Why Do So Many Young People Take Melatonin?

According to a US study of parents, almost one in five school-age children and preteens who participated in the survey take over-the-counter melatonin supplements to improve their sleep.

According to earlier studies, just 1.3% of US parents said their child was taking melatonin supplements in 2017 and 2018. But in more recent times, scientists have become aware of a shift in usage. Lead author of a recent study looking into children's melatonin use Lauren Hartstein said in a statement, "All of a sudden, in 2022, we started noticing a lot of parents telling us that their healthy child was regularly taking melatonin."

The authors express concern about this, pointing out that there is a dearth of information regarding the products' safety and effectiveness and that the Food and Drug Administration does not fully regulate dietary supplements.

"We hope this paper sounds the alarm for the scientific community and raises awareness for parents and clinicians," lead author Lauren Hartstein, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in CU Boulder's Sleep and Development Lab, said. "We are not arguing that children should not be exposed to melatonin." However, a great deal more research is required before we can declare with certainty that it is safe for children to take over an extended period.

The pineal gland naturally produces melatonin, which tells the body when it's time to go to sleep and controls the circadian rhythm, which is the 24-hour physiological cycle.

The hormone is regarded as a drug in many nations and can only be obtained with a prescription. However, melatonin that has been chemically synthesized or derived from animals is sold as a dietary supplement over-the-counter in the US and is becoming more and more accessible in kid-friendly gummies.

Hartstein, whose research focuses on how environmental cues, such as light at night, affect children's sleep quality and melatonin production, said, "All of a sudden, in 2022, we started noticing a lot of parents telling us that their healthy child was regularly taking melatonin."

Merely 1.3% of American parents said that their kids took melatonin in 2017–18. In the first half of 2023, Hartstein and colleagues polled roughly 1,000 parents to gain an idea of the prevalence of use as it stands.

Of the kids surveyed, 18.5% who were between the ages of 5 and 9 had taken melatonin within the last 30 days. 19% of preteens between the ages of 10 and 13 fell into this group. In the preceding month, approximately 6% of preschoolers aged 1 to 4 reported using melatonin.

The median duration of melatonin use among preschoolers was one year. It had been used for a median of 18 and 21 months, respectively, by grade schoolers and preteens. The dosage increases with age, with preteens receiving up to 10 mg and preschoolers receiving anywhere from 0.25 to 2 mg.

An urge for prudence

In an April study, scientists examined 25 gummy melatonin products and discovered that 22 of them had melatonin concentrations that were different from what the label said. One had a label that stated the amount more than three times. One had absolutely none. Furthermore, it has been discovered that certain melatonin supplements contain other unsettling ingredients, like serotonin.

When giving these supplements to their kids, parents might not be aware of what they are giving them, according to Hartstein. Concerns have also been expressed by some scientists regarding the possibility that melatonin treatment of young individuals whose bodies and brains are still developing could affect when puberty begins.

The few human studies conducted on a small scale that have looked into this have produced mixed results. Particularly gummies have an additional risk in that they taste and appear like candy.

The authors report that between 2012 and 2021, poison control centers received 530% more reports of melatonin ingestion, with children under the age of five being the main victims. Over 94% were inadvertent, and 85% showed no symptoms.

A location for sensible use

According to co-author Julie Boergers, Ph.D. a psychologist and pediatric sleep specialist at Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University's Alpert Medical School, melatonin can be a helpful short-term aid when used under the supervision of a healthcare provider, especially in young people with autism or severe sleep issues.

"However, it is rarely a first-line treatment," she remarked, adding that she frequently advises families to focus on behavioral modifications first and use melatonin sparingly. "Even though it's usually tolerated well,

We want to use caution whenever we use any kind of medication or supplement in a body that is still developing. Anecdotally, she's heard from parents that while the supplement usually works well at first, kids may eventually require higher doses to get the same result.

According to Hartstein, giving children early exposure to melatonin may also have the unintended consequence of suggesting that taking a pill is the solution if you have problems falling asleep. The study was small, and the authors warn that the results may not accurately reflect usage across the country. Still, it is telling.

According to Hartstein, "There must be a lot of underlying sleep issues out there if these many kids are taking melatonin." "Treating the symptom doesn't always treat the underlying issue."