The ONE Supplement You Should NEVER Give Your Grandkids

Having my own grandkids is one of the great joys of my life…

And, like you, I’d do anything to keep them healthy.

We all want our grandkids to eat well and stay active… and maybe we throw in a multivitamin or focus on natural products when they get sick.

But there’s one nutritional supplement that’s seeing skyrocketing use among kids today.

As a grandparent, it has me concerned… and it should have you concerned, too.

Kids don’t need it. It comes with real risks. And I wouldn’t let my own grandchildren near the stuff.

New research published in JAMA Network Open looked at 25 years’ worth of research on melatonin and kids.

And researchers found dramatic increases in melatonin use among children aged 0-6, especially to help manage neurological conditions. But there’s plenty of evidence that it’s spiking among perfectly healthy kids, too.

If you’ve been reading my eletter for a while, you know that I’m not a fan of supplementing with melatonin. And that goes double for giving it to kids.

Melatonin is a hormone produced naturally in your body that helps control wakefulness and sleep, which is why it’s typically sold as a sleep supplement.

But melatonin also plays a crucial role in many other health processes.

The problem is that the release and use of melatonin in your body is very delicate and tightly regulated – and we’re just starting to understand some of the risks that come with flooding your body with it.

Animal research has shown a link between supplemental melatonin and damage to the cone photoreceptors in the eyes, which are responsible for daytime vision. There was also evidence of thinning of the retina.

And a human study showed supplemental melatonin increased glucose intolerance in both the morning and evening.

Now, don’t get me wrong… any drug or supplement can come with side effects.

But what particularly bothers me about melatonin is that kids don’t need it. So we’re introducing a whole lot of unnecessary risk.

If your grandkids are having trouble sleeping, the best thing you can do is help them optimize their melatonin levels naturally.

That starts with getting them sun exposure first thing every morning – no glasses or contact lenses. They don’t need to look directly into the sun – just keep it in their peripheral vision.

This helps set the circadian rhythm for the day, which controls the release and suppression of melatonin.

Next, keep the kiddos away from TV, computer, and phone screens close to bedtime. These screens give off artificial blue light, which prevents the release of melatonin that helps them sleep.

These simple steps help optimize melatonin – and the best part is that they don’t come with any risks.

View Sources

Kracht, C. L., Bolamperti, G., Breeden, R., Crocker, M., Christifano, D. N., Gibler, R. C., … Wallisch, A. (2026). Melatonin use in young children: A systematic review. JAMA Network Open, 9(1), e2551958. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.51958