Table 7.

Medications for sleep.

Medication	Usual adolescent dose	Comments
Melatonin	3 mg (range 1–12 mg)	Use dose that is effective given half to 1 h before bedtime
Diphenhydramine	25 mg at bedtime	Can cause excessive sedation or dry mouth
Tricyclics (TCAs) Amitriptyline Dothiepin	10–25 mg at bedtime 25 mg at bedtime	Can be helpful for pain and headaches. Can cause weight gain, dry mouth, lightheadedness, and excessive sedation
Clonazepam	0.5–1 mg at bedtime	Helpful if anxiety is affecting sleep. Can help restless leg syndrome. Using low doses, taken only at night, physiological dependence is unlikely