say that children should not take melatonin long-term, but neither organization defines what “long-term” means.
Just like adults, some children are born with different nighttime clocks, and thus, don’t naturally fall asleep when parents might like. My son, the difficult sleeper, is 13 now. He doesn’t take melatonin anymore, but I will say that I just don’t think he requires as much sleep as anyone else in our house. He tends to stay up late. And when I get up in the morning for work around 6AM, he’s already up. He’s been this way for a long time now.
And I don’t think you should either. As long as you have consulted with your child’s doctor, of course. Of course, this leads me back to the title of the article: Is it safe for your children to take melatonin? And from what I can tell, the answer is complicated for a few reasons, and most of that has to do with the lack of regulations around melatonin, combined with how readily available it is in not only pill, but also “candy” form. The biggest recommendation I can give after looking into the subject is to talk to your pediatrician. Don’t hide the fact that you are giving it to your child. This is not a dirty secret, and it is something that should be discussed.