How melatonin can mess with kids’ sleep — and may impact memory, learning and emotional development
A recent study of 684 children found that melatonin use was linked to reduced REM sleep, a stage important for memory, learning, and emotional development. The supplement, which is not regulated by the FDA, often delivers doses that differ significantly from the label, and about half of American parents give it to their kids. Experts advise caution, recommending sleep hygiene and limiting melatonin to cases of diagnosed circadian rhythm disorders.
- ▪The study observed that children taking melatonin spent less time in REM sleep compared to those who did not.
- ▪Melatonin supplements are not evaluated for safety or efficacy by the FDA, leading to dose variability from 74% to 350% of the labeled amount.
- ▪REM sleep is critical for memory consolidation, learning, and emotional development in children.
- ▪Experts suggest addressing underlying issues such as iron deficiency, enlarged tonsils, or poor sleep habits before resorting to melatonin.
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| Original publisher | New York Post |
| Canonical URL | https://nypost.com/2026/08/08/health/how-melatonin-can-mess-with-kids-sleep-and-impact-development/ |
| Publication time | Sat, 08 Aug 2026 10:36:26 -0400 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-08-08T14:52:44.283Z |
| Last seen | 2026-08-08T14:52:44.283Z |
| Headline source | Publisher (no WeSearch rewrite) |
| Excerpt source | publisher body |
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| Summary | WeSearch · cerebras-chat (WeSearch summarizer) |
| Summary source text | contentText |
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| Cluster | r2puEGmagEUw · 1 stories |
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Health How melatonin can mess with kids’ sleep — and may impact memory, learning and emotional development By Allie Yang Published Aug. 8, 2026, 10:36 a.m. ET (function() { var overlay = document.getElementById("nyp-player-lcp-overlay"); if (!overlay) { return; } function hideOverlay() { overlay.remove(); } function afterDCL() { requestAnimationFrame(hideOverlay); } if (document.readyState === "loading") { document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", afterDCL, { once: true }); } else { afterDCL(); } })(); See more of our coverage in your search results. Add The New York Post on Google Almost half of American parents give their kids melatonin to help them sleep.
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