URGENT Supplement Warning for Kids
Just because something is common, it DOESN’T make it safe.
And neither does “being natural” mean it’s okay for everyone.
This is true of anything—including supplements.
That’s why I was so alarmed when I found out that 20 percent of children and pre-teens are taking a supplement I’ve warned about in the past.
The use of a dangerous substance is soaring among school-aged children. And it’s not drug dealers giving it to them. It’s their parents!
I’m talking about the “sleep supplement” melatonin.
Researchers surveyed 1,000 parents to determine their kid’s melatonin use just over the past 30 days.
They found melatonin had been given to…
- 6 percent of preschoolers aged 1-4,
- 5 percent of children ages 5-9, and
- 4 percent of children ages 10-13.
This wasn’t a one-and-done situation, either.
The preschool-aged children had been taking melatonin for an average of one year. And the school-aged children had been taking it for about 18 to 21 months.
The older the kid, the higher the dose typically was.
My friend, this is SHOCKING.
First, melatonin is a hormone, NOT a vitamin. Taking it willy-nilly for extended periods has already been linked to problems like headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, anxiety, and low blood pressure.
It also carries the potential risk of retinal thinning.
Scientists are now concerned that pumping young bodies full of the stuff could impact hormonal development, affecting developing brains and influencing the onset of puberty.
Because melatonin is often in gummy form, it’s easy to take FAR more than recommended.
In fact, reports of melatonin overdose to poison control centers increased by 530 percent from 2012 to 2021.
But it gets worse. Another study published earlier this year found that many melatonin supplements can contain 74 to 347 percent MORE melatonin than what was listed on the label.
The second problem here is that so many kids need help with sleep.
I can assure you they don’t have a melatonin supplement deficiency. They have a circadian rhythm that’s out of whack.
Lifestyle issues like lack of time outdoors, too much screen time (which causes overexposure to blue light), terrible diets, lack of activity, and more have knocked their internal clocks entirely out of balance.
Step one to fixing your sleep problems—no matter your age—is to FIX your environment.
That means getting plenty of sunlight exposure (especially early morning light), reducing screen time (and blue light exposure) at night, and sleeping in a completely dark room.
That should be enough to reset the circadian for most folks… especially kids. But if you need a little extra help along the way, adults can try a supplement like 5-HTP or hydroxytryptophan.
These are precursors to melatonin that can be safe and effective for helping with sleep while avoiding the potential problems of taking melatonin directly.
But be sure to check with a pediatrician before giving them or ANY supplements to children.
And if you have grandchildren or great grandchildren be sure to share this vital information with your adult children as well.
P.S. Still can’t sleep? Try these insomnia BUSTING tips. (Works for KIDS too!)
SOURCE:
Lauren E. Hartstein et al. “Characteristics of Melatonin Use Among US Children and Adolescents.” JAMA Pediatrics, 2023 DOI: 10. 1001 /jamapediatrics.2023.4749
