Melatonin Side Effects in Children

Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland, generally increasing in the late afternoon or early evening, and decreasing during the day. Adults sometimes use melatonin supplements to help them sleep. Published scientific data on melatonin use in children is very limited.

Scant Research

• Studies on children using melatonin for sleep disorders have been very short-term, sometimes only 30 days. The two main studies also only involve about 150 children, none of them toddlers or babies.

Melatonin Side Effects

• Documented side effects in adults include headache, drowsiness, stomach upset, and allergic reactions causing difficulty breathing, throat closing, facial swelling and hives.

Caution

• None of these side effects have occurred in children during melatonin studies as of 2009, but the research is very slim.

Theories/Speculation

• According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, some researchers theorize that melatonin supplementation between 1 to 5 mg a day to children might cause seizures, especially in those with neurological disorders.

Expert Insight

• A study published in the Journal of Pineal Research in 1996 and another published in 2002 in Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology found no side effects in a total of 146 children studied.