Is melatonin a safe sleep aid for children?

Natural sleep rememdies

Sleeping Baby_20110225173205_JPG

Copyright 2011 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Posted: 09/05/2012

We all know the feeling of desperation you have when your children refuse to go to bed, or can't get to sleep.

Some parents are resorting to the dietary supplement melatonin to put their kids to sleep.

Mom Jessica Banks says bed time took hours with her two sons before she discovered the over the counter cure.

She gives her boys one and a half milligrams of melatonin every night before bed.

Banks has had it cleared by multiple doctors, but manufactured melatonin has not been approved by the FDA.

Some doctors are concerned that just because it is natural does not mean it is safe.

In some cases, manufactured melatonin can cause side effects like headaches, dizziness, and day time drowsiness.

Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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