Concerta insomnia and melatonin? | ADHD Information

Thank you so much!  I will let my friend know about this and my son just took his first concerta 15 min. ago so I don't know if we'll have the problem yet or not, but I am glad to have an idea of something to try if we do.  With school starting soon I don't need him being unable to sleep.  Plus when school starts in a couple of weeks he'll take it a half hour earlier in the mornings at 7:30 and his regular bedtime during school has always been 9pm.  I don't know if that will be pushing it or not.  Thank you both for your help.I'm taking concerta and for me, insomnia isn't a problem, unless I sleep as much as I want to (like 12-13 hours) when I get a chance on the weekends. Concerta lasts about 10-12 hours, so if you take it early enough, it should wear off anywhere from 7-10 PM, in time for bedtime. I take it around 7:30 AM, so by 11pm-midnight sleeping isn't a problem. What time does your son take it?

About melatonin, I tried it about a month ago, but since I started sleeping 7-8 hours rather than 12-13, insomnia was no longer a problem for me and I stopped taking it after a few days. You can buy it OTC, just make sure you follow the directions; they sometimes even give you a dose for kids under 12. I'm not sure exactly what the doses are...usually 1 mg. is a good starting dose; the caps usually come in 2-3 mg. Melatonin is normally made in your brain, in larger amts. when you go to sleep. the caps are just putting in your body what some people cannot make enough of on their own, kinda like vitamins...

Most of the time it helps, just make sure you start with a low dose, especially with a child. Some people that start at the recommended dose can get nauseous, graugy, etc. (I've heard people mention in here before).

Melatonin works well for helping kids sleep, is natural and safe. Start with a small dose, .33 mgsis available from walmart. Too high can cause nightmares. I am getting ready to start my 6 year old son on concerta and know insomnia is a good possibility.  I have a friend who started giving her son concerta a few months ago and her only problem is the insomnia.  It seems to me somewhere on this board (maybe not this section) that I read something about melatonin helping with that insomnia.  Anyone have any experience with this?  Or any other advice for my friend fighting the insomnia.  Thank you!