Online health retailer iHerb has suspended the sale of melatonin gummies and supplements in Australia over concerns about rising overdoses among children. As an RMIT expert explains, parents should prioritise establishing good sleeping habits before considering supplements.
Dr. Russell Conduit, Associate Professor, Health and Biomedical Sciences
"Teaching good sleep hygiene habits to children should be a priority, before reaching for melatonin or other pharmaceutical sleeping aids.
"Humans naturally produce melatonin in small quantities, and a melatonin pill in small doses can help train our internal body clock, however, we are seeing more people use melatonin in higher doses as a sleeping pill which was never the intended use, especially for children.
"I completely understand parents can struggle to find ways to get their kids to sleep but the main contributing factor of delayed sleep onset or sleep insomnia is how aroused they are before bed.
"I would encourage a non-pharmacological approach first and explore wind-down techniques, relaxation apps, books designed to encourage sleep, and teaching good sleeping habits before reaching for melatonin.
"We are still unsure of the long-term health implications of children using melatonin for an extended period which is why the recommendations from the Sleep Health Foundation or any recognised website, is to not take melatonin unless you seek professional advice from a healthcare practitioner."
Dr Russell Conduit is an Associate Professor of Psychology at RMIT and an international expert in sleep research, with over 100+ peer-reviewed papers in top international journals and chief investigator on research grants.
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