Sweet dreams? Keep your eyes wide open before popping that melatonin

B

edtime at Rochel’s house is as smooth as their 100-percent cotton sheets. When the clock inches close to six, a freshly bathed and pajamaed duo scampers to the kitchen.

“Time for your melatonin!” Rochel says to her youngest children, Esti and Moishy. Both down the sweet, chewy supplements, and then teeth brushing, Shema, and a bedtime story follow. Within half an hour, both children are yawning widely.

“I’m tired,” Esti complains.

“So am I,” Moishy mumbles, rubbing his eyes. Rochel tucks them into bed, softly says goodnight, and leaves the room. Five minutes later, peace and quiet reign.

Sounds like an impossible dream?

“Bedtime wasn’t always like that,” Rochel, a mother of nine, admits. “When my kids were younger, they would lie in bed for hours. They just couldn’t fall asleep. Mornings were terrible, and my kids were so cranky during the day. A cousin of mine told me about melatonin, and I decided to try it out. From then on, bedtime was a dream. Melatonin is just another part of our bedtime routine. One dose, and my little ones can practically put themselves to bed! I need my evenings and my children need their sleep — it’s a win-win situation for everyone!”

Rina doesn’t use Rochel’s system. “I use melatonin after trips to deal with the jet lag — only half a gummy for each child. It worked to put my kids to sleep, but it didn’t aways help them stay asleep. And I definitely won’t use it on a nightly basis. I’m too nervous. Who knows what it can do? Maybe it’s addictive?”

“The goal is a good night’s sleep,” Mashy asserts. “Some of my kids needed melatonin, and some of them didn’t. I have several children with ADHD, and they really needed melatonin, otherwise they simply couldn’t sleep. My pediatrician didn’t think a low dose would be a problem, and I’ve found that it really works.”

Deenie is curt and firm. Does she ever use melatonin for herself or her children? “Never. Who can tell if it’s really safe?”

So many different (and strong!) opinions regarding melatonin. So much confusion. So many questions.

Is it merely “nature’s sleeping pill,” a harmless way to send our kids (and ourselves) off to dreamland… or is there a sinister side to the “hormone of darkness?”