In a TikTok video, a woman secretly mixes melatonin jelly into a bag of candy and gives it to her child. In the next scene of the video, the child is lying on his bed and fast asleep. There are many such videos on social media. With headlines like “How to Get Your Child to Sleep in Less Than 5 Minutes,” parents are touting melatonin-containing nutritional supplements as the ultimate miracle cure for kids who just won’t sleep. In fact, melatonin plays a key role in helping children fall asleep. The natural hormone is produced in the pineal gland of the human brain and is activated when it gets dark.

“Everyone knows that vitamin D is the hormone of the day,” explains pediatrician Ekehard Paditz, a member of the German Society for Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research (DGSM). “Melatonin is its competitor, it’s the night hormone,” he says. Many different over-the-counter melatonin supplements can be found online and at drugstores, most of them for adults. They promise a quick and deep sleep and are available in the form of tablets, sprays, teas, drops and gels.

Little is known about melatonin metabolism in infants

However, pediatrician Padic advises not to give any of these products to children without a doctor’s advice. “So far, very little is known about how melatonin is metabolized in infants and young children,” says the expert. “What is certain is that the process of metabolizing melatonin occurs at a slower rate.” Additionally, there are significant variations in concentration with the dietary supplements tested in studies. “It would be fatal for parents to spend money on sachets that are not available through the doctor’s prescription or the pharmacy,” he points out. More than 700 products containing melatonin have been registered with the Federal Agency for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) since 2011, according to a spokesperson. However, this does not mean that every product is also on the market. According to Padich, in recent years there have been several infant deaths in the US that have been linked to very high levels of melatonin. In an American study, researchers reported, among other things, a case in which parents regularly gave their three-month-old infant between eight and ten doses of a high-dose melatonin product per day. Whether the hormone overdose led to the child’s death could not be definitively determined.

Melatonin can be prescribed in Germany

The German pediatrician is categorical. “If children suffer from severe sleep disorders, parents should not rely on over-the-counter medications,” she says. “Parents take a big risk and overlook the possibility of serious illnesses.” A brain tumor, for example, can also cause sleep disturbances. So the pediatrician advises that “children should see the pediatrician.” For children and teenagers with a real problem, melatonin can be prescribed. A corresponding drug for children from the age of two has been available in Germany for several years. “An approved preparation administered through the pharmacy naturally offers a much higher level of safety,” says Padic. The cost of the drug is covered by health insurance only in two specific cases: firstly for children with autism spectrum disorder, who, according to Padic, between 20 and 40% suffer from sleep disorders. And secondarily, the cost is covered for minor children with Smith-Magenis syndrome, a rare genetic disorder in which the day-night rhythm is disrupted.

According to Padic, the dose should generally be as low as possible. Depending on age, he recommends taking 0.25 to 0.5 milligrams of the melatonin drug before bed. At the annual DGSM conference, which takes place from 7 to 9 in Berlin, he and his colleagues plan to present a medical guideline on the use of melatonin in children and adolescents with sleep disorders. According to the manufacturers, some of the melatonin gummies contain between 0.5 and 1 milligram of melatonin per gum.

Pediatricians recommend “routine» in sleep

“The drug is rarely used in practice,” says pediatrician Jakob Maske, spokesman for the Professional Association of Pediatricians. “Sleep disorders that require treatment occur mainly in seriously ill children with chronic mental disabilities who have trouble sleeping in early adolescence,” says the pediatrician. He warns against indiscriminate use of melatonin. On the contrary, it is much more important to find out the cause of the sleep disorder with a visit to the doctor. “We see time and time again that children and teenagers have problems sleeping because they use their cell phones too much or watch movies before bed,” Maske says. sleep”. According to Padich, this includes developing a “sleep routine” and calming down before bed. Besides, stress, worries and fears also play a role in falling asleep. Parents can gently caress children’s heads at bedtime, read them a book or sing them a lullaby. And maybe they too will more easily find the way to relaxation, and undisturbed sleep…