ABC News Daily The melatonin overdose risk
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Oct 1, 2025 In this discussion, Professor Sarah Blunden, a paediatric sleep researcher, explores the rising use of melatonin among children and the safety concerns surrounding it. She highlights the alarming spike in poison hotline calls linked to imported gummy products and the recent warning from Australia's regulatory body. Sarah emphasizes the lack of evidence for melatonin deficiency in children and advises parents to seek medical guidance. She stresses the importance of behavioral sleep strategies over unsupervised melatonin use for better sleep.
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Melatonin Use Has Exploded In Recent Years
- Melatonin use in children has risen exponentially beyond the small clinical groups it was originally for.
- GPs and paediatricians increasingly prescribe it for typically developing children after online availability grew.
Parental Word-Of-Mouth Drove Uptake
- Professor Blunden describes a snowball effect of parents sharing melatonin success stories at school drop-offs.
- These informal conversations have driven more parents to try melatonin for typically developing children.
Parent Story: From Hour-Long Bedtime To Calm
- A parent reports dramatic improvement: bedtime shortened from long struggles to calm, much faster sleep.
- That personal account helps explain why parents feel melatonin is a 'jackpot' solution.