Can sleep medicines help with your child’s sleep problems?
If your child is having problems with getting to sleep or staying asleep, medicine won’t necessarily fix the problem.
In Australia, sleep medicines are rarely used to help children and teenagers sleep because medicines can have side effects. Even herbal or ‘natural’ remedies can have side effects.
Before you talk with your GP about sleep medicines for your child, it’s always best to try sleep and lifestyle changes to help your child sleep better.
If changes to lifestyle and sleep habits aren’t helping, talk with your GP – especially if your child’s sleep problems are affecting their wellbeing, schoolwork or relationships. Also seek help if sleep problems are making your child anxious or if the problems go on for more than 2-4 weeks.
When to consider sleep medicines and remedies for your child
When children have persistent sleep problems, doctors might sometimes prescribe a medicine like melatonin or a sedative. Persistent sleep problems are problems that continue even after children try better sleep habits and lifestyle changes.
If your doctor prescribes sleep medicine for your child, the doctor will recommend other strategies for your child as well. This combined approach will help to resolve your child’s problems faster. It also means the medicine won’t be needed for as long, and your child will keep sleeping better when they stop taking the medicine.
Some sleep medicines are available without a prescription. For example, this might include natural sleep remedies in health food shops, in pharmacies or online. If you want to use one of these medicines, always talk about it with your doctor first.
And always check on the side effects of over-the-counter and prescribed sleep medicines by asking your doctor or pharmacist.
You should give your child sleep medicine only if your doctor advises you to do so and only if your doctor is supervising your child’s treatment. Never give your child more than the recommended dose of any medicine.
Herbal sleep remedies and supplements
What are they?
Herbal or ‘natural’ sleep remedies include chamomile, hops, passion flower, Jilungin teas and St John’s wort.
Supplements include valerian, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (fish oil).
You can get these remedies and supplements in many health food shops and some pharmacies.
Do they help?
There isn’t much evidence to show that natural remedies help with sleep problems.
Supplements might improve sleep quality in some people, but there isn’t enough evidence to show that they help.
What else should you know?
Herbal sleep remedies and supplements don’t go through the same testing as medicines prescribed by your doctor or bought over the counter at your pharmacy.
Mixing prescription medicine and over-the-counter medicine or herbal remedies from a pharmacy or health food shop can be very dangerous. Always check with your doctor or pharmacist first.
Iron
What is it?
Iron is an essential mineral. Low iron stores can cause some sleep problems.
Does it help?
If your child has restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movement disorder or restless sleep and has low iron stores, your doctor might recommend additional iron intake through foods high in iron or through supplements.
Melatonin
What is it?
Melatonin is a hormone produced naturally by your brain when it gets dark at night. It helps your body to fall asleep at night. It also helps to maintain your body clock from day to day.
Does it help?
Melatonin is not approved for use by typically developing children.
But your child’s doctor might prescribe melatonin if your child is:
- aged over 2 years
- is autistic or has ADHD or low vision or blindness
- has persistent sleep problems or trouble falling asleep and waking up in the morning.
What else should you know?
If your child is taking melatonin, they need to be settled and ready for bed before having their nightly dose. This is because melatonin usually works within 30-60 minutes. You shouldn’t give melatonin to your child except under direct medical advice and supervision.
Sedative medicines
What are they?
Sedative medicines include Vallergan and Phenergan.
Do they help?
Sedative medicines are very unlikely to help with your child’s sleep problems unless your child uses them in combination with strategies focused on their bedtime routine and sleep habits.
What else should you know?
Your child should take sedative medicines only under the supervision of your doctor.
These medicines aren’t recommended for children aged under 2 years. They can cause side effects like irritability, hyperactivity, challenging behaviour and daytime drowsiness in some children.
Sleeping tablets
What are they?
Sleeping tablets include benzodiazepines.
Do they help?
In rare situations your doctor might prescribe a sleeping tablet for your child under careful medical supervision and usually only for a limited time. Sleeping tablets are very unlikely to help with your child’s sleep problems unless your child uses them in combination with strategies focused on their bedtime routine and sleep habits.
What else should you know?
Sleeping tablets are sometimes prescribed for adults with sleep problems, but their effects in children haven’t been studied enough.
Some sleeping tablets can be addictive.
It’s never safe to give your child medicine prescribed for someone else.
Other prescription medicines
If your child is autistic or has ADHD, a behaviour disorder, developmental delay or a medical condition like cerebral palsy and is also sleeping poorly, discuss this with your doctor. The doctor might be able to prescribe other medicines for your child’s sleep problems.