My wife is wanting to give my 9 year old son Melatonin (3mg) to help him sleep. All I have read about melatonin is that it should not be given to children under 18. It says it can cause nightmares, seizures, and other side effects. I feel a different method needs to be approached and not use melatonin because of these side effects. Is it safe for my son to take this?

Many medical and sleep web sites (one of them, http://www.naturalsleep.org/is-melatonin-safe-for-children/) say, Do not give melatonin to a child under 10 years of age. She should check with the child's doctor before dosing the boy with this.

Better would be a consistent bedtime routine -- no loud music or rough play or TV, snack, warm bath, jammies, bedtime story, maybe prayers or short quiet chat, final tuck in, goodnight kiss, lights out

Melatonin is a hormone produced in the brain to regulate, quite simply, our sleep patterns. Its production is decreased as we age, that,is why we don't sleep 8 hours when we are 70 or 80. No, should not be given to children of any age.