Melatonin - Is it Helping or Harming My Child's Sleep? - Pediatric Sleep Specialists

Par un écrivain mystérieux

Description

Insomnia is a common condition. In fact, up to 50% of American toddlers, 20-40% of pre-school and school-aged children, and greater than 10% or adolescents have insomnia at some point. It occurs even more frequently in children with disorders such as Autism. Insomnia is generally characterized by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or waking earlier than desired in the morning. If these patterns exist at least three times a week, for three months or more it is categorized as chronic insomnia. When parents are confronted with a child who has insomnia, they often desperately look for solutions to help get their child to sleep. Many times, they try melatonin. Understanding Our Body Clock Circadian rhythms are day and night cycles that are controlled by the body’s internal clock. One of the most important circadian rhythms is the sleep-wake cycle. Some