Melatonin helps kids with eczema fall sleep at night

A lot of children suffer from eczema and have trouble falling asleep because of the itching. New research shows that supplements of melatonin helps them dose off faster and sleep longer.

Up to 30 per cent of all children are affected by eczema (also known as atopic dermatitis), a chronic skin condition that causes an itchy, red rash. This, researchers say, may cause more than 50% of the affected children to have sleeping problems. Different treatments are available but they have their limitations. Antihistamines stop working after a few days and tranquilizers have side effects. The good news is that children with eczema can be helped by taking supplements of melatonin, a natural and safe substance that not only helps them fall asleep faster but even seems to improve their condition slightly.

Good study results

In a Taiwanese study of 48 children aged 22 months to 18 years, all of whom suffered from eczema, those who were given supplements of melatonin fell asleep 21 minutes faster on average and slept longer than those individuals who were given a placebo.
In addition, the researchers noted, the melatonin-treated children had a slight dip in their eczema. This, the scientists noted, may be because of melatonin's anti-inflammatory properties.

Inspired by earlier research

A previous study conducted by the Taiwanese team of scientists who were behind the above study showed that patients with eczema who also suffered sleep problems had low nocturnal levels of melatonin. It was this study that inspired them to carry out their most recent study on children. On behalf of their findings the researchers call melatonin a "safe and natural hormone with minimal adverse effects."

Source:

Melatonin Supplementation for Children With Atopic Dermatitis and Sleep Disturbance: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
JAMA Pediatr. 2015 Nov 16:1-8. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2015.3092.