Each evening is the same story, your child cannot fall asleep, he wakes up at night, he is agitated...Know that synthetic melatonin can be recommended in some cases, to help your child better understand sleep.But this requires medical advice.Advice and info.
With: Marie-Pascale Schuller, doctor, Nora Mahfoufi, child psychiatrist, Sarah Ducrocq, pediatrician and Corinne Grossard, nurse
Faced with the sleeping problems of a child, we can be tempted.e to give it melatonin, in the form of drugs.Is it possible ?What is the effectiveness of melatonin?A nurse, a child psychiatrist, a pediatrician and a doctor answered our questions.
What is melatonin?
Melatonin, known as “sleep hormone”, is at the center of the chronobiological mechanisms."Melatonin is a hormone naturally secreted during the night by the brain.One of its physiological functions is to promote falling asleep, "according to the ANSES website.fr "it's a sleep inductor hormone.It is created naturally in the body and will trigger the sleep phenomenon.It is regulated by the day, by the light.The physiological rhythm that helps fall asleep is triggered in the evening, when the light fades.When there is an increase in melatonin, it is a sleep inducer, "said Dr. Marie-Pascale Schuller.
The sleep apnea alliance site explains three essential points on the production of melatonin in the human body:
Natural or synthetic melatonin?There is no difference
The secretion of melatonin is produced naturally by the brain, more precisely by the pineal gland.But there is also a synthetic version, available in the form of drugs manufactured by laboratories."Synthetic melatonin is the reproduction of natural melatonin, in the form of a drug or a food supplement," explains Dr. Marie-Pascale Schuller.Concretely, synthetic melatonin is available in two forms:
- drugs, subject to medical prescription,
- Food supplements, over -the -counter in pharmacy.
À lire aussiWhat is the difference between melatonin medication and food supplements?
The drug that contains melatonin should be prescribed by a doctor, child psychiatrist or pediatrician.It is therefore necessary to an order.Very strict follow -up is recommended when taking this molecule.
On the other hand, food supplements can be bought without prescription in pharmacy, food supplements not being subject to the same regulations.Their melatonin dosage must be less than 2 mg, otherwise it becomes a medication, subject to medical prescription."The food supplement probably does not only contain melatonin.There must probably be vitamins or associated trace elements, ”explains Dr. Sarah Ducrocq, pediatrician.These are more adults who buy melatonin in the form of food supplements.According to the National Food Safety Agency for Food, Environment and Work (ANSES), taking food supplements based on melatonin can cause adverse effects, such as "general symptoms (headache, dizziness, drowsiness, nightmares, irritability), neurological disorders (tremors, migraines) and gastroenterological (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain).The agency recommends limiting these food supplements to punctual use.And more generally advocates consumers to take advice from a healthcare professional before consuming food supplements.as well as to report to his doctor taking food supplements.Anges specifies that we should not give food supplements based on melatonin to pregnant women, children and adolescents."For epileptic, asthmatic people, suffering from mood, behavior or personality disorders or according to drug treatment, the consumption of food supplements containing melatonin must be subject to medical advice.», Advises ANSES again.
À lire aussiCan babies take melatonin?
Babies generally do not need to take melatonin, they begin to secrete naturally from three months.The less medication is given to your child, the better.In all cases, it will be necessary to wait for the age of two to identify possible sleep disorders in a child.We never give melatonin alone.E to a child, medical validation is always necessary.
At part of what age can we give melatonin?
In a medical framework, melatonin can be prescribed from an early age.But "in general, we do not give melatonin to babies under a year," explains the nurse Corinne Grossard.For young children from two years old, a dose of 1 mg will be favored, which may increase if sleep disorders persist while growing up.When to give it to the child?"We give melatonin to the child 30 minutes before sleep," recommends child psychiatrist Nora Mahfoufi.
What are the dangers of melatonin for the child's sleep?
Does melatonin have dangers?"It is not dangerous as such," replied Dr. Schuller.Provided that the doses are adapted to children.The dosage depends on the disorder that the child has.What is dangerous is to medicalize, that parents give excessive drugs, "continues Dr. Marie-Pascale Schuller.“Melatonin can be given in children who suffer from psychiatric affections, children who are extremely agitated.Otherwise, there is no reason to give melatonin to a child.It is necessary to do an extremely attentive exam in order to know why he has sleep disorders.»»
"We must examine the child, question him. Il y a toute une démarche devant son trouble du sommeil que les parents peuvent identifier»», recommande le Dr Marie-Pascale Schuller.
But beware, we do not give melatonin like that to a child in good health, just so that it is less turbulent, even if there is no risk compared to the drug and that the molecule nis not toxic.However, it may be dangerous to give this treatment to a child whose troubles are not known.It is for this reason that parents must be very attentive, and consult a child psychiatrist specializing in sleep disorders in order to benefit from good care.
It should be kept in mind that sleep disorders are frequent in infants, the difficulties of falling asleep too.A quality sleep, in the long term, will gradually be set up through a benevolent accompaniment of the parents.
À lire aussiA dose between 1 mg and 2 mg or more, on a case by case basis
Dans le cas où la mélatonine est prescrite par le pédiatre, quelle est la dose recommandée ? « Le dosage dépend de la pathologie, de ce que l'on veut, ça dépend de plein de choses»», explique Corinne Grossard, infirmière.A dosage between 1 and 2 mg will be able to help the child to be peaceful before night, in case of behavioral insomnia.The dose of melatonin in children varies according to each of them.Each case is different and requires the advice of a doctor.
Can autistic children take melatonin?What dosage and dosage?
For an autistic child, taking medication or food supplements based on melatonin is not always necessary.But this can be part of the psychiatrist's arsenal to help the child find a sleep of sleep compatible with a social life.According to the autism and sleep body, 50 to 80 % of autistic people suffer from sleep disorders."Sommelies are present in many children with autism spectrum disorders (TSA).The most frequent symptoms are the difficulty of falling asleep, a shorter consolidated sleep period, and early awakenings.These disorders can worsen the symptoms of autism and impact the quality of life of all those around them. D’où l’importance d’une prise en charge précoce qui passe en premier lieu par l’adoption de bonnes habitudes "veille-sommeil"»», peut-on lire sur le site web de l'organisme.
For an autistic child or who suffers from ADHD (attention deficit disorders with/without hyperactivity), the dosage can increase up to 10 mg for very large behavioral insomnia, always under medical surveillance.Melatonin can then have a positive effect on the behavior of the autistic child.It is absolutely necessary to follow the recommendations of a child psychiatrist to have optimal support throughout the taking of this drug.
What medicine to make my child sleep?
It is absolutely not necessary as a parent, to promote the taking of psychotropic drugs for your child.This could have long -term disastrous consequences, on the child's biological clock and its growth, therefore on its health. « Il vaut mieux éviter les médicaments chez les enfants, comme pour les adultes»», insiste Corinne Grossard, infirmière.
The doctor recommended that your child take melatonin, and you are wondering how long the treatment will last?How do you know when he will no longer need it?"When the child begins to have correct sleep phases and have a sleeping alone, without the help of melatonin, you have to stop the medication and see if it works.»» À savoir : il n'y a pas de dépendance à cette molécule à l'arrêt du traitement.
À lire aussiMelatonin in children: no study proves the effectiveness of treatment or the absence of side effects
On taking melatonin by children, opinions are shared.Recall that it can only be given in the context of strict medical follow-up, and for children who suffer from precise pathologies.Here are the pathologies described by the drug safety agency and health products (ANSM)
In the case of a medical prescription, what are the recommended doses?"The" circadin ", which is 2 mg, is a regulator of the sleep-up rhythm. Il est le premier médicament de mélatonine commercialisé indiqué pour l'adulte»», mais il n'est pas autorisé pour l'enfant,explique le Dr Marie-Pascale Schuller.Dr. Sarah Ducrocq indicates that for the child, there is the "Slenyto" which can be taken from 1 mg, then we increase the dose if necessary.»»« Ce médicament est remboursé par l'Assurance maladie»», précise le Dr Nora Mahfoufi, pédopsychiatre.They are both prolonged liberation drugs.There is therefore a marketing authorization (AMM) for Slenyto, since the drug can be prescribed for very specific cases, such as autistic children, between 2 and 18 years old.According to the nurse Corinne Grossard, and Dr. Nora Mahfoufi, there have been no undesirable effects reported to the taking of melatonin in children.
Natural solutions so that the child easily fell asleep
We do not recommend melatonin for children because, what to favor are rituals to sleep a few hours before bedtime.It is the acquisition of a coordinated sleep habit with a peaceful social life."The rhythms of meals must be regular and there are outdoor walks during the day, because exposure to daylight promotes the natural synthesis of melatonin. On parle de “donneurs de temps” : les repas, l'exposition à la lumière du jour et les rituels d'endormissement»», d'après la pédopsychiatre Nora Mahfoufi."Before going to bed, we turn off the screens, we cut all the light stimulation, the noise, we put a soft light, we refresh the temperature of the room.We put into practice a sleep ritual to help the body relax and decrease its body temperature, and therefore it helps to fall asleep. Cela s'appelle du ré-apprentissage à retrouver le sommeil, pour aider l’enfant à s’endormir»», indique le Dr Marie-Pascale Schuller.We can give herbal teas in the evening like Valerian, chamomile, it is alternative solutions, natural health products, which help the child fall asleep and improve their quality of life.
If your child has sleep disorders, overly frequent night's alarm clocks, do not delay making an appointment with a specialist without waiting for this to get worse.The prescription of melatonin is not obvious, but it can be useful in certain cases where the disorders are really unmanageable.Never give melatonin to a child without the advice and validation of the child's doctor.
A lire aussiAuteur : PAurélie FabreWith: Marie-Pascale Schuller, doctor, Nora Mahfoufi, child psychiatrist, Sarah Ducrocq, pediatrician and Corinne Grossard, nurse Article publié le
