I have 2 children. My daughter is 8 and my son is 10.
My son use to be on melatonin when he was younger cause he wouldn’t sleep before midnight.
It was approved by our Dr. and he did well on it. We used a liquid mint spray 1 MG per spray it was Jameson brand I believe. Bought in Canada where we live.
I’m not sure why we went off it. But we have been for at least 4 years.
Both kids must be night owls like me, cause they seem reved up on a 3rd wind past 9pm.
But since May once winter was over bedtime got longer and longer. Maybe even before May. March or April.
We start bedtime routine at 8:30/9pm.
If it’s bath or shower night that happens earlier at 8pm.
They don’t get screen time past 7pm.
Unless we’re traveling in the car coming home from visiting family.
They don’t and won’t wind down enough to sleep until 11:00.
After school ended it got later and later
Tonight it was 11:30 when my daughter fell asleep in my bed. And 12:45 when son fell asleep our bed.
Once there asleep we move them to their own beds.
They seem to have issues falling asleep on their own and have for awhile now.
But, my husband gets up at 5:30 am to go to the gym and then work for the day. He should go to bed by 10pm to get a Good amount of sleep.
Not 1am. I worry that he will be too tired to drive safely. Cause he is wiped out by 4:30 after work and needs a nap to function.
I take a sleeping pill from my Dr. as well, I have had sleep issues for many years myself. I have tried trazadone ( did well on that for awhile). Melatonin, magnesium.
But, I am on a stronger medication that is working for me now. I may still be up til 2am. Cause the last Dr. lowered the dose by half. And can’t sleep at all if I don’t take it.
I recently put my kids on a well researched multi vitamin and magnesium supplements. It’s only been a half a month, so not seeing any difference.
I started giving them magnesium cause everything I read said it could help children either fall asleep or stay asleep.
And they are both up at least once in the night.
But, they are both picky eaters and won’t eat most foods that have natural melatonin in them.
My son already has a bed wetting issue. Most nights.And I read that one melatonin side effect could be bed wetting. So I wouldn’t want that to get worse.
But, school will be starting back the end of August and they’ll have to get up at 7:15 am to go to school.
My son was a nightmare getting up and ready for school most if last school year
So with less sleep I can’t see that improving.
My daughter on the other hand is up between 6:30 and 8am happy as a clam ready for the day.
We just moved provinces and do not have a new family Dr yet. I signed up for one at a clinic but. They are not taking new paitent appiontments til September.
I don’t want to wait til then to get advice.
We have tried all the sleep hygiene things and bedtime still lasts 3 to 4 hours.
We as adults are tired at night and would like to be in bed.
If I get a chance to go to a walk in clinic for myself in the next 2 weeks for a medication refill I might ask about melatonin use for my kids.
1:30 was the latest they have stayed up and I was real cranky by the time they went to bed.
They have a night light in their rooms. And we use to do classical music in their rooms at bedtime.
We have limited pop with caffine to one a day for my 10 yr old. And nothing heavy to eat before bed. No sugary foods or drinks before bed.
Any advice you have I would welcome. Sorry for the long read.