to put my daughter on melatonin due to horrible night terrors. And now if I don’t give it to her she can’t seem to fall asleep till after midnight. And before she was able to sleep fine. She just had extreme night terrors. And sometimes I have to adjust the amount I give her. A little more or a little less. But definitely talk to their doctor first.
Kids should not have melatonin every night ! My oldest which is 4 stopped napping at 2 and half because he didn’t or wanna go to bed because he strictly wasn’t tired! He skipped naps and does all his sleeping at night anywhere from 10-14 hrs a night since 2! Skip the naps !
I’ve given my 7 year old daughter melatonin for YEARS and her pediatricians have no issues with it, she does not have hallucinations and is growing just fine. She just had issues with falling to sleep and has since she was a toddler. Even if she’s up at 6, spends all day swimming or at dance, etc. she will be up until midnight sometimes if I forget to give her the melatonin gummies. Go for it! And if you are still worried ask your pediatrician.
I never let my kids nap from age 1 I started shortening their nap then by 2 defo no map time mines up at 6 am in bed half he falls asleep by himself after a bath at that time and stays asleep. I know all children are diff but definitely cut out nap time they don’t need it at 3 years old they r not babies
Nah personally I wouldn’t give it unless medically advised
Be careful there is evidence it can cause seizures- i was giving my son melatonin every night for a few months and he had 2 grand mal seizures and now takes medication for them and absolutely no more melatonin- its scares me too much now even it wasnt the cause.
Do not give melatonin every night. It signals the body not to produce it anymore. I was given it often as a kid (probably 5-6) and now I have bad insomnia and no sleep aids help me. I never had sleep terrors though. Some kids just don’t sleep well, help their future self out and push through. I know it’s rough because I’m going through the same thing with my 4 year old. Even my ped said they only recommend it when a kid has gone more than 24 hours without sleep and every other alternative has been tried. Less time napping, lots of time doing physical activities during the day, lots of sun (can refresh the body’s natural sleep cycle), start winding down an hour or 2 before bed, no blue lights (TV, tablet, phones, etc), dim lights, warm baths, routines, etc. Also sometimes pushing bedtime an hour earlier or later may help. Hope this helps give some ideas.
Just cut out the naps
Mine haven’t napped since they were one. If they did no one had sleep at night. Worth a try first before the doctor
My son is 7.5 and he is the same always wants to play, talk and put off going to sleep for as long as possible. My son has ADHD and our paediatrician gave us a liquid or a tablet- don’t become to dependent on it but giving your child melatonin maybe every 2nd or 3rd night so you can see the difference. I talk with my son and explain to him that playtime was for daytime and it’s bedtime now so you need to close your eyes so your body can re-energise but since your son is 3 put it into a song like “time for sleep, close your eyes, time for your body to go to sleep🤷🏻♀️”
My daughter will be 7 in a few days, and since she was 2 we have given her a 1mg melatonin gummie for sleep. Her pediatrician recommended it! And she NEVER took a nap after 1 years old. She wouldn’t fall asleep then or now, until 4 or 5am… since she has been on melatonin she gets a very good night’s rest and it helps tremendously with her school and everyday life! You are the momma, you do what you think was best! I was skeptical at first, but it was soooo worth it!
His naps are really long, a 3 hour nap? No wonder why he can fall right to sleep. Shortwn his nap to 1 hour, thats all he needs. Hour and a 1/2 tops. And please stop giving him that stuff to him, way to many parents are turning to this now, this was unheard of when I was raising my children.
Melatonin is actually bad for there brain development there was a study a few years ago.
No, by giving them melatonin you risk messing up his natural melatonin that his body produces.
I feel the same honestly. IV noticed when my guy had taken it more than one night he seems twitchy or to have had bad dreams. That may be coincidence really, or mom guilt.
Try a melatonin bath salt or bubble bath or even melatonin/sleep lotions to rub him down with before bed. I don’t do gummies every night. But the bath stuff and lotions both work for my kids too. You can get sleep lotions online at bath and body works and the melatonin sleep lotion and bath salt and bubble bath at walmart
Yes, I’m older than most on here, but dang… lay off this momma and her post. My son is 30 and took melatonin for a few years… he literally did NOT shut down. In his Drs opinion, sleep deprivation was wayyyy worse. I was also told that boys need more mgs per night than girls… sometimes there are chemicals missing from your child’s body and they need replaced. Yes, there may be more studies done now, but come on. My son still doesn’t sleep.
My kid is the same way. Dad also wants to do melatonin, but I’m against it. The naps have got to go.
If you do want to use melatonin, only use it for a week to establish a sleep schedule.
On nights my youngest is not cooperating and it’s past midnight then he’s getting melatonin.
Melatonin is not good every night. It messes up the natural production and causes short and or long termed problems that are definitely not good.
I say stop the naps & keep him up…my daughter quit naps at a year old & I still have this issue…I’m the same way tho once I’m asleep I’m good just getting there…I say it’s a personal choice tho depending on ur child’s needs…better than prescription meds imo
He seems like a healthy happy guy
My kids from two and a half didn’t necessarily need an afternoon nap. He’s getting a three hr solid nap and is therefore full of energy. When they skipped nap time they were all asleepby 6 30 or 7ish.
Reduce his day naps for now till he weens off them on his own. It can be done In gradual stages. Even a 20min nap would suffice if a nap has to be done.
NEGATIVE on Melatonin 
Ok so my son has autism and for YEARS! (Ages 4-7) he took 2.5-5 mg of melatonin at night because he flat out would not sleep without it! It was so draining on him and me because he realistically was so exhausted but just could not fall asleep which would just turn into meltdowns… he is 7 now and he randomly started about 6 months ago just falling asleep on his own before it even came time for melatonin! For the last 6 months I haven’t needed to give it to him and it’s been awesome but for those 3 years if he missed a day for any reason we all paid for it… he did not become dependent on it super long term if anything I feel like it helped major in training his body to start either making more of it naturally or making it at all! I can only imagine where I would be today if it wasn’t for melatonin!
No! I know lots of doctors and pediatricians recommend it. However, it is a hormone that is produced by our body. Once you start taking it, your body will stop producing it….causing life long sleep issues. It can also cause moodiness, nightmares, bed wetting and fertility issues.
Cut out the naps, melatonin is taken very seriously. My 4yr old is on it but he never naps and is climbing the walls until all hours, then it effects his behaviour in the days, he is impulsive and constant breakdowns.
My 5 yr old takes one a nite but he needs it. Its made a big difference in his attitude. He wasn’t sleeping well at all.
No more naps, take him to the park during that time or outside and walk back if you can so he doesn’t go to sleep
I think maybe stop the naps first and see how that goes. Our pediatrician said we shouldn’t do melatonin every night for more than a few weeks at a time and then stop it for awhile. Basically just long enough taking it nightly for it to build a routine for sleep by a certain time.
If you give a kid it every day they will not learn how to get themselves to sleep
Nothing wrong with giving 1 each night
Cut his nap out he’s 3 and doesn’t need a nap anymore
Following… I have a two year old that will be three January 1st and he has the same exact way he’ll go all day without napping running like crazy and doing what boys do and come bedtime he’s so totally not ready for it most of the time we are up until after 3:30 a.m. somebody suggested that we try it that is all natural but I had a hard time giving him medication to get to sleep to but we’re at our wits end and I’m getting ready to give it a shot, but feel the same way u do. My husband gets up at 4:30 though and its just not working out he’s been late a couple times because he’s exausted
My 2 oldest have been taking melatonin every night for the last 2 or 3 years. My 5 year old will not fall asleep without it but I have reduced the amount to 1mg instead of 3mg and he still falls asleep.
Cut the Nap, he’s probably not falling asleep because he’s sleeping a few hours during the day and he doesn’t need that at the age of 3.
I know if I sleep for a few hours during the day I can’t fall asleep at night.
I personally wouldn’t put him on melatonin because it’ll cause more issues in the long run.
My daughter is almost 8 and sometimes had a hard time sleeping. Shes not hyper or busy but some times its just hard and she knows when she needs it… its about 1 or 2 times a week a couple drops in some warm milk.does her good:)
I’d skip the puzzles for the bedtime routine, you don’t want to do anything to stimulate them.
I’d totally check with your doctor and find out the dosage recommended for your kiddo. I had a VERY smart and interesting child when he was small…… he barely slept. I was about to go insane!! So I asked their doctor and they suggested liquid melatonin to help
Get my little one on a better sleeping cycle and then back off of it until
He was taking nothing. He wasn’t on it long term at all. It’s a supplement for those who are naturally
Lacking in that in their bodies. Unless your child was diagnosed with a sleep disorder and told
You to use it long term I wouldn’t. Short term low dose helps kids develop good sleeping habits
I’d also skip a nap time for him
If your kid wants to nap that’s their body saying they are tired. Baving them stop napping goes against their body and mind and can cause them to not be able to regulate their sleep when needed. Melatonin every night doesn’t have to be bad, they have stuff made for all ages. Try natural remedies if you feel better about. Speak with your Pediatrician about it all and see if they have suggestions. Sometimes. Nice warn bath helps to get kids to sleep, music if they find it relaxing.
NO it’s essentially drugging your child. Drugging your child to sleep IS NOT NATURAL.
I’m in the uk and just fought for a year for melatonin from paediatrician for my almost 3 year old. He doesn’t sleep all night and won’t go to sleep unless I’m laying next to him. He’s up from 6:30am to 7pm no naps. My suggestion to you is to cut his naps out, if he’s sleeping for 3 hours in afternoon and then bed at 6pm he’s not tired enough…
I gave my 4 year old melatonin for a bit and he had a huge spike in reactive aggression. We stopped it one day and it all went away. I didn’t think it was related at first until a couple months later we started using it again and the calls about aggression came back a couple days later. We put 2 and 2 together at that point and stopped it and no issues since.
Some kids it is all that worls, some it doesn’t work at all… i would consult your doctor again, see what they thinknof doujg it for a week then taling him off. Maybe he just needs a boost to get his body clock on a schedule? 
Melatonin did SFA for my kid 
glad it worls for someone
Get rid of the naps.
I’ve seen someone say that the synthetic melatonin in supplement form gummies is different than the melatonin that’s produced by the body . I sometimes give half gummies of it to my 2 boys. They don’t even nap yet they’ll stay up til the sun is out if I don’t otherwise. I try to just tire them out throughout the day as much as possible and it seems to help
my son takes it every night 7 year old adhd. and don’t tell me to wear him our cause we have done all that. he mind goes racing all hours through the night if he doesn’t get it.