Alternatives to Melatonin

[Lbj_0216]

Hello—

My six (almost seven) year old daughter was just diagnosed with ADHD and General Anxiety Disorder. Like many kids with these two disorders she has SUCH a hard time getting to sleep at night. A combined inability to settle and an all consuming fear of aloneness/the dark means many meltdowns, night wakings, late bedtimes and early mornings.

We are ~so~ careful with sleep hygiene, though she insists on sleeping with a lamp on. No getting around that unless we lay with her every night for two hours. A little while ago we figured out that melatonin helps her get to sleep much faster, but an unintended consequence of the melatonin has been an uptick in intense dreams/nightmares, which has had a counter effect of sorts, in that she is MORE nervous to go to sleep every night. We’ve tried lowering the dosage but unless we eliminate the melatonin altogether the dreams persist. Interestingly the dreams go away pretty much right away when we stop giving it to her.

Does anyone have any other suggestions for a kid friendly sleep aid that doesn’t cause vivid dreams? According to my (brief) research, there is a strong correlation between melatonin usage and nightmares. She isn’t on any other medication (other than occasional Benadryl for allergies) but it looks like that might change very soon with her new diagnosis. Thanks in advance for any ideas or suggestions you have!

[N_37]

I wish I had advice here - but i'm actually adding to this because I have similar questions about sleep, ADHD, anxiety. Who here can weigh in?

A lot of my posts on here are me troubleshooting natural fixes/coping strategies for my 11 year old stepson, because his mother won't allow him to get evaluated for medication or just to see what else might be helpful. He lives with us primarily, so I spent most of my time with him.

He has a lot of nightmares, sleep walking, can't sleep, generally just waking up. It drives his dad crazy, because it really disrupts his sleep too. I can pretty much sleep anywhere, so I can fall right back asleep and no big deal. But two cranky/sleepy dudes in my house is too much! He's had trouble sleeping since he was born, like it never improved over time according to Dad.

Literally just yesterday I got my stepson a heavier weighted blanket because the one he had was too light. He seems to do really well with weight or pressure, so we give him a lot of big hugs before bed. He mentioned to me this morning the blanket made him tired, quicker. So i'm going to keep that up and see how it goes tonight. Strangely though, he had a really bad nightmare anyway! Its like the deeper he sleeps, the more he's processing? I don't know, but i'm a little concerned. Nightmares are for sure natural and a way of the brain to figure stuff out, but his are really violent according to him. What's up with that? His dad and I feel like it's the video games he plays. I feel like content plays a role, since it's what he's engaging in daily? Not sure, but I'm all about keeping the household calm and cozy at night, so hoping to find ways to make things more relaxing and positive around here.

I have not tried melatonin with him, but his Dad (who also has ADHD) uses it and he says his dreams are out of control when he takes it. I have tried sleep time tea on my SS, and it does nothing. (Works wonders on me though! I do not have ADHD, but I do have an anxiety disorder.)

[Overwhelmed_mama]

That sounds so challenging!Something that helps my 6 y/o (with ADHD and anxiety) relax and fall asleep is his weighted blanket. We tried different weights (starting with the recommended weight which was too light for him). We settled on a 10lb blanket with extra soft cover. There are many available on Amazon and Target - we got one with a removable/machine washable cover and glass beads. It seems to help a lot, and he hasn't been taking melatonin as often.

We also got a weighted PillowFort stuffy (a 3lb shark). It's so soft and cozy, my son loves cuddling with it, particularly when he is feeling upset.

Hope this helps

[Imaaan]

Hello,

I'm sorry to hear that your precious child is having such difficulties with sleep. I've suffered with sleep issues for years and it's awful. Please increase salmon in her diet and try a fish oil supplements with a high EPA. They both help with sleep and adhd. Another thing is having one banana around supper time. Bananas are rich in magnesium which help promote sleep. I have one every night. You can try lavender in a diffuser to help with relaxation. Also chamomile tea with milk and honey could possibly help.

As for melatonin, I tend to avoid it because it isn't good for your pineal gland in the long run but I've had a lot of success with valerian root supplements. I was first introduced to it on the Dr Oz show. That said, I'm really hesitant to suggest it to you because of the child's age.

Also, please try looking into gut health and adhd.