Experts have sounded the alarm about sleep supplement melatonin as use skyrockets in the US and led to a spike of overdoses in children.

Melatonin, an over-the-counter sleep supplement, has surged in popularity over the past few years. Estimates suggest adult use has increased four-fold, and more than half of parents have given it to their kids. 

The vitamin pills – available for $10 per bottle of 30 pills – are said to mimic the effect of natural melatonin, a hormone produced by the body in response to darkness.

The substance tells the brain it is time to sleep by slowing heart rate and lowering blood pressure.

However, melatonin products, which are unregulated by federal authorities, often contain far higher doses of the active ingredient than labels suggest.

The supplement has been linked to a 500 percent increase in overdoses in kids over the past decade. 

Sleep experts have warned that demand for the supplement has ‘gotten out of hand’ – and excess can put adults and kids at risk of nausea, vomiting, grogginess, poor cognition, changes in heart rhythm, and even dementia. 

The above graph shows the rise in children suffering overdoses from melatonin

The above graph shows the rise in children suffering overdoses from melatonin

In the US, melatonin supplements are available for purchase over the counter as a dietary supplement - including in child-friendly gummies - without a prescription

In the US, melatonin supplements are available for purchase over the counter as a dietary supplement – including in child-friendly gummies – without a prescription

What’s more, experts say that even if the quantity is what is said on the packet, people tend to use too much.

Dosages range depending on the brand, but doctors told DailyMail.com that adults should stick to five milligrams per day. However, on Amazon, bottles on sale claim to provide 60 milligrams in a single tablet – more than 10 times the recommended amount.

Children, meanwhile, should stick to 0.3 to one milligram.  

A 2022 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the number of children being hospitalized after ingesting melatonin increased 530 percent from 2012 to 2021. 

The data also showed that two children died from overdosing on the supplement. Both children were under two years of age, with the youngest just three months old.

 It is not clear exactly what happened in the body to cause the deaths, but experts have suggested heart rhythm problems are most likely to blame.

Last year, researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder analyzed data from 993 children from one to 13 years old and found use of the hormone significantly increased with age.

Parents reported that nearly one-fifth of children – 19.4 percent – ages 10 to 13 took the supplement. Additionally, 18.5 percent of children ages five to nine had taken it, their parents said. 

Lead author Dr Lauren Hartstein, fellow in the Sleep and Development Lab at CU Boulder, said: ‘We hope this paper raises awareness for parents and clinicians, and sounds the alarm for the scientific community. 

‘We are not saying that melatonin is necessarily harmful to children. But much more research needs to be done before we can confidently state that it is safe for kids to take long-term.’

Additionally, a poll by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) found that 46 percent of parents have given their children under 13 melatonin at least once. 

Melatonin is a hormone that controls how asleep or awake people feel.

The hormone is produced in the pineal gland in the brain, and its release into the body is controlled by light.

The number of Americans who use melatonin increased four-fold from 2009 to 2018, a study finds, with more than two percent of survey respondents using the drug in 2017 or 2018

The number of Americans who use melatonin increased four-fold from 2009 to 2018, a study finds, with more than two percent of survey respondents using the drug in 2017 or 2018

A poll from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that nearly half of adults said they have given children under 13 melatonin at least once

A poll from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that nearly half of adults said they have given children under 13 melatonin at least once

During the day, when the eye absorbs light, melatonin levels in the body are low, and, as a result, we feel awake.

But when darkness settles and the amount of light being absorbed by the eye reduces, more melatonin circulates around the body.

Melatonin prepares the body for sleep by slowing the heart rate, reducing blood pressure, and changing how heat is stored. All of this makes people feel sleepy.

The hormone is classed as a supplement, which means it is not regulated by government agencies.

It means that products often contain much higher doses than the labels say, which can cause excessive sleepiness, stomach problems, headaches and, in extreme cases, high blood pressure.

Last year, a study found that some nine out of 10 store-bought supplements were inaccurately labeled. 

One melatonin supplement, for example, contained 347 percent— 4.5 times — of the hormone than was listed, while another did not contain any melatonin at all and instead was made of CBD.

Dr Chelsie Rohrscheib, a neuroscientist and sleep expert at Wesper, told DailyMail.com: ‘The only way to ensure the dosage of your melatonin is accurate is to get a prescription for melatonin, which is more controlled than over-the-counter supplements.’

According to CDC data, melatonin overdose accounted for nearly five percent of all pediatric poisoning cases in 2021, compared with 0.6 percent in 2012. It was the most frequently ingested substance among children reported to national poison control centers. 

While the vast majority of cases reported to poison control were asymptomatic, around 84 percent, more severe symptoms involved the gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, or central nervous systems.

Though melatonin overdose is rarely deadly, more severe cases can cause very low blood pressure, disorientation, and tremors.

‘Taking too much melatonin may cause excessive sleepiness and grogginess, poor or abnormal sleep, vivid or bad dreams, poor daytime functioning, reduced mood, and poor cognition,’ Dr Rohrscheib said.

‘Very high amounts of melatonin may lead to nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, and confusion.’

‘If you’re abnormally groggy during the day or your sleep is getting worse, or if you start having unexpected symptoms such as nausea, headache, and dizziness, this is a sign that you’ve consumed too much melatonin.’

Vomiting is a common side effect of melatonin poisoning, and when your child begins slurring their speech, it’s time to go to the emergency department.

There is no strong existing research into the long-term effects of melatonin. However, experts fear there could be a few negative side effects of regular use of the drug, and it could even potentially increase a person’s risk of developing dementia in older age, according to a study published in JAMA. 

The researchers in that study warned that Americans ‘self-medicating’ with high doses over a long-term period are putting themselves at risk of short-term side effects, including fatigue, dizziness, headaches, and more serious health consequences in the long term, especially if taken with other medications.

They also said the spike is ‘a crazy situation that has gotten out of hand.’ 

Dr Cydney McQueen, a pharmacist in Kansas City, Missouri, told the American Pharmacists Association that adolescents shouldn’t use melatonin ‘as it is used by the body to trigger some changes associated with puberty.’ 

‘There aren’t any medications recommended for long-term use for insomnia in children or adults,’ Dr Jennifer Martin, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, told JAMA. 

‘We always try nonmedication approaches first, and for most people, that works.’ 

Because the supplement can contain so much more melatonin than the labels suggest, experts advise starting with the lowest dose possible.

‘Only very low doses are needed to give a big boost to the amount of melatonin that our bodies are already producing,’ Dr McQueen said. ‘For children especially, a dose of 0.3 to 1 mg is appropriate. Those doses can also be appropriate and effective for most adults, although up to 5 mg could be used.’

‘Most sleep issues in children can be solved by lifestyle and environmental changes. If your child is having difficulty sleeping, it’s best to speak to their pediatrician first before giving them melatonin,’ Dr Rohrscheib said.

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Post source: Daily mail