Saturday, February 20, 2010

Melatonin helping Mood

I just wanted to update on what is currently helping Caleb. We've struggled a bit again with mood...a bit of "screaminess" and the "no" answer for everything. One evening I went upstairs to give Caleb a mb12 shot, hoping it would again bring about a period of good moods. However, I wasn't able to give it because Caleb wasn't asleep...even at 10:30 pm. I decided to give some Melatonin the next evening because I know that he is a kid who NEEDS sleep! Low and behold, I noticed a much better mood the next morning. Whether it was the melatonin, or the increased sleep, I don't know. But...it brought about the desired mood increase :)

3 comments:

Elizabeth Channel said...

We have taken 1 mg of melatonin at bedtime for over a year now, and I find that my 8-year-old is the sweetest, most attentive and calm for the hour after we give the melatonin until he goes to bed. I know you can't give it during the day, but I wish I could find something that mimics it. (And I've tried all the herbs, homeopathy, etc.)

We also do methyl-B shots but do not have the response you have shared...I can tell no difference when he takes the shot...

Jen B said...

Thanks for your comment! This has actually been a first where we see that melatonin actually improves mood the following day. I don't think I'd want to give it during the day either as it would seem to affect sleep cycles. The m-b12 shots haven't always helped, they just seem to be helping now! I guess it depends on where your child is at the time in their methylation cycle. If they need more methyl groups, it may help. If they're getting some from another supplement, you may not see good effects from it.

Marissa B said...

Hi Jen, we found 5-htp to be extremely effective in treating my daughter's anxiety, irritability and negative thought process. Within a few days her mood improved. It's also a precursor to serotonin and melatonin, so helps with sleep too. Melatonin alone only helped with sleep for us. L-Theanine is also another favorite, to be taken in the day time. It worked wonders for me, less noticeable effect on my daughter so for her we still use 5-htp at night.