For overtired parents who struggle to get their kids on a healthy sleep schedule, the promise of a magic pill can be really enticing.

Lately, I am seeing that more and more doctors and parents are turning to melatonin as a Band-Aid for sleep issues with their children. I get emails and messages frequently from people telling me they are giving their little ones melatonin to help them fall asleep at night, and I have serious concerns about this.

To be blunt: Melatonin is NOT a long-term solution for poor sleep habits. Healthy sleep habits need to be learned at a young age in order to set kids up for a lifetime of healthy sleep habits and practices.

While some studies have shown that melatonin can be helpful in some ways: dealing with jet lag, navigating Daylight Savings Time (If your area does this), assist children on the spectrum or children diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), the truth is that most babies and children do not need melatonin; they need to be taught good, independent sleep skills.

Here’s why:

Melatonin is a hormone that is secreted by your pineal gland, housed in the brain and is present in every person’s body. According to the National Sleep Foundation, “no other hormone is available in the United States without a prescription. Because melatonin is contained naturally in some foods, the U.S. Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 allows it to be sold as a dietary supplement. These do not need to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or controlled in the same way as drugs.”

Dr. Johnson-Arbor, a Hartford Hospital toxicologist, says, “It’s (melatonin) possibly thought to affect growth, and to affect sexual development and puberty.” Other side-effects can include headaches, drowsiness and stomach pains.

According to the National Institutes of Health, “Melatonin should not be used in most children. It is possibly unsafe. Because of its effects on other hormones, melatonin might interfere with development.”

There’s no need to put your kids at risk just to get them down for the night. The reality of the situation is that children need to be taught to how to sleep properly — and being their child’s first educator, parents are the perfect candidate for the job.

The job of teaching your little one how to fall asleep independently and manage their own nightwakings well, along with taking solid naps can feel really daunting and riddled with potential failure. If this is you, sign up for a time to speak with me – I can help make this process successful and support you the entire time.

Today I received this question from a mom and she's wondering, "How do I tell if my baby is ready to move to one nap a day?" With this question, the first thing to share is what age does this tends to occur. I find that a good range for the average age for this, is in between the 13th and 15th month.

I say that, but I have seen babies go as early as nine months, and I've also seen babies hang on to two naps a day, until well into the 17th or 18th month. But if you are looking for an average, 13 - 15 months is what I’d tell you. I'm going to share with you three signs to watch for.

What’s pretty common is that your baby will happily continue to take their morning nap. 9 times out 10, there is nothing wrong with morning nap. In fact, most people find that it gets even longer than it's ever been.

But the trouble arrives when you put them down for that afternoon nap, and they just won't take it. Either they play all the way through it or they alternate between playing and some crying or she just flat out starts to cry from out of nowhere. Those behaviors will be the three things that you'll start to see to indicate that a nap transition is on the way.

Now, what makes all of this tricky is that those signs won't show up every single day. You'll find that you'll have three or four times in a row where they don’t take their afternoon nap, and you'll find yourself thinking, "OK, it must be time to drop that nap," and then for three days in a row, they take both naps beautifully. That can really make parents scratch their heads.

A good rule of thumb around that is if you notice this happening, at least five days a week for at least two weeks, then that is a good sign that it's probably time to make the transition happen. Part of why I suggest waiting at least two weeks to see this behavior more consistently is because it could be related to a developmental milestone, if they’re learning a new skill, it can throw the naps off for a week or two.

If you’re at a point where four or five times a week, for at least two to three weeks of length, that you’ve been seeing those signs at naptime, then you can go ahead and make the switch. When you do this, keep this next very important tip in mind: You can't just jump from a 10 o'clock nap to, all over sudden, a one o'clock nap.

That would be really hard on their body clock and they will get so overtired that by the time you try for that nap, it's going to be nearly guaranteed a disaster. My advice is that you slowly start to move morning nap later, no more than 30 minutes every three days.
If it's 10 o'clock, you move it to 10:30 for three days, then you move it to 11:00 for three days, 11:30 and so on, until it hits about 12:30.

I find 12:30 is the perfect time for a one nap day. They can have their lunch and go straight into their nap. And parents get to enjoy a lovely break to start their afternoon!
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As always, I’m here to help if you need more support and guidance. Good luck!