Following suspended melatonin sales in Australia, a health expert is advising parents to prioritise establishing good sleeping habits to children before considering supplements
Online health retailer iHerb has suspended the sale of melatonin gummies and supplements in Australia over concerns about rising overdoses among children.
RMIT associate professor of psychology and international sleep research expert Russell Conduit said that parents should prioritise establishing healthy sleeping behaviours before looking into supplements.
“Teaching good sleep hygiene habits to children should be a priority, before reaching for melatonin or other pharmaceutical sleeping aids,” Dr Conduit said.
“Humans naturally produce melatonin in small quantities, and a melatonin pill in small doses can help train our internal body clock, however, we are seeing more people use melatonin in higher doses as a sleeping pill which was never the intended use, especially for children … I completely understand parents can struggle to find ways to get their kids to sleep but the main contributing factor of delayed sleep onset or sleep insomnia is how aroused they are before bed,” he said.
“I would encourage a non-pharmacological approach first and explore wind-down techniques, relaxation apps, books designed to encourage sleep, and teaching good sleeping habits before reaching for melatonin.”
Dr Russell said that there is uncertainty around the long-term health implications of children using melatonin for an extended period, which is why the recommendations from the Sleep Health Foundation or any recognised website is to not take melatonin unless you seek professional advice from a healthcare practitioner.
