Guest guest Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 My son is 9 and has been taking melatonin for 3 years with NO problems. We were on 1 mg for 2 yrs, and recently went up to 2mg only because we did a trial of a stimulant Vyvanse and it was a NIGHTMARE up at 2am like he was on speed... 19 days on vyvanse and we stopped. We were up to 5 mg just to get him to sleep, now off the med 2 months and back down to 2mg melatonin, hopefully will get back to 1mg soon. Anyway... All of his Doctors I talked to said it was completely safe. His Psychaitrist said you can go up to 5mg with a child, although personally I feel that is too much. I take it myself, 1 mg. Tammy > > My daughter has been dx with AS. It seems a lot, if not all, of these children have a hard time sleeping - mine included! I am still waiting to find a doctor who can answer all of my questions, so in the mean time I'm turning to you all who have personal experience with what we are going through. > > I purchased some chewable 1 mg tablets, and have given my (almost) 6-year-old AS dd one tablet three nights in a row. I then decided to split one tablet in half, and it worked just as well. My question is: Is it okay to give melatonin every night? On the nights she has had it, she has fallen asleep unbelievably easily and has slept soundly all night long. She woke up happy and ready for the day AND she even has taken 1-hour naps on those days - Heaven!! I give it to her at about 7:45 and by 8:15 she's fast asleep. MUCH better than the nights she doesn't get it when she can't turn herself off long enough to relax and fall asleep. She has kept herself up for hours and hours before. Needless to say, in the morning she has to be dragged out of bed and everything is a struggle. She is a grouch when I pick her up from school at 12:30, and although she is obviously exhausted, she won't nap. > > I REALIZE THIS IS NOT A FORUM FOR MEDICAL ADVICE IN LIEU OF SEEING A DOCTOR .... I just want to know what other parents of AS kids with sleep problems have been advised to do. We have a psych appt on Friday, and I plan on asking him about it - but if he's like all the other doctors I've taken her to, he may poo-poo the more natural route and suggest a prescription med or downplay the issue. > > Thanks to you all! > Andie > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 its really funny that this question is being asked cause...we just came from a appt with one of our doctors visits and he was asking about it, we have put our son on a sleepy time meds as the dr. puts it but he is having some nightmares that he cannot tell us about but we were hoping that changing this med might solve this problem. we have has the same problems with the grumpyness and the meds helped but we are worried about the dependance on it. I am hoping if we can give some thing OTC then things might get better with the nightmares and he will not be dependent on it.if anyone has any other ideas please I need all the help I can get! From: Tammy <vitzie@...>Subject: ( ) Re: Melatonin question... Date: Tuesday, June 2, 2009, 7:48 PM My son is 9 and has been taking melatonin for 3 years with NO problems. We were on 1 mg for 2 yrs, and recently went up to 2mg only because we did a trial of a stimulant Vyvanse and it was a NIGHTMARE up at 2am like he was on speed... 19 days on vyvanse and we stopped. We were up to 5 mg just to get him to sleep, now off the med 2 months and back down to 2mg melatonin, hopefully will get back to 1mg soon. Anyway... All of his Doctors I talked to said it was completely safe. His Psychaitrist said you can go up to 5mg with a child, although personally I feel that is too much. I take it myself, 1 mg. Tammy > > My daughter has been dx with AS. It seems a lot, if not all, of these children have a hard time sleeping - mine included! I am still waiting to find a doctor who can answer all of my questions, so in the mean time I'm turning to you all who have personal experience with what we are going through. > > I purchased some chewable 1 mg tablets, and have given my (almost) 6-year-old AS dd one tablet three nights in a row. I then decided to split one tablet in half, and it worked just as well. My question is: Is it okay to give melatonin every night? On the nights she has had it, she has fallen asleep unbelievably easily and has slept soundly all night long. She woke up happy and ready for the day AND she even has taken 1-hour naps on those days - Heaven!! I give it to her at about 7:45 and by 8:15 she's fast asleep. MUCH better than the nights she doesn't get it when she can't turn herself off long enough to relax and fall asleep. She has kept herself up for hours and hours before. Needless to say, in the morning she has to be dragged out of bed and everything is a struggle. She is a grouch when I pick her up from school at 12:30, and although she is obviously exhausted, she won't nap. > > I REALIZE THIS IS NOT A FORUM FOR MEDICAL ADVICE IN LIEU OF SEEING A DOCTOR ... I just want to know what other parents of AS kids with sleep problems have been advised to do. We have a psych appt on Friday, and I plan on asking him about it - but if he's like all the other doctors I've taken her to, he may poo-poo the more natural route and suggest a prescription med or downplay the issue. > > Thanks to you all! > Andie > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 2, 2009 Report Share Posted June 2, 2009 I'm certainly not a dr so check with yours to see how much you should give and if you should give it. After saying that.... My 16 yr old takes 6 mg and while it helps it doesn't work as well for him as it seems to for your daughter. I'm jealous! lol Sometimes he goes to sleep easily and sometimes he's up half the night. It's still impossible to get him up in the morning whether he takes the melatonin or not. It's like waking the dead sometimes. Along with melatonin we also use lavendar essential oil when he's having a hard time falling asleep. (just a drop or two on his chest or on the pillow where he can smell it) He also has a small weighted blanket (used for massages) that he likes having on him which I think helps. If she'll drink tea you can try the bedtime teas with chamomile in them. His neurologist was the one who told us about the melatonin so don't count your psych out yet. Ginger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 Actually I have had 2 different Psychiatrists (MD) recommend Melatonin to me. It really wasn't effective in my sons case but I say if it is working, keep using it. Vickie > > My daughter has been dx with AS. It seems a lot, if not all, of these children have a hard time sleeping - mine included! I am still waiting to find a doctor who can answer all of my questions, so in the mean time I'm turning to you all who have personal experience with what we are going through. > > I purchased some chewable 1 mg tablets, and have given my (almost) 6-year-old AS dd one tablet three nights in a row. I then decided to split one tablet in half, and it worked just as well. My question is: Is it okay to give melatonin every night? On the nights she has had it, she has fallen asleep unbelievably easily and has slept soundly all night long. She woke up happy and ready for the day AND she even has taken 1-hour naps on those days - Heaven!! I give it to her at about 7:45 and by 8:15 she's fast asleep. MUCH better than the nights she doesn't get it when she can't turn herself off long enough to relax and fall asleep. She has kept herself up for hours and hours before. Needless to say, in the morning she has to be dragged out of bed and everything is a struggle. She is a grouch when I pick her up from school at 12:30, and although she is obviously exhausted, she won't nap. > > I REALIZE THIS IS NOT A FORUM FOR MEDICAL ADVICE IN LIEU OF SEEING A DOCTOR .... I just want to know what other parents of AS kids with sleep problems have been advised to do. We have a psych appt on Friday, and I plan on asking him about it - but if he's like all the other doctors I've taken her to, he may poo-poo the more natural route and suggest a prescription med or downplay the issue. > > Thanks to you all! > Andie > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 Hey, Sleep whats that again? LOL! My son takes the melatonin also. We were given a choice when dx with autism. Autism center suggested paxil. They said it would help with behavioral, sleep, etc,etc. Neuro suggested melatonin or ambitripyline ( prob not spelled right) We went with the melatonin as its more natural. We was told no more than 3 mg's he is 4 years old. We started with 1 mg to 1.5 and he sleep well with it. The only time I do not give the melatonin is when he is sick. They advised to do so. Me being mom I don't see a point in giving it when they are sick. He has asthma attacks alot when sick so I want him to clearly be able to wake up well and cough. Or when with a fever virus I want him to clearly be able to wake him up and give him tylenol or motrin as needed. I don't think it makes him to drowsy or anything as when we first started it we would wake him up to see how well of a deep sleep he was in. Hope this helps later and God Bless:) From: Tammy <vitzie@...>Subject: ( ) Re: Melatonin question... Date: Tuesday, June 2, 2009, 4:48 PM My son is 9 and has been taking melatonin for 3 years with NO problems. We were on 1 mg for 2 yrs, and recently went up to 2mg only because we did a trial of a stimulant Vyvanse and it was a NIGHTMARE up at 2am like he was on speed... 19 days on vyvanse and we stopped. We were up to 5 mg just to get him to sleep, now off the med 2 months and back down to 2mg melatonin, hopefully will get back to 1mg soon. Anyway... All of his Doctors I talked to said it was completely safe. His Psychaitrist said you can go up to 5mg with a child, although personally I feel that is too much. I take it myself, 1 mg. Tammy>> My daughter has been dx with AS. It seems a lot, if not all, of these children have a hard time sleeping - mine included! I am still waiting to find a doctor who can answer all of my questions, so in the mean time I'm turning to you all who have personal experience with what we are going through.> > I purchased some chewable 1 mg tablets, and have given my (almost) 6-year-old AS dd one tablet three nights in a row. I then decided to split one tablet in half, and it worked just as well. My question is: Is it okay to give melatonin every night? On the nights she has had it, she has fallen asleep unbelievably easily and has slept soundly all night long. She woke up happy and ready for the day AND she even has taken 1-hour naps on those days - Heaven!! I give it to her at about 7:45 and by 8:15 she's fast asleep. MUCH better than the nights she doesn't get it when she can't turn herself off long enough to relax and fall asleep. She has kept herself up for hours and hours before. Needless to say, in the morning she has to be dragged out of bed and everything is a struggle. She is a grouch when I pick her up from school at 12:30, and although she is obviously exhausted, she won't nap.> > I REALIZE THIS IS NOT A FORUM FOR MEDICAL ADVICE IN LIEU OF SEEING A DOCTOR ... I just want to know what other parents of AS kids with sleep problems have been advised to do. We have a psych appt on Friday, and I plan on asking him about it - but if he's like all the other doctors I've taken her to, he may poo-poo the more natural route and suggest a prescription med or downplay the issue.> > Thanks to you all!> Andie> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 Thank you very much for sharing that info with me. I feel much better now. I was worried that the 1 mg was way too much since 1/2 worked just as well. Of course I am going to ask the psych this Friday to get his opinion. Thanks again! > > > > My daughter has been dx with AS. It seems a lot, if not all, of these children have a hard time sleeping - mine included! I am still waiting to find a doctor who can answer all of my questions, so in the mean time I'm turning to you all who have personal experience with what we are going through. > > > > I purchased some chewable 1 mg tablets, and have given my (almost) 6-year-old AS dd one tablet three nights in a row. I then decided to split one tablet in half, and it worked just as well. My question is: Is it okay to give melatonin every night? On the nights she has had it, she has fallen asleep unbelievably easily and has slept soundly all night long. She woke up happy and ready for the day AND she even has taken 1-hour naps on those days - Heaven!! I give it to her at about 7:45 and by 8:15 she's fast asleep. MUCH better than the nights she doesn't get it when she can't turn herself off long enough to relax and fall asleep. She has kept herself up for hours and hours before. Needless to say, in the morning she has to be dragged out of bed and everything is a struggle. She is a grouch when I pick her up from school at 12:30, and although she is obviously exhausted, she won't nap. > > > > I REALIZE THIS IS NOT A FORUM FOR MEDICAL ADVICE IN LIEU OF SEEING A DOCTOR .... I just want to know what other parents of AS kids with sleep problems have been advised to do. We have a psych appt on Friday, and I plan on asking him about it - but if he's like all the other doctors I've taken her to, he may poo-poo the more natural route and suggest a prescription med or downplay the issue. > > > > Thanks to you all! > > Andie > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 Andie, My son, now 15, has had serious sleeping problems the last half year. We were prescribed Melatonin (it's not a registered medication here in Norway so we must have it on a special " recommendation " ). He started with 3 mg, but is now on 6 mg each evening. It has helped him getting to sleep in the evening, but he still wakes up during the night and has trouble sleeping again. He wakes up some time between 5 and 7 in the morning and can't go to sleep. Although he still doesn't have a normal sleep pattern, it has helped a lot. I can see that he relaxes that he knows he's able to fall asleep in the evening. Earlier he spent hours falling asleep in the night. Take care, Rannveig/. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 Hi all, My son also takes melatonin, (he's 18), but he also was prescribed Sonata by his doctor. It is a somewhat fast (not super fast, 1hr. or so) and it's not like a regular sleeping aid. It helps to fall asleep, but is out of your system I believe in a few hours or so (I think like 4 hrs.) It really does help, and he usually takes it during the week but not on weekends, unless he's a little more wide awake then usual. Hope this helps. Sharon From: gdeweese@... <gdeweese@...>Subject: Re: ( ) Melatonin question... Cc: "andie" <andie6294@...>Date: Tuesday, June 2, 2009, 11:04 PM I'm certainly not a dr so check with yours to see how much you should give and if you should give it. After saying that.... My 16 yr old takes 6 mg and while it helps it doesn't work as well for him as it seems to for your daughter. I'm jealous! lol Sometimes he goes to sleep easily and sometimes he's up half the night. It's still impossible to get him up in the morning whether he takes the melatonin or not. It's like waking the dead sometimes. Along with melatonin we also use lavendar essential oil when he's having a hard time falling asleep. (just a drop or two on his chest or on the pillow where he can smell it) He also has a small weighted blanket (used for massages) that he likes having on him which I think helps. If she'll drink tea you can try the bedtime teas with chamomile in them. His neurologist was the one who told us about the melatonin so don't count your psych out yet.. Ginger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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