A lot of people don't view herbal supplements like melatonin as being potentially dangerous. Pediatricians say an issue with melatonin supplements, is that there aren't any federal recommendations when it comes to how much to give a child. So a parent could accidentally give their child a bigger dose than needed, which could lead to a visit to the hospital.
Doctors add that melatonin supplements really should be a last resort for helping kids to fall asleep and stay asleep. Instead, parents should consider the other factors that could be playing a role in their child having difficulty sleeping. For example, do they have a regular bedtime routine? And are they getting some quiet time to help them wind down? They also note some parents may think their child has sleep issues when in reality they're waking up a normal amount during the night.
"I always try to tell parents to just step back for a minute. If you go into your room and thinking that your child is not sleeping well or they're restless, if you go in and just step back for a minute, you might realize that they're doing just fine, but if you rush in and try to do something right away, then you're actually adding to the interruption in the sleep cycle instead of helping," suggested Dr. Gina Robinson, Cleveland Clinic.
Dr. Robinson says signs of a melatonin overdose can include nausea, dizziness, and headaches. If you are concerned, she recommends calling poison control right away.
