Insomnia is an extremely common
disorder in children, most often affecting children with autism, attention
deficit disorder, and emotional disturbances. Stress and simple habits can also
play a major role in childhood insomnia.
Many
parents are concerned about the implications that prescription or
over-the-counter sleep aids may have on their children's development. As an
herbalist, I've had numerous parents come to me for advice after finding that
pharmaceutical sleep aids caused their children to be groggy, slow-thinking,
depressed, or even hyperactive.
Fortunately,
there are several sleep aids believed to be safe and effective for treating
insomnia in children. While these are generally considered safe and have been
backed by clinical studies, always talk to your child's doctor before adding
any new supplement or medication to your child's treatment plan.
A root
containing a number of sedative volatile oils, valerian is one of the
best-known and most effective treatments for insomnia in both adults and
children. Unlike pharmaceutical drugs, valerian actually increases the amount
of time spent in REM sleep, leading most insomniacs to feel more rested and
refreshed after sleep.
Valerian's
safety in children has been vouched for by at least two peer-reviewed studies.
One study of nearly 1000 children showed that valerian worked to eliminate
insomnia in children 6-12, with no adverse side effects. Another study of five
learning-impaired children showed a remarkable improvement in sleep patterns
after the children were given valerian.
For
children, valerian can be given safely as a tea or extract. Valerian tea is
naturally bitter, so some parents may choose to ice and sweeten it, or mix it
with hot chocolate, to make it easier for the child to drink. Alcohol-free
extracts produced by the company Herbs for Kids are also an easy, effective
method for administering the herb. However, valerian remains unstudied in
children under three and should be avoided by infants and toddlers.
Chamomile
Fortunately
children under three who suffer from insomnia, chamomile is a safer alternative
to valerian and has been established to be safe for use in young children.
Chamomile is so useful and safe, even in very young children, that it is often
administered to babies who are teething or suffering from colic. See this article regarding chamomile and teething for more
information.
Never
shown to cause any severe side effects and generally recognized as safe by the
FDA, chamomile may be an ideal option for treating insomnia in children,
especially young children. Although anecdotal reports from my clients have
indicated that it is not quite as strong as valerian, it may be more suited for
children who have milder cases of insomnia, are very young, or are small in
size.
Chamomile
has a naturally sweet, apple-like flavor and any children will drink it
directly as a tea, either iced or hot. Several parents have told me that their
child accepted chamomile more readily when it was mixed with apple juice, so I
now frequently recommend that. Kid-friendly extracts containing no alcohol are
also available at most health food stores.
Melatonin
For
children with autism, anxiety disorders, or chronic nightmares, melatonin may
be the safest natural solution for insomnia. Melatonin has been widely studied
in children and there are over two dozen established studies vouching for both
its safety and effectiveness. Melatonin appears to be particularly effective
when insomnia is caused by mental deficits or illnesses in children.
One
interesting study showed that both children and adults with autism are more
likely to be deficient in melatonin, which may suggest that melatonin not only
has the potential to alleviate insomnia in children, but also to help with
other struggles pertaining to autism spectrum disorders.
Several
studies have also demonstrated that children who take melatonin before bed
sleep longer and deeper, and report having fewer nightmares. For unknown
reasons, melatonin does not seem to work as uniformly in children as other
alternative treatments.
Melatonin
appears to be very well-tolerated by children of all ages, but has not been
thoroughly studied yet in infants. Most pediatricians recommend against the use
of any sedative in children under 1 year of age.
Insomnia
in children can be a difficult disease to overcome, and is stressful to both
children and parents. Fortunately, for those who wish to avoid pharmaceutical
drugs for the treatment of this extremely common disorder, safe, effective,
natural alternatives exist.
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