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Melatonin for Insomnia
According to Dr. Anna Ivanenko of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, melatonin appears to be effective treatment for children with insomnia.
In 32 children with insomnia, 29 responded favorable to melatonin given one hour before bedtime. Three patients stopped melatonin because of lack of effectiveness, and none of the children or parents reported any side effects. The average age of the children in the study was 9.6 years.
Dr. Ivanenko, who is a child psychiatrist at the University of Louisville, said she starts children at 1 to 5 mg of melatonin and gradually increase it up to 8 to 10 mg in adolescents.
According to sleep log records the average time to sleep onset was 90 minutes before melatonin and 25.4 minutes after starting the melatonin. Night awakening declined from 18.7 to 1.2 in favor of melatonin.
Dr. Leo Leonidas, MD, FAAP
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