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The Impact of Melatonin on Sleep in Children with ASD Diagnosis
In the July 2013 issue of the Natural Medicine Journal, Jessica Mitchell discusses a study that looked at the impact of melatonin supplementation on sleep in children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study was published in the August 2012 issue of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. The study looked at 24 children between the ages of 3-10 and the dose of melatonin used ranged from 1 mg - 6 mg. The study found that all 24 children (through their parents' feedback/reporting) experienced an improvement in sleep difficulties, in the length of time it took to fall asleep, and in the number of hours of sleep per night. The parents also reported an improvement in the children's mood and behaviours. Most/All children with ASD diagnosis have some difficulty with their sleep. This study provides a great insight into the importance of considering melatonin for children with ASD to support a more restful and balanced sleep.
We recently started melatonin for my 4 year old son who is gifted with sensory processing issues. He's been sleeping only 9 hours since age 2. Using only 0.5mg it took about 1 month to take affect. He has now been sleeping 11 hours most days in the last couple of weeks. He no longer has huge bags under his eyes and isn't as tired and emotional!
ReplyDeleteAwesome - thanks so much for sharing!!
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