Melatonin has become a go-to for both children and adults who have trouble sleeping. According to the Sleep Foundation, nearly half of all adults have used the sleep aid to fall asleep, and 39 percent say they take it every day. In all, 46 percent of parents report giving melatonin to their children to help them fall asleep.

But when it comes to long-term use, the data is sparse. Is it safe to take it to sleep, and if so, for how long? And what do we know about children and melatonin use?

There are some possible risks and side effects associated with taking the supplement, and while more research is still emerging, there is still much science does not know about melatonin.

Are There Risks Associated with Melatonin?

Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that humans make to regulate sleep/wake cycles. The thought is that supplementing it will help you fall asleep and stay asleep longer.

But melatonin supplements are not regulated by the FDA in the same way as pharmaceutical drugs, meaning that what’s in the supplement that you purchase at the drugstore may vary from bottle to bottle both in effectiveness and in safety, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It’s hard to know for sure what’s in a supplement if it’s not adequately labeled, and without regulation, this is often the case.

Additionally, there are also some rare side effects of use that may present issues, including short-term feelings of depression, mood swings, seizures, and a greater risk of falling. Not to mention more common feelings of nausea and dizziness, according to the Mayo Clinic. Melatonin can also interact with prescribed medications that treat blood clotting, seizures, diabetes, and high blood pressure, as well as some immunosuppressants.

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The Longer Term Use of Melatonin

In the long term, melatonin is less effective for treating insomnia, Marie-Pierre St-Onge, a sleep researcher and professor of nutritional medicine at the Columbia University Institute of Human Nutrition, told Discover.

She adds that it’s important that people talk to their doctor about their use of the supplement because of its potential to interact with certain medications while also discussing why they’re taking it in the first place.

“Melatonin is not indicated for insomnia; it’s indicated for difficulties with circadian rhythms in people who have trouble adjusting their sleep cycles to daylight social norms,” St-Onge said.

Therefore, if you have chronic insomnia, melatonin isn’t the best treatment option, according to St-Onge. It’s also not indicated for long-term use. Rather, it’s meant to be used to get circadian rhythms adjusted back to better sleep/wake cycles. She adds that it’s also something for which we currently don’t have great data.

An abstract released from the American Heart Association found those who took it for five years had a higher risk of being diagnosed with heart failure. While the research found an association with long-term use and heart health, the data couldn't prove if melatonin was the direct cause.

Should Melatonin Be Used Long Term in Children?

Even if children are having trouble sleeping, St-Onge suggests that using exogenous melatonin is not the answer.

A review published in eClinicalMedicine found that kids who used melatonin were shown to suffer a host of less serious consequences in the short term, including headache, nausea, red cheeks, red earlobes, sore eyes, drowsiness, dizziness, vomiting, changes in mood, and gastrointestinal problems.

Still, the long-term effects remain largely unknown. Another systematic review published in JAMA Pediatrics found that extended use of melatonin and overdoses of the supplement have increased over the past decade. The findings show an increase in use of the supplement in children globally without clear evidence of safety in long-term use.

For St-Onge, it’s also not a way to instill good sleep habits in children. It’s best to start with better winding-down routines in terms of activity levels and relaxation before bedtime. Habits like reading, low lights, healthy non-sugary foods, and a warm bath teach children how to bring on sleep on their own.

“You want to set your kids up for success and not put them in a position where they need help falling and staying asleep,” St-Onge said.

This
article is not offering medical advice and should be used for informational
purposes only.

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Article Sources

Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:

• This article references information from the Sleep Foundation: 126 Sleep Statistics
• This article references information from the NIH: Melatonin
• This article references information from the Mayo Clinic: Melatonin side effects: What are the risks?
• This article references information from the American Heart Association: Long-term use of melatonin supplements to support sleep may have negative health effects
• This article references information from a study published in eClinicalMedicine:The short-term and long-term adverse effects of melatonin treatment in children and adolescents: a systematic review and GRADE assessment
• This article references information from a study published in JAMA: Melatonin Use in Young Children