Some sleep experts recommend giving melatonin about 90 minutes before the desired bedtime as a way to reset the biologic clock. Melatonin is available in health food stores, and now in some drug stores, too. Preliminary studies in adults look exciting, but I'm still cautious about its use in children. Melatonin is a potent chemical which also affects the reproductive system. No one really knows what effects it might have on the reproductive system if given before or during puberty.
More automobile accidents are attributable to sleepiness than to any other single cause.
Sleepiness robs more person-years through trauma than does any disease. While most teens handle chronic low-grade sleepiness well, I believe that starting high school an hour or two later would markedly improve the health and behavior of adolescents. This is not a substitute for medical care or your doctor's attention. Please seek the advice of your pediatrician or family doctor. Dr. Greene's HouseCalls presents this data as is, without any warranty of any kind, express or implied.