ADHD Children, Sleep Problems, and Melatonin

ADD ADHD children often have trouble falling asleep. This may be due to either the ADHD itself, a result of medically treating the ADHD, or both.

Parents of ADD ADHD children know that the medications used to treat their ADHD children have side effects. Most side effects of drugs like Ritalin or Concerta can be eliminated by proper medical management. However, one of the most difficult problems that these medications cause is sleep disturbances.

It is very common for an ADD ADHD child who is on medication to have difficulty falling asleep at night. Often parents find that their children, who may only be five or six, are wide awake at midnight or even later. One of the things parents of ADHD children might find helpful is Melatonin.

Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone, which plays an important role in regulating sleep. Secreted by the pineal gland, a small endocrine gland located in the brain, Melatonin controls the circadian rhythm, the body's internal clock that controls when a person falls asleep and wakes up.

Since Melatonin is the master hormone that controls sleep patterns, many parents find that it will induce sleep in their ADHD children and help to alleviate the insomnia and sleep disturbances that go along with ADHD and ADHD treatment. Melatonin has been shown to reduce the amount of time it takes to fall asleep, lengthen the time one stays asleep, and increase daytime alertness.

For your ADHD child that means that Melatonin will help to have a more normal sleep patterns, sleep longer, which in turns helps your child to be more alert and function better during the day. Best of all, since Melatonin is the natural chemical your brain uses to regulate sleep, it enhances is normal sleeping patterns. Many drugs that induce sleep do not cause the body reproduce natural sleep patterns and as a result the child often does not feel rested, even though he slept.

Melatonin dosage is a very individual thing. There are no guidelines. An amount that might be enough for one child could have no effect on another child. The size and weight of your child does not seem to be a factor.

What is usually recommended when administering Melatonin is to start your ADHD child on a very low dose and see how it works. You can slowly increase the amount that you give until you start to see positive results.

For young children, it is a good idea to start with a dose as low as 0.3 mg/day or less. In adults, 3 mg is usually considered a safe place to start. Although research shows that even a dose as high as 10mg is perfectly safe, it is best to proceed with caution.

Melatonin is one of the safest substances around. In one very extensive clinical research study a high dose of 75mg/day was give to 1400 women for a four year period and there were no serious ill effects found. This suggests that you can experiment finding the right dose for your ADHD child and not have to worry too much about causing harm.

The major side effects of taking too much Melatonin were daytime drowsiness and slowed reaction time.

There were some other side effects of taking Melatonin that have been described. The main ones that your child may experience are vivid dreams or nightmares. I have had to stop giving Melatonin to certain children because of this problem.

Some less common side effects include, stomach cramps, headaches, irritability, and dizziness.

These side effects were found when healthy people take Melatonin. How Melatonin affects children suffering from disease has not been investigated.

Melatonin is an extremely powerful antioxidant, about 60 times as strong a vitamin C. As a result, it can interact with certain medications.

The list includes medications that treat Bipolar disorder, depression, and some ADHD medications. Melatonin also can interact with antipsychotic medications, some of which are currently being used to treat ADHD.

Other substances also interact with Melatonin. Caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol reduce levels of melatonin in the body. Cocaine and amphetamines may increase melatonin production.

The message here is that although Melatonin is considered safe, you should consult your physician before giving this to your child if he is taking any other medication before giving Melatonin.

Melatonin is cheap and easy to get. You can find Melatonin in most health food stores in the United States. In European countries it is classified as a controlled substance, so if you are in Europe your best bet is to have it shipped from the United States.

ADD ADHD children very frequently suffer from sleep problems. This may be a result of taking ADHD medications or else it can be just one aspect of their ADHD. As long as you observe the warnings mentioned here, Melatonin when used properly can be an effective, inexpensive, and extremely effective way to handle your ADD ADHD child's sleep problems.