It's estimated that about one third of adults and kids experience difficulties sleeping, leading to questions about popular sleep aids, such as magnesium, tart cherry, and melatonin. Prepare to counsel parents about safe use in both adults and kids.
Magnesium has been a hot topic for a while now – online buzz about its benefits for sleep quality isn’t slowing down, and manufacturers are pushing for it to be the new go-to supplement for sleep. If you’re asked about this, explain that while there may be subjective reports of magnesium helping with sleep, clinical evidence is conflicting. And studies with positive findings are limited by a high risk of bias. If patients still want to give it a try, there aren’t major safety concerns when magnesium is used in doses below the tolerable upper intake level (UL) of 350 mg daily for adults and kids older than 8 years. But taking too much can result in unpleasant side effects like nausea and diarrhea.
Tart cherry is also increasingly popular, especially for kids. It naturally contains small amounts of melatonin. Some small clinical studies suggest that drinking tart cherry juice might somewhat improve sleep and reduce insomnia, possibly due to its melatonin content. But the evidence supporting this use is limited and conflicting data exist. Tart cherry fruit, fruit juice, and fruit juice concentrate have all been used safely in adults in supplemental amounts for up to 3 months. Tart cherry extract and powder have been used safely for up to 7 days. But tart cherry hasn’t been studied in kids, so it’s best to avoid supplement products in kids until we know more. Suggest trying a tart cherry fruit juice without added sugar. Consuming tart cherry in food amounts isn’t expected to pose safety concerns for most kids. But manage expectations on its effects – it’s not clear if it will help.
Lastly, we can’t discuss sleep supplements without mentioning melatonin. Remind parents that while melatonin is likely safe when used appropriately in adults, long-term safety in kids isn’t clear. It should only be used in low doses (3 mg daily for kids and infants 6 months or older) and when there's a medical reason to do so – healthy kids shouldn’t be taking melatonin on a regular basis to fall asleep. Additionally, melatonin overdoses remain a concern. The CDC issued a warning earlier this year urging parents to store melatonin products out of the reach of kids due to a spike in accidental overdoses.
In general, counsel parents to be cautious and to discuss any sleep aid products with their pediatrician. And always check the safety section of our monographs – when there is safety data for kids, we include it in a special subsection for Children.
The information in this brief report is intended for informational purposes only, and is meant to help users better understand health concerns. This information should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Users should consult with a qualified healthcare provider for specific questions regarding therapies, diagnosis and/or health conditions, prior to making therapeutic decisions. Copyright © 2024 NatMed. Commercial distribution or reproduction prohibited. NatMed is the leading provider of high-quality, evidence-based, clinically-relevant information on natural medicine, dietary supplements, herbs, vitamins, minerals, functional foods, diets, complementary practices, CAM modalities, exercises and medical conditions. Monograph sections include interactions with herbs, drugs, foods and labs, contraindications, depletions, dosing, toxicology, adverse effects, pregnancy and lactation data, synonyms, safety and effectiveness.
