I am a firm believer that you can confirm or disprove anything you want to on the internet. There is plenty of research online that says Melatonin is perfectly safe. However, there is just as much that says it's not. Some say it's a hormone, others disagree. It talks about reasons to give it to a child, when it would be in their best interest. Kids with ADHD or Autism can benefit from taking it. One comment stood out more than any...."Melatonin should not be given to a perfectly healthy child that just doesn't want to go to sleep". Hmmm....is that what we are doing? I do think he has some legit anxiety about bedtime, the dark, etc, as do all kids at one time or another. And, knowing how much Miles needs sleep and has a difficult time functioning effectively without it, I do think Melatonin would be good for him for that reason.
The verdict? We will continue to use it, but not every night. He has his 3 year check up in a few weeks. I plan to talk to his pediatrician about it then. I have an appointment in September with my doctor, and I will also talk to him. I'm hoping after both of these conversations, I will feel free to go back to using it every night. Until then, we'll just use it as needed.....like when he really needs a good night sleep...or if he's really wound up...or if Darrin's out of town, which can make bedtime a complete struggle. I'm sad b/c bedtime had become so easy and I felt like Darrin and I actually regained some of our time at night. Oh well, it's just a phase....this too shall pass.
On a lighter note...I bought Miles 3 new pairs of shoes this weekend. We woke up one day and several of his shoes were too small. These are his favorite. He's been running around the house since he got them. I guess he's testing them out to see how fast they go.
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