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More kids are taking melatonin to sleep — but is it safe?
A recent study from the University of Colorado Boulder suggests nearly 1 in 5 parents give their school-aged children melatonin to help them sleep.
MINNEAPOLIS — A research team at the University of Colorado Boulder recently surveyed 1,000 parents to see how many use melatonin to help their school-aged children fall asleep at night.
The results showed nearly 1 in 5 children use melatonin to help them sleep.
Among kids ages 5 to 9, the study showed 18.5% were given melatonin in the previous 30 days.
For pre-teens ages 10 to 13, the number was even higher at 19.4%.
The study also showed that 6% of preschool kids ages 1-4 had also used melatonin in the past month.
Authors of the study say these results suggest a significant increase in melatonin use in children, as researchers say a previous survey in 2017-2018 showed around 1.3% of parents reported giving their children melatonin to help them fall asleep.
“Melatonin is a little bit of a gray area,” Hennepin Healthcare pediatrician Dr. Krishnan Subrahmanian said.
Subrahmanian said some studies show children on the autism spectrum, with ADHD, and/or diagnosed with sleep disorders may benefit from using melatonin.
He said some other children may also benefit from using melatonin, depending on their unique circumstances.
However, he often encourages parents to pursue other sleep solutions first before giving melatonin to their children.
“Options like creating a more consistent schedule at night, a warm bath, turning down the television lights, or turning down the screen lights. Also, dimming the lights around the house. All of those lights can make us think we’re awake or we’re supposed to be awake,” Dr. Subrahmanian said.
He also encourages parents of younger children to consider their child’s naptime routine.
He says children who are around 18 months old will often begin to transition from two to three naps a day to one, and children around the age of 3 will begin to transition from one nap per day to none.
He says children around these age groups may have a hard time falling asleep at night if they are getting too much sleep, or too little sleep, during the day.
“Because melatonin is over the counter, it’s not regulated in the same way as the FDA would regulate other things. When you buy a product over the counter it’s hard to tell exactly how much melatonin is in there,” Subrahmanian said.
An additional study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association this past spring highlights the melatonin potency concern.
Researchers looked at 25 products that contained melatonin and found one product did not contain a detectable level of melatonin, but did contain 31.3 mg of CBD.
The remaining products contained melatonin levels that were 74% to 347% of the quantity that was marked on the label.
That means some products contained nearly three times more melatonin than what was advertised on the label of the bottle.
To read the full research study from the University of Colorado Boulder click here.
To read the full research study published in the JAMA click here.
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The wellness program welcomed people to tour the space on World AIDS day.
MINNEAPOLIS — The Aliveness Project opened up a Thrive clinic and pharmacy on Sunday, which is World AIDS Day.
“The Aliveness Project is about helping people living with and at risk for HIV, live long and healthy lives,” said Aliveness Project Executive Director Matt Toburen.
Toburen said construction started eight months ago but the project has been in the works for two years.
“We’re really excited to have an inclusive space and an inclusive clinic pharmacy,” Toburen said. “Anyone from the community can feel welcomed … they’re not going to be stigmatized or turned away for who they are and who they love.”
Toburen said having an onsite pharmacy is important because some patients won’t pick up their prescribed medication after their appointment.
He said this type of clinic and pharmacy is needed in Minnesota.
“We’re failing the community, and people are falling through the cracks, people who are at risk of HIV are falling through the cracks, and so we’ve created the Thrive Clinic Pharmacy in order to end HIV in Minnesota,” he said. “In our neighboring states of Wisconsin, and Illinois, and Iowa, they’re seeing decreased HIV infections.”
According to the Minnesota Department of Health an HIV outbreak was declared in Hennepin and Ramsey counties in 2020, and in the Duluth area in 2021.
MDH reported 324 people were diagnosed with HIV last year, and 207 people have been diagnosed in Minnesota this year.
“We have to do something bold because it’s unacceptable,” Toburen said.
He said there are a number of factors that contributed to the outbreak like healthcare disparities, lack of protection, and lack of sexual healthcare. He also said the outbreaks have been tied to encampments and intravenous drug use.
Toburen said the center can be a one-stop shop for people to seek medical care, food, and other resources.
He said the pharmacy will also offer PrEP and PEP.
“PrEP is a medication that when taken regularly can prevent someone from contracting HIV. PEP is something that is post-exposure prophylactic, often used in the medical setting… kind of like the morning after pill, that when there is an exposure, when taken withing 72 hours can prevent contracting HIV,” he said.
Toburen said rapid access to these medications is really important for their effectiveness. Paying for these medications can be another barrier this pharmacy will work to address.
He’s also excited to see how the clinicians and pharmacists will work together as a team to help their patients.
“This can be really groundbreaking when it comes to work on gender medicine and hormone treatments and being able to modify and… adjust medications and treatments and working with the pharmacist whose working in collaboration with that provider,” he said.
Toburen said the clinic is open. Prospective patients can schedule an appointment online or stop by the Aliveness Project.
He said the pharmacy will open in early 2025. The pharmacy will also be available to people who need other medications.
The New York Sirens beat the Minnesota Frost 4-3 in overtime on Sunday night at the Xcel Energy Center.
ST PAUL, Minnesota — The Minnesota Frost are back for a new season with a new name and ready to defend their Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) title. However, the season opener started with a loss as the Frost fell to the New York Sirens 4-3 in overtime on Sunday night at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
Despite the loss, the Frost’s season opener was also a chance to celebrate the team’s success earlier in the year after their PWHL inaugural season Walter Cup Championship. Prior to the puck dropping, the Frost held a banner raising ceremony. Fans were also able to take pictures with the Walter Cup on the concourse during the game.
Renee Olsen-Gravelle of Barnum came out to the game with her family, including her granddaughter Finley Ziegler, 4.
“We wanted her to see that this is pretty special,” said Olsen-Gravelle, who attended four games last season.
While talking to her granddaughter, Olsen-Gravelle said, “When you’re big, you can come here and do this.”
Fourth and fifth graders who play for the Andover Huskies also have high hopes for their future.
“I think some day I’ll be on the PWHL hockey team,” said Sophie Marinello, a fourth grader from Andover.
Teammate Kensley Kent said she felt the same way.
“It’s great to be able to see women’s sports finally getting some of the prime time that they deserve,” said Samantha Caffentzis of Cottage Grove. “We played sports forever and it’s nice to be able to come up and see the little kids that are here that could actually be out there one day.”
Just 19 seconds into overtime, Sirens’ forward Alex Carpenter scored the winning goal.
Up next, Minnesota plays at Boston on Wed. Dec. 4.
Initial information suggests the person’s family tracked their location after they were unable to contact them since last night, said the MPD.
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis Police Department is investigating after a person was found dead in what the police describe as an “apparent homicide.”
MPD officers responded to a report of an unresponsive person on the ground on the 3300 block of 10 Avenue South shortly after 12:30 p.m., according to a release from the department.
Initial information suggests the person’s family tracked their location after they were unable to contact them since last night, said the MPD.
The person was 25-years-old, according to the release, which also said the medical examiner confirmed they had been shot at least once.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
