My 22 month old daughter has major sleep problems. I was advised to take melatonin to help her get back to a good quality sleep.

Hello, thank you for your question!

I realize that the situation may seem very unpleasant. However, melatonin is not an option to consider at this point. Difficulties associated with putting a child to bed are extremely common but do not necessarily indicate any problem.

Keep in mind that at each stage of your child's development, she is "relearning" to establish a new sleep hygiene (e.g., no more or fewer naps).

Here are the pharmacological measures that need to be reviewed and/or instituted:

I invite you to review your child's sleep schedule, e.g. no screens 1 hour before bedtime, keep the bedroom only for sleeping and not other activities like playing or reading.

Also review whether there are any potentially stimulating objects in his room such as a light source or electronic devices.

Encourage your child to enjoy the outdoors during the day. Sunlight can help establish a better circadian cycle.

I invite you to consult these documents from Ste-Justine

i am available if you have any other questions!

Tom Samaha, pharmacist