Most Sleepless Kids Prescribed Drugs: Study

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"Children are in the golden years of sleep," he observed. "It's not normal for them to have sleep problems. So, if they do, then you know something's wrong. And medicating the child doesn't get to the heart of the problem. It's more important to figure out what's going on. Is it stress, caffeine, a problem in the home environment?"

Jacobs added that, despite heavy marketing by drug companies designed to convince patients and physicians that prescription sleep aids are an easy and cheap solution, he believes that such therapies are only "marginally effective," regardless of the patient's age.

"And there are many side effects among adults that may be even more serious among children," he cautioned. "Patients may develop tolerance or dependence on these medications, and they often cause daytime sedation and sometimes amnesia. And probably the biggest shocking thing is that regular nightly use of sleeping pills is associated with an increased mortality rate among adults. This is shown in a dozen studies."

"Besides which, behavioral methods of treatment are extremely effective," added Jacobs. "So, why would you want to risk giving this medication to children, when they're probably not very effective and would be masking the real problem in any case? Sleeping pills should be a last resort."

More information

For additional information on sleep and children, visit the Nemours Foundation.