<p>For me, melatonin works like magic for traveling. No jet lag. </p>
<p>That said, DH, who travels internationally a lot more than I do, tries to curb his melatonin intake so as not to lose its effectiveness. He also suffers from early-wake-up syndrome and sometimes uses it for that. With somewhat mixed results. Melatonin will help him fall asleep. Just not STAY asleep.</p>
<p>I have bizzare sleep cycles. And what works for me one night will not work for me another. I do like the sleepytime tea, especially the new vanilla flavor. I have had good luck with those teas. The “active” ingredient is chamomile and valerian root. And you can find negative things about both of those if you google them too.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>No need to spend money on a sleep lab! I can fall asleep easily enough. We are a family of five (four when D is at school). All of the bedrooms are upstairs and the house is not all that big. Any given night there is someone downstairs at one a.m. getting crushed ice out of the ice maker or coming in a 2 am and lumbering upstairs, perhaps taking a shower, or someone getting up to use the bathroom. And of course, H and Son snore a lot. My busy, noisy family members are the cause of me waking up. </p>
<p>Said family members are also the cause of me not being able to fall back asleep…as they say, thet older the child, the bigger the problem…my kids have issues, some small and some substantial. Sometimes I can turn my worry brain off by listening to the Faure *Pie Jesu *in my head. But I find that disolving a 1.3 mg melatonin pill works wonders! And yes, I have taken Benedryl, too, and it gives me a groggy feeling in the morning. No such problem with the melatonin.</p>
<p>Missypie, not helping your original question, but sympathies going out to you for what I call “the traffic in the middle of the night”! Especially when S is home from college. Seems like between various kids, husband who might come up late, the dog and his collar walking around (have learned to take that off before I go to bed) and yep, the general Mom-worrying business of teens and college students out and about during the evening and wee hours - it seems like I’m drawn out of sleep all-night long!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Great name for it!</p>
<p>No one should rely on anything regularly- Benadryl I admit I take occasionally, but it it also has strong anticholinergic effects and can impact thinking.</p>
<p>Melatonin is available at my grocery store in 1mg doses- ( source naturals sublingual).
I take that occasionally as well, but it seems to only work if you have a deficiency, although reportedly many of us do as we age.</p>
<p>@ simpkin and vlines :I was wandering how many mg is the pill that your sons are taking?</p>
<p>My son takes the 1 mg pills. I just ordered some more from Amazon since this thread reminded me that I’m running low. I get the Source Naturals brand – you can search “melatonin 1mg sublingual” to find them.</p>
<p>By the way, for those who think it is wrong to rely on any kind of sleep aid, I think this is kind of unfair, like saying that it’s wrong to use anti-depressants if you’re struggling with depression. If you haven’t lived with chronic insomnia, you have no idea how debilitating it can be and how much it can affect your physical and mental health.</p>
<p>I take melatonin quite frequently and it works wonders. I have noticed a recent increase in headaches the next day. This may be totally unrelated. Two of my kids take them occasionally as well and have only reported good results.</p>
<p>When one kid started on Concerta, the pediatrician also suggested Melatonin, as the Rx would possibly cause insomnia. It was taken for a few weeks, but they stopped with no issues.</p>
<p>I have tried Melatonin when I travel internationally, but found it did not work. I now take Benadryl to knock me out when I’m out of my time zone by 4+ hours and for 1-2 nights when I return to get back in my normal cycle.</p>
<p>M son, who is 16 and has Down Syndrome and ADHD takes melatonin, 9 mcg’s and still is not sleeping. He is also taking clonidine and seroquel at bedtime. He still has nights he is up 4-5 times a night. I am thinking it is sleep apnea too but we could not get him to wear a C-Pap machine even if it is. He also is tactle defensive so will not tolerate anything like that. His behavior is really affected when he doesn’t have a good nights sleep, whose isn’t? He has been taking the melatonin every night for 2-3 years. He sleeps even less without it which is why we are continuing.</p>
<p>Sometimes sleep apnea is improved by tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. It would be worth seeing an ENT to see about this. Also (putting on my professional hat here), if he is still getting up 4-5 times/night maybe his meds need to be revised… regardless of the possible of sleep apnea…</p>
<p>Gosh, I’m not alone. Did you see this in yesterday’s New York Times magazine?</p>
<p>[Health</a> | Modern mother’s new little helper: Sleep medication | Seattle Times Newspaper](<a href=“http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2016699446_sleepingpill06.html]Health”>http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2016699446_sleepingpill06.html)</p>
<p>lammb66, I think melatonin works best when there is a deficiency- but taking it every night might be a little much.</p>
<p>There is evidence that melatonin helps kids with autism sleep, but I didn’t see research for kids with Down’s yet. At least give the smallest does possible & perhaps look into time-released doses.
[Melatonin</a> Helps Autistic Kids Sleep](<a href=“http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/news/20091012/melatonin-helps-autistic-kids-sleep]Melatonin”>What Is Autism?)
I have pain plus anxiety but don’t like the side effects from the meds my dr prescribes. I alternate melatonin with GABA and sometime benadryl for sleep.</p>