Ways to naturally boost your child’s melatonin levels for better sleep
There has been an alarming increase in the use of melatonin supplements to tackle child sleep problems, with very mixed information available out there regarding its effectiveness, side effects and long term use. Whilst it may seem like the easier route, here are some reasons as to why I recommend addressing your issues naturally*
WHAT IS MELATONIN?
Melatonin is a naturally produced hormone which regulates our circadian rhythms (body clock) and facilitates our transition to sleep and promote consistent, quality sleep.
Melatonin supplements are being used to tackle sleep issues.
WHAT DOES A MELATONIN SUPPLEMENT DO?
They can shorten the length of time to fall asleep, or induce sleep more quickly due to the higher levels of melatonin after taking the supplement. Whilst melatonin tablets can have their benefits for jet lag and circadian rhythm sleep issues, they should be prescribed by a doctor.
THE DOWNSIDES
They aren’t very good at sustaining sleep, so whilst it may assist your child to fall asleep more easily, those night wakings are very likely to keep occurring!
Like most supplements, long term use is not advised, and it is much better to address the root cause naturally
Melatonin works together with serotonin, which triggers REM sleep so the melatonin supplement alone only makes up one part of the bodily sleep function, and this impacts the quality of sleep. Essentially your child may sleep more quickly or for a bit longer, but they will be missing out on the core functions that sleep provides with regards to development and restoration. This is why long term use is not advised.
HOW TO BOOST MELATONIN PRODUCTION NATURALLY
So after a lit bit of info on how the supplements work, hopefully you can see why its much better (yes a little bit harder work!) to help promote healthier sleep patterns in a natural way. I have plenty of resources to help you achieve this and provide one on one coaching to guide you if needed. But first, lets focus on a few ways to NATURALLY increase the amount of melatonin production to aid your child’s sleep.
DARKNESS
Melatonin is produced when the sun goes down, or when it’s dark! So if you live somewhere where the sun goes down late, or your tackling jet lag- artificially create darkness with the use of black out blinds when it is nap or close to bed time to stimulate the production.
DAYLIGHT
Elevated melatonin levels at night rely on low melatonin production in the day. So lots of natural daylight is your solution to this. Maximise their daylight and outdoor time, in between naps.
fOOD
Yes! You can feed your way to better sleep. There are certain food that contain melatonin and tryptophan which aid sleep. Here is a list of the top sleepy foods which you can include in dinner and/or supper:
Milk, eggs, fish, turkey
Pineapple, oranges, Goji berries, pomegranates, bananas.
Walnuts, almonds, oats and seeds
oats, nuts and seeds.
RELAXING ROUTINE
Creating a relaxing and predictable wind down routine will aid the release of melatonin, and ensure a smooth falling asleep process in conjunction with the other sleep foundations that I promote. Include a nice warm bath to help this relaxation process but in addition the drop in temperature that the body experiences after the bath also is a good way to help your child feel sleepy.
SMELL
Lavender is a scent that induces relaxation, which in turn raises melatonin as a response. A lavender scent in a diffuser can be helpful or add some lavender to their bath.
screen time
It’s surprising how many families I work with who use ipads and Tv close to bed time. The blue light emitted from these screens inhibits the production of melatonin and fools the brain into thinking its daytime, directly impacting how smoothly or quickly your child will fall asleep. It makes them more alert which is surely the last thing we need at bed time! I say no screens at least 2 hours before bed time.
SLEEP SUPPORT
I hope this article was helpful, highlighting that your child’s sleep can be improved in natural ways. Boosting melatonin production is a small part of the whole picture so please read my other articles for more information in ways to improve child and infant sleep. As Hong Kong’s leading infant sleep specialist you may also wish to book in for one on one sleep coaching support. Book your consultation with me using any of the the contact details below:
The Sleeep Lab
Child sleep consultant, Hong Kong
instagram: @thesleeeplab
www.thesleeeplab.com
Jade Dharmana
+852 98534883
*There are certain cases, for instance children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD and autism, where melatonin supplements are considered helpful. The information here is not related to these situations. Always consult your doctor.