For parents with children, this is most poignant: please, be careful with melatonin! Parents really, truly want their children to fall asleep when it is time for bed. Parents want to rest themselves as much as they want their kids to receive the rest they require. So it seems sensible that many parents turn to melatonin when their kids have problems going to sleep. This is in doubt given recent melatonin cautions.
What is melatonin
The hormone melatonin is produced by the body to control sleep. It is offered as a sleep aid commercially without a prescription. You’re more likely to fall asleep if you give your body more of the hormone that promotes sleep, right? Of course, this isn’t always the case; for a lot of people, consuming more melatonin has little to no effect.
However, it does benefit some people, including some kids.
The use of melatonin pills has dramatically increased over the past two decades. After multivitamins, it is the second most common “natural” product that parents give to their kids.
A recommendation for children’s melatonin supplements
Things can go wrong whenever a lot of people accomplish something. In fact, numerous cases of melatonin overdose in youngsters have been reported. Fortunately, overdoses are usually not dangerous, despite the fact that they might cause extreme tiredness, headaches, nausea, or agitation. But that does not imply that over-the-counter melatonin is risk-free. Indeed, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) just released a health statement with caution regarding its use.
Melatonin sold over the counter is categorized as a nutritional supplement. This indicates that it is not subject to FDA regulation in the same way as over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or diphenhydramine. The ingredients that businesses use in the melatonin that parents purchase are not regulated.
Please be careful with melatonin
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