[gnamartinez]

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?

[Wondergirl]

Many medical and sleep web sites (one of them, http://www.naturalsleep.org/is-melat...-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

[tickle]

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.