I just recently put my son on melatonin perscribed by his Dr and this is his second night on it, and i was wondering what the side affects to it were tonight he was grabbing his face and squeezing it(which he has never done before) and just kept crying then fell asleep about ten minutes later??? i don't know if he did it cuz he was so tired or if this is a side affect of the melatonin please help.

Dennis - posted on 05/27/2012

I have used Melatonin to help my Autistic son sleep but when I do he gets very aggressive and knocks things over and lashes out. I actually have to hold him down or wrap my legs and arms around him from behind or he will try and head butt you until he settles and this behavior repeats for a couple of days till the Melatonin leaves his system and then he is mellow again, for takes 72 hours to leave his system. This behavior manifests itself only when I gave him melatonin. The aggressiveness used to also do so before I put him on a GFCF and dairy free diet; and yes the non-gluten diets do work. I also found out that chemicals are being put in the beef by grocery stores like Walmart to make it last longer on the shelf. The beef was also causing his aggression, but poultry is ok. The change in foods is not only good for him but also good for myself as well. We both are no longer fat and I am down to my weight where I was in my teens and college years for I am 56 now. It took about a year but I love it too.

If you are getting mixed signals from the Medical Professions it is because they are heavily politically motivated from the U.S. government and Medical industry. My son has been autistic before they had all the labels they have to describe all the things they don't know. We were told by the man Dr. Barnhart who started DAN and had a autistic boy of his own stated that the Medical profession of which he was apart that it is common to attach labels to abnormalities of which they have no idea of what the source of the problem is. It makes it look like they know what is happening but in actuality don't have a clue. Sounds like a politician and many ways they are. I have confronted a "Specialist" with direct questioning and when he responded it was then obvious he does not know the source of why my boy is like this and this "Doctor" behaved like a child who got caught with he hand in the cookie jar and you know he is lying when he tries to explain. There is much misinformation coming from these so called specialists but once in a while I talked to a honest one who admits that they do not know the source and he told me that if you attack a government "secrete cow" the government will immediately move to discredit you as well as the Medical Industry. Reminds me of Obama. Now this is an honest doctor who I will take my son to again. In short watch your back and be careful what you share and who you share info with for you might lose your child because you don't play their game for it has happened and is happening. There was a report of a mother who lost her child because the child was fat and "they" did not like what she feed her child. This was our own U.S. government who use the tired old phase "in best interest of the child" but in actuality are telling you if we don't like the way you raise YOUR CHILD we will take them from you.

RESPECT online means today if you don't kiss up and play the Politically Correct game we will "censor" or "delete" you. You will find me unresponsive and I enforce the First Amendment which states the word "UNABRIDGED" and is why it is rare that I use "blogs" and refuse to participate in any online sites that censor my freedom of speech. I have the right to speak about anything I want for example Michelle Obama is a evil dangerous girl who is the source of the problem of interfering with our families and personal lives with our children with the help of MR. Obama; and let us not forget Hillary Clinton. These people are not politicians but are now in the process of controlling and removing all our freedoms.

He is MY SON and NOT Michelle and Obama the tyrant's or their lackeys and followers! I will do my best for my son for I love him and will always do right by him. PERIOD

Maria - posted on 04/16/2009

My daughter with autism had night terrors at two year of age where she would actually try to walk around have her eyes open everything! We hadn't used melatonin because at the time, other than occasional night terrors, she slept well. Not so anymore, and I am seriously thinking about trying melatonin. She goes to bed at midnight and wakes up at six thirty in the morning...no nap. I am afraid she will wear herself down and start to get sick from lack of sleep...that just isn't enough sleep for a five year old!

Kristen - posted on 03/22/2009

I have two kids on melatonin and I love it. We have been using it for about 1 1/2 years. My eight year old has PDDU NOS and her brother is five and has PDDU NEC (just diagnoised, but on melatonin for about a year). From everything all their doctors tell me melatonin is completely safe and has no side effects. Melatonin is the bodys natural hormone that makes you sleep and a lot of kids on the spectrum either don't make any or enough of it. I have never had a problem with either kid. Both sleep much better, they fall asleep faster and sleep through the nite. One thing I do warn you is as your child gets older you will need to increase the dose. It would be my guess too that your son was just trying to stay awake and not fall asleep. Hope this helps. I wouldn't worry. Enjoy the sleep.

Dennis - posted on 05/27/2012

EVERYONE STOP USING MELATONIN my son was doing the same thing, self inflected hitting and grabing his face and mouth like he wanted to ripe out his jaw, this stuff is the source and very dangerous. AND get another doctor for this one is a fool. My son was not only doing what you described but when I get close he would head but me and one time I received a black eye. He would grab me and cry out saying "help me". DO NOT USE MELATONIN for as I said it causes self inflected injures. This also happens when they ingest anything with gluten. Mines on a GFCF and dairy free diet. There are many products out now with no gluten and they taste the same.
Again stay away from MELATONIN for it will cause your child to hurt himself and will lash out and actually damage your place, Akin to behaving like a wild animal.

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No side effects to melatonin - it should be exactly the same as the brain produces itself to regulat sleep/wake cycles. HOWEVER, check with the pharmacist/manufacturer what ELSE is in it. Here in Australia I have to get it made specially - it is not licensed as a drug, so is made by a compounding pharmacist that specialises in hormone replacement therapy. He now makes it with NO artificial additives or sweetners (he uses Stevia - a herbal sweetner), just a smidge of alcohol to dissolve the stuff and glycerine syrup (instead of sugar-based).

Re: Nightmares/terrors. I found this was common in autism and we were given the Melatonin to help with this, although he was beginning to outgrow them anyway. He had nightmares at 10pm and night terrors at 2am everynight from age 2 to age 4. The night terrors woke the whole house up - he screamed for 20 mins or so every night and was unreachable and inconsolable. The only help/advice we got from doctors was "don't open the door - he won't remember you didn't go to him and YOU will be at risk of physically abusing your child if you do. No one functions well at 2am!". It was kinda wise, but unhelpful and didn't fix the problem.

Melatonin has been magic for us bringing us something close to a normal sleep/wake cycle meaning my child is not permanently tired (and we are less exhausted).

Nikki - posted on 04/13/2009

to tera...there r no known side effects to melatonin...my son has been taking it for years.....it is a hormone based drug...we all have it in our bodies but some young ppl lack it...it is not as yet licenced in the uk but u can even buy it over the counter in the us which ppl do to help with jet lag for instance...se nikkio dont worry...lov

Theda - posted on 04/12/2009

He is probably trying to keep himself awake..go with your mother instincts...

Leslie - posted on 04/12/2009

Our son had night terrors at the same age and was never on melatonin. He would seem awake, but not aware of you , and would fight you off if you tried to cuddle him or sooth him in any way. He would usually settle down and drop back into sleep after 20 min., but sometimes up to an hour. If we interrupted it, it got worse and lasted longer.

I hadn't thought about the vivid dream thing, but I get very vivid dreams on it, too. The timing of my dreams coming back coincides with when I started taking melatonin to deal with no sleep from anxiety and stress. I think I know why, though, and it is probably not a true side effect of the medicine, but is actually a natural effect that happens because your mind is ABLE to dream vividly. Autistic children are SO imaginative and creative--as we all know--that this is a natural byproduct of releasing that part of their brain.

If you know anything about sleep cycles and R.E.M. it makes a lot of sense. Most people in our country are really deprived of R.E.M. sleep, which is the deepest sleep cycle and requires untinterrupted sleep to get there, and many of us don't ever relax enough because we are, even unconscious, stressed and pressed for time. Like when you know you have to be up early and you CAN:T be late, you wake yourself up every hour just to be sure, and end up totally frustrated and exhausted.

There are four levels of sleep that go from shallowest to deepest (R.E.M.) and back up to shallow. They take between 3 and 4 hours to complete the process, and most people need between two and three full cycles to be adequately rested. This is why some people need 8 hours (2 cycles) and others 9 (3 cycles), but anything off screws them up.

Example: You have 4 hour cycles and function well with 8 hour sleeps. Six or ten, and you feel punchy or exhausted or just can't get going in the morning. Short or long, if you are forced to get up in the middle of your cycle, you will struggle. Similarly, for someone with 3 hour cycles, they often "function fine" on 6 hours but ideally need 9 for best performance. If they get 8 hours, their chemistry is all messed up. Same with 10 or 11 hours.

If melatonin helps your body to relax and fall into a deep enough sleep, your most vivid dreams will come in that period, in the middle of the night. Also, most people don't remember dreams they had in R.E.M. (rapid eye movement) state because they rarely wake to consciousness during them. In fact, it is very hard to wake people in this state and can often react strangely because they are living in their dream when you succeed in waking them. Most people who sleep walk and talk do so in this deep sleep. You can't easily wake a person from that deep of a sleep--and usually shouldn't, except to prevent harm (like sleepwalking out the front door or cooking in their sleep, etc.).

So if there is no harm coming to your child with the terrors and they don't remember them in the morning, it is more hard on you than them. If they are remembering it in the day and it is affecting them emotionally or functionally when they are awake, then it is a problem.

I hope this helps. Ask your doctor if what I said makes sense. But don't expect anything but "that's not been proven." ;)

Tina - posted on 04/03/2009

My son's doctor told me to try melatonin with my son because he had such a hard time falling asleep at bedtime. It definitely made him fall asleep quicker but then he would wake up in the middle of the night with nightmares. If I only gave it to him once or twice a week it wasn't so bad, but then that didn't help with the other nights going to sleep. I was using a product called "Midnight" and cutting the small tablet into 4ths which made for a very small amount of melatonin but still caused the nightmares. I finally just took him off altogether when his doctor put him on another medication.
I take melatonin myself and don't have a problem with nightmares but I have heard that that can be a side effect with some people.

Katie - posted on 04/01/2009

My step son was put on melatonin about a year ago, he needed it because the differences between his moms house and ours was too much for him.  He couldnt handle the change.  He used it every night for about 6 months and it worked great.  We didnt really notice any side effects while he was on it, but now we only use it when he is having a bad night and wont go to sleep .  It definatly helped get him on a regular sleep schedule which was necessary since he has home speech therapy early in the morning.

Theda - posted on 04/01/2009

Melatonin is a natural hormone produced in the pineal gland...my son who has been diagnose with autism takes it and it does help him to go to sleep at night.  Also, if you kid is on the hyper more than the hypo side of the spectrum...he or she may fight trying to relax and go to sleep.  Maybe you can talk to you doctor about a higher dosage...

Anita - posted on 04/01/2009

my son just stared on this it helped him go to sleep but he still wakes up most nights but i just glad hes going to sleep now it use to be  arround 1130pm or after that  so i was not getting sleep too lol . i had no problems  on this

[deleted account]

I have used melatonin for both of my children (ASD age 6 and non-ASD age 7) for about  a year.  I was told by Mayo Clinic to use 3mg and go up from there (3mg,6mg,9mg,12mg).  3mg knock my kids out!  I have never had any complaints from them, so I'm wondering what dose your using.  It's also possible that your little sensory guy just isn't accustomed to the way it makes him feel.  I hope this helps.

Tera - posted on 03/30/2009

Brayden is taking the liquid stuff and he takes it pretty well. But he is having night terrors now just not with the face squeezing as this has stopped and he'll just lay in bed screaming hoping the screaming will stop soon as when he does this he doesn't get a good enough sleep.

Kristen - posted on 03/30/2009

I beleive that there is many reasons that contribute to their sleep habits changing. Its comparable to say diabetes. You have good controlled periods and then you have times where it is uncontrolled. What you eat, the stress in your life, your age, etc all contribute to this. I beleive its the same for the kids on the spectrum. Melatonin comes in tablets. My kids just eat them right up, but we used to crush them and mix them in yogurt or pudding (just on spoonful to make sure they eat it) and that worked too. Hope this helps!

Rebecca - posted on 03/30/2009

my son has always had problems with his sleep we found out when he was 2 that he had autism and he has not slept through the night since he was 6months old we have a night or two were he doesn't get up but for the most part he is up any where fom 6to 10 times night somethimes more so yes i think it is common to sleep issues as they don't feel they need to sleep that is what my doc told us

Kellie - posted on 03/30/2009

do kids who have autisim or fall on the spectrum have sleep difficulities that can change?? as my son was ok at sleeping, took a while but with strict routine he was ok, but when routine goes out of wack on his own terms its a struggle for him to relax then sleep just wants to run around an wack,punch an keep moving constantly.. he hasnt been prescribed meds for sleep but if he was is the medication syrup or tablet?? as my son is very difficult to give either too..

Rebecca - posted on 03/30/2009

when my son was on melatonin he began having night terrors about 3 months into it he would have them at 11pm 2am and 3am everynight he would run in circles in his room crying and screaming i was told by his doctor that was one of the side effects

Karen - posted on 03/23/2009

I agree with the other postings that he was trying to keep himself awake.  When I put Jaydon on melatonin, he had a similar experience on the second and third evenings.  He has been on it for 4 months now, and it has made a world of difference for both Jaydon and us!

Tera - posted on 03/23/2009

He is going to be 2 in may and he has all of his teeth thats what i was thinking too tho last night he's pretty much on a strict diet cuz he also has renal kindey failure so we have to watch the things we feed him.

Kelly - posted on 03/23/2009

Whenever I take melatonin I have really vivid and crazy dreams. But never noticed any other side affects with it. It is supposed to be completely safe. How old is your son? Could he have been having teething pain? I have been reading a couple of books about autism and diet. Certain foods can cause problems sleeping.

Tera - posted on 03/22/2009

Quoting Deb:

I am assuming it was to get him to sleep... I have a feeling the he was trying to keep himself awake. With Autism, their language skills are lower, so they cry or bang their heads or what ever to voice what they can not use words for yet. As long as he doesn't appear to be hurting himself, I wouldn't worry about it.

Yes  it was to get him to sleep we have had a horible time with him goign to bed  at 12am and then waking up at 12 so his dr said to get some melatonin. yeah he does try and fight it but them he went to sleep ten minutes later i just thought it was strange the way he behaved after he took the meds. Thanks for your help i was really worried.

Deb - posted on 03/22/2009

I am assuming it was to get him to sleep... I have a feeling the he was trying to keep himself awake. With Autism, their language skills are lower, so they cry or bang their heads or what ever to voice what they can not use words for yet. As long as he doesn't appear to be hurting himself, I wouldn't worry about it.