Kids prescribed meds off-label for sleep problems

When your child has sleep problems, it can be a challenge. Not only is this difficult for your little one, but it's incredibly hard on the parents who are up all night, trying to help.

That's why many parents eventually resort to taking their child to see the doctor when these problems persist. However, recent research indicates that they the medication they're often prescribed may not be safe.

The new study finds that 81% of doctors visit for children's sleep issues result in some kind of medication. While this, in itself, isn't cause for alarm, what is surprising is that there aren't any medications approved to treat insomnia in children. Meaning, whatever the doctor prescribes hasn't been tested on, and isn't approved for younger age groups.

Some physicians did offer alternative means of dealing with the problem, such as limiting caffeine, or engaging in psychotherapy. However, the vast majority turned to drugs like antihistamines, benzodiazepines (like Valium), or anti-depressants -- 19% of kids were prescribed some kind of drug cocktail.

It seems the real problem is that there aren't any tested medications available-- especially seeing as doctors are so obviously interested in treating these symptoms with drugs. However, can it really wise to be prescribing these drugs, unapproved, to children as young as 6-years-old?