Melatonin, on the couch

<p>A previous podcast discussed how jet-lag medication was used to treat young people for sleep problems. A dietary supplement containing melatonin was readily available in health shops throughout the United Kingdom until it was banned. In some cases, melatonin supplements may also contain serotonin. Be mindful that the human body can make melatonin from the enzymatic conversion of serotonin into melatonin. There have been reports of poisoning in children who needed hospital care, and several young children died from a melatonin overdose.  </p> <p>Five of the seven deaths occurred in children younger than one year old. There have also been further concerns about how it might affect a child’s growth, development, and well-being, particularly during puberty. Studies found that morning sleepiness, drowsiness, and perhaps increased urination at night are the most common side effects that occur while taking melatonin. </p> <p>Always talk with your paediatrician about the proper dose and timing of melatonin for your child.<b>  </b>And remember, it should be something other than a good bedtime routine, young or old.</p> <p><b>Let’s start by looking at this hormone in more detail. </b></p> <p>An article by Amelia Nierenberg wrote in the New York Times states that most people think of melatonin as a natural sleep aid, like chamomile tea in pill form. But melatonin is also a hormone that our brains naturally produce, and like it or not, hormones, even in minuscule amounts, they can have a potent effect throughout the body.</p> <p>“There are some clinical uses for it, but not the way that it’s been marketed and used by the vast majority of the public,” said Jennifer Martin, a psychologist and professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.</p> <p>Experts strongly urge people to consult their doctor or a sleep specialist before taking melatonin, partly because the supplement does not address many underlying health problems that disrupt sleep. Anxiety can cause insomnia, as can a host of other p