Many adults take melatonin, a hormone supplement that helps regulate sleep-wake cycles. Melatonin supplements (often flavored gummies or tablets) are not FDA-regulated or required to come in childproof packaging. Recently, the rates of young kids going to the E.R. after taking melatonin unsupervised have increased by more than 5 times. Although a small fraction of those children require hospitalization, experts still urge families to store melatonin safely.

The brain naturally produces melatonin in response to darkness, helping signal to the body that it’s time for sleep. Many adults take over-the-counter melatonin supplements, often in the form of flavored gummies or tablets, to help with jet lag or insomnia.

Because melatonin is a supplement, it isn’t regulated by the FDA. Recent research shows that melatonin products are often mislabeled, containing either significantly more or less of the hormone that advertised. Melatonin products are also not legally required to come in childproof packaging.

A new CDC report found that between 2019 and 2022, 11,000 children under six have gone to the E.R. after ingesting melatonin unsupervised. The researchers estimated that about 5,000 of those cases involved the patients eating melatonin gummies.

Very few of the cases examined in the report resulted in hospitalization. Still, rare but severe side effects from pediatric melatonin overdose include seizures, comas, or even death.

More research is needed about the potential risks of melatonin in children. In addition to rising rates of unsupervised consumption, a rising number of families intentionally give their kids melatonin to help with sleep. Experts caution that we know very little about the long-term effects of this usage.