I’ve used melatonin.
It’s an excellent low-key supplement for sleep aid, and I recommend it - for adults.
I am uncertain about its use for kids, so this is a good article.
Try magnesium. When a person has trouble sleeping, it may be due to being short in magnesium.
Thanks for posting, two adhd grandkids (used to call it hyperactive) and my daughter uses melatonin regularly. Otherwise, kids up til 2am.
I can see how children would have trouble with bedtime if they hadn’t had lots and lots of physical activity during the day. I guess if we turned the lights low for a while before bedtime, that might help too.
I can’t imagine that a small dose of melatonin would be harmful, but need to see more studies.
I travel extensively. As in multiple time zone shifts. I have used melatonin, Valerian root, Benadryl. All have their advantages and all can build a tolerance. To avoid this, I will not use any one more than one week. Also, after one week I am normally onto the local sleep schedule.
I find that the big thing is to NOT occupy the mind with TV, games or electronics a min of 1 hour before bed. I also use constructive dreaming by visualizing a story line that is pure fantasy and has nothing to do with my daily life. This allows the mind to relax and drift off.
Try putting on a Jeb Bush speech ...
I have used it if I have a 4am hunt that I need to get up for.
I don’t know about children.
I also keep a bottle of ZQuil. That stuff is wonderful. If I need to get up early, I’ll take a swig about 30 minutes before I need to be in the bed... out like a light.
On the times that I have taken melatonin, it gave me bad dreams. If it had that effect on your daughter she would likely tell you, but you might quiz her about it a little.
I give it to my dog during thunderstorms. Ever since our house was hit by lightning he’s scared of thunder and lightning.
Calms him right down and makes him sleeeeepy.
Melatonin is great for us old folks. It works because the body slows production of melatonin as we age and if we replace it with a supplement we sleep better and or longer. My own results with it are not so pleasant. I sleep longer when I use it after a couple of nights of wakefulness but it is hard to get up and I wake with a really nasty headache, which does go away with a cup of coffee.
I’ve tried both melatonin and valerian- neither one did squat for me
The problem could be that kids are not getting enough D3... sunlight.
Sunlight contributes to the body making natural melatonin.
Kids should have oodles of natural melatonin in their bodies. But there is an artificial ban on sunlight today, so kids are probably not getting their D3 sunlight fix.
what I like to do is take 4 sleeping pills and 4 laxatives, I then sleep like a baby
Two teaspoons of powdered Inositol ( one in morning one in evening) does the trick in a more natural way
I’ve used it for helping with overseas jet lag (watch out is is banned in some countries like the UK). Melatonin induces very vivid and unusual dreams in many users. It is more commonly prescribed to older adults who don’t produce enough natural melatonin and can’t stay asleep. I’m really doubtful it has any useful sleeping effect on most kids.
A better solution is turning off the screens at least an hour if not 2 before bed time.
melatonin is addictive and not a good solution at all. Take magnesium, preferably in the form of glycinate. Build up to 800-1000 mg/day, split throughout the day.
for a kid, take half that
Melatonin is great. 1 pill relaxes you and you have hours of restful sleep plus no side affects. I use it sometimes on a Sunday night if my hours changed over the weekend.
Check the ingredients of other sleep aids and you will find a common one called Diphenhydramine that causes withdrawal symptoms that includes headaches and sleep less nights....
Personally thinking about what I did and didn’t do and what I am going to do is the most productive part of my day, got plenty of time to sleep after/during the dirt nap.
Like Salt, my body lets me know what it needs. if it needs to lay awake and do maintenance ... it’s ok, if I feel like salting my mashed potatoes it’s ok too.
“It’s not nice to mess with Mother Nature” (gotta be old to remember that)