Parenthood brings many joys, but sleep deprivation does not belong to it. So it’s no wonder that mothers and fathers are willing to take drastic measures – in the form of sleeping pills – when it comes to letting their children sleep at night.
New survey results by Sleep Doctor show that 79% of parents have given their child a substance to put them to sleep – 66% use it Melatonin35% use Benadryl and 20% use prescription sleeping pills. Others reported using everything from herbal and over-the-counter remedies to CBD, THC, and even alcohol.
Millennials and Generation Z parents were the most likely to say they had drugged their children to sleep: 84% and 83%, respectively, said they had done so.
“Parents are desperate, they’re tired, they’re juggling so many things… and a child who has trouble falling asleep is just taking advantage of that,” says Dr. Nilong VyasPediatrician, public health specialist and board-certified sleep expert works closely with Sleep Doctor, which conducted the survey of 1,201 parents in April.
Children need sleep for their physical and mental health. Research shows that sleep plays an important role in brain development, mood, cognitive performance, resilience, language and memory Sleep Foundation. Parents need sleep For many of the same reasons, including mood, brain performance, immunity, lower risk of heart disease and stroke, and according to a Recent studyto avoid an increase stress levels.
Parents typically miss out on important rest when their children don’t sleep—and according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, sleep problems like sleep apnea and night terrors affect 25 to 50 percent of children (40 percent of teens). while insomnia 25% of children and 35% of young people are affected.
Still, Vyas tells Assets“Ideally it is better to change [bedtime] behaviors and modify them so that a child can learn to fall asleep independently without the need for nutritional supplements.”
But isn’t melatonin safe?
Melatonin, a hormone The light produced by the brain in response to darkness serves to regulate the body’s natural sleep-wake mode cycle, called circadian rhythm. It is sold as a dietary supplement not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, often in the form of colorful gummy bears, and when taken by children may cause side effects such as drowsiness, headaches, and increased bedwetting.
Taking too much can cause vomiting, extreme sleepiness, and slurred speech. And according to a Current report According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 2019 and 2022, about 11,000 children (more than half between the ages of 3 and 5) ended up in the emergency room after unsupervised melatonin use.
Additionally, a review of 25 types of melatonin gummy supplements from the Cambridge Health Alliance was published last year in JAMAfound that almost all products were mislabeled, with the actual amount of the hormone ranging from 74% to 347% of the labeled amount. One product contained no detectable amounts of melatonin but contained over 31 mg of CBD, which has no data supporting its use in children.
“It’s like the Wild West out there with melatonin supplementation,” says Vyas, who doesn’t recommend melatonin use to the families she works with.
“Many studies have shown positive improvement with the use of melatonin in neurodiverse children, children with circadian rhythm disorders, delayed sleep phase syndrome and jet lag – a handful of indications,” she says. “But there are not enough studies to make a general recommendation.”
It’s also not a good idea, she adds, because melatonin works on a feedback loop, meaning that when supplied from an external source, the body slows down its natural production and requires more and more of the supplement.
“It can also cause a paradoxical reaction, meaning many children take it and then wake up at 3 or 4 a.m.,” she says.
The Sleep Doctor survey found that children aged 4 to 7 were more likely to receive melatonin than any other age group, followed by children aged 8 to 12 and children aged 1 to 3. but 2% gave it to a child under six months old and 3% gave it to a child aged six to 11 months. While most parents (97%) gave their child melatonin more than once, 21% said they had done so about 10 times and 13% said they had done so at least 50 times. And 45% of parents say it was recommended by their doctor.
That’s no surprise to Vyas, given the combination of desperate parents and “a huge lack of education about sleep habits” among doctors, who may look for studies on melatonin for children and not find much – and who may just assume that it is safe. provided it is unregulated and available.
Other sleeping pills – and how to avoid them
The use of Benadryl (diphenhydramine), an antihistamine that has a sedating side effect, is not recommended by medical professionals except in very rare cases (e.g., to treat jet lag).
“It is indicated and tested for children with allergies. “So if you use it outside of those parameters, then you’re using it off-label, and it’s not without side effects,” she says, warning that in some cases there may be side effects, Benadryl could have the opposite effect and a child make it “fully wired”. She warns: “Nighttime use results in a false ability to fall asleep.”
Prescription sleeping pills such as Ambien (zolpidem), Sonata (zaleplon) and Restoril (temazepam, a highly addictive benzodiazepine) are expressly prohibited from use in children. However, according to the survey, parents gave them to their children and 64% said it was on the recommendation of a doctor. In fact, 13% of parents reported administering prescription sleep medications 50 or more times; 4% gave it to a child under six months old, 11% to a child aged six to 11 months, and 16% to a child between 1 and 3 years old.
“Taking Ambien is risky even for adults, there are so many bad side effects,” says Vyas. “It has been tested and recommended for short-term use in adults, but many people become so dependent on it that it is difficult to sleep without it…It is used chronically, daily, in place of good sleep habits, etc. Hygiene.”
What does this look like for children? “Consistency of routine is key,” she says, as is following the child’s sleep cues so they can fall asleep when their body needs it most.
Also:
- No screens: Minimize blue light stimulation from screens at least two hours before bed to support the body’s natural melatonin production.
- Play outside: Exposure to daylight and sunset helps regulate the child’s circadian rhythm.
- Set an example: Teach your child to fall asleep independently.
- get help: Work with a sleep coach to address problem areas.
“Everyone wants a quick fix… but you can’t blame the parents because it puts them in a vicious circle,” says Vyas. “It’s hard work to break the bad habits, but it can be done – and then you’ll teach your children good sleep habits for the rest of their lives.”
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