ok, people got something to throw at you.....my 7 year old has asperger's...an autism disorder....and adhd.....cannot get him to sleep with out melatonin.....a nature friend suggested gaba instead cause melatonin is a hormone....what do you think?

Dusty - posted on 06/11/2011

i do not know about gaba but be careful. i put my husband on some natural stuff, (ginko, and omega 3 fish oil) and he broke out with a rash on his face did not know u could not take the two together. search multiple places before u do.

Denise - posted on 03/25/2011

my daughter takes 5htp and gaba in conjuction as well as a low dose of melatonin for sleep. It works great for her but I always give her a break from melatonin at least one to two weeks every four weeks. She used to be on a blood pressure med to help with sleep. she has been off for a year now!!

Terry - posted on 11/06/2010

what is gaba

Becky - posted on 04/20/2010

Keep in mind that whatever is natural is still a "drug." Poppies are natural as well...Natural substances can affect your body and mind as well.

Dawn - posted on 04/17/2010

We have tried gaba & melatonin ...for us the melatonin seems to work better but recently we have lowered the dosage to only 1/2 mg nightly. Our son not only sleeps better with less night wakings but also does not wet the bed quite as frequently as when we used 1 mg or more of melatonin.

Amy - posted on 04/16/2010

you can give GABA along with melatonin.

Jana - posted on 05/20/2009

I have two of three kids with aspergers 9 and 14. Both of my asperger children do not make enough melatonin on their own to sleep at night. They have both been taking a low dose of melatonin for 4 years now. If it was not for the melatonin I still would be woken up every two hours all night long.

I agree with the other comments in regards to the fact that it is natural and their own bodies just don't make enough for them to have regular sleep patterns without it, so to me sleep is more important then adding a hormone to them that 'most' already make all on their own.
Hope this helps.

User - posted on 05/20/2009

my daughter has autism and ADHD she was on melatonin for 3yrs on and off, when her body became used to it i would stop it for a while, over time her body has managed to pruduce enough of its own that she can now go off to sleep on her own without medication, it does not keep her asleep but she can give me about 6hrs peace now, before she wouls be awake 24/7.

Heather - posted on 05/18/2009

My son had ADHD and ASD He has a lot of trouble sleeping at night and I have been giving him Melatonin for a while. Melatonin is a chemical that the brain produces in some people the brain doesn't make enough or because of medications it can slow down the prodution so a supplement of meletonin is ok to use with no side effects. The thing is with natural stuff it iwas not been FDA aproved and you don't know what is not enought or to much. My son is 11 and he get 3 mg of melatonin a night and it works great. 3mg would be fine for you child. Hope this is helpful.

Helen - posted on 05/18/2009

i have a 6 year old who is the same , both aspergers and adhd , he is also on melatonin short and long acting without it he wouldn't close his eyes at all and be wide awake 24/7 with it we manage around 4 maybe 5 hours sleep , he is on a lactose free diet through allergy and a reduced wheat diet ,

Faith - posted on 05/18/2009

My son will be 14 in July. We found melatonin around 6-7 years old?! He can literally stay up all night long if he doesn't take the melatonin. We first noticed this at age 5. He's now taking melatonin AND seroquel. I've always felt like the sleep problems beget a majority of the daytime problems. He's had several sleep studies and this problem does not show up on sleep studies. Then again, they had him take his melatonin per usual. He's now on 6mg of melatonin and 75mg of seroquel. We went from 50-75 because he said his body was going to sleep, but not his mind. Now, his mornings are better, too. (With the exception of Monday mornings - this is the 3rd Monday in a row he's missed the bus, but better than the 2-4 days per week of missing the bus.) Looks like we need to change his Sunday night routine?!
And wow! I didn't know about time released metatonin. Will need to check into that one. How does that work with their wake-up time? My son is NOT a morning person when it comes to getting woke up for school.
To the original poster - melatonin is a natural substance everyone produces. Usually darkness aids in the production of this hormone.

Anne - posted on 05/17/2009

I have 2 with autism. Son has to take risperidahl, tenex, and seriquel to go to bed. My daughter takes only mellatonin. I prefer to not drug my kids to sleep but how can anyone expect to function without sleep? My daughter does well on it and we plan to hang in there as long as we can with it.

Laurie - posted on 05/17/2009

he cannot get to sleep

Julie - posted on 05/17/2009

I changed my sons diet to guten and milk free at age 3 1/2 of course his autism became milder and he started talking and he didn't need the melatonin to sleep anymore. This was 8 years ago.

Heidi - posted on 05/17/2009

i don't know if this will help but i changed my son's diet to no dairy and he started sleeping all night within 2 weeks. now when it is full moon he gets up at least once a night but it is sooooo much better

Becky - posted on 05/16/2009

My son has the same .He is 13 and has had to take melatonin to sleep also.I feel it is all natural so it will not hurt him like some of the meds the docs wanted him to take.He has taken it for a few years.My son also has a twin he only has ADHD and also takes it .It seems there minds won't shut off when it's time for bed they produce energy.They have always been that way

Jennifer - posted on 05/16/2009

Is it that he can't get to sleep or is it he can't stay asleep???? If it is can't stay asleep have you tried time released melatonin???? You can get it at GNC stores. I have no
idea about gaba.

Heather - posted on 05/15/2009

My son is 12 and he's taken Melatonin on and off for several years with no side effects. I've never heard of gaba. Here's a study on melatonin from stanford http://aarr.stanford.edu/TREATMENT/Paavo... and they conclude that there are virtually no side effects with it so I really wouldn't switch him to something else. Just because Melatonin is a hormone doesn't mean your son doesn't need it. As Daphne mentioned about her son, studies have shown our asperger/autism kids often do not produce enough melatonin which is why they have so much trouble going to sleep.

Meri - posted on 05/15/2009

I agree with Daphne. I didn't find melatonin until my kiddo was about 11. He's 13 now. Even my friend who has her oldest on a very strict diet, is comfortable with melatonin since it is a hormone already found in our body. I just wish we had found it earlier. It sure works with my son.

Daphne - posted on 05/15/2009

My 10 year old son Wayne has the same diagnosis as your son. He takes melatonin every night to help him sleep.His doctor told me to give it to him because his body does not produce enough of the hormone on it's own. My thought is that if his body is supposed to make it and doesn't, giving it to him is only going to help and not hurt. Hope this helps.