A just-released CDC study affirms that a lot of kids are getting sick from consuming too much melatonin, the hormone that helps control your body's sleep cycle.

On WBZ-TV's "Health Watch" segment, Dr. Mallika Marshall pointed to a scary statistic that melatonin overdoses skyrocketed by 530 percent over the past 10 years.

Studies show a lot of the teen overdoses were deliberate, and believed to be suicide attempts, but families with small children are being warned to put their melatonin up and away and out of a child's reach and sight.

Pharmacists suggest that anyone who wishes to purchase melatonin gummies for their kids clear it through their pediatrician first, because there is no antidote for an overdose. According to the CDC, five children needed mechanical ventilation after overdosing, and a three-month-old and a one-year-old each died from melatonin poisoning.

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We've all heard of things that can stunt your growth; however, some clinical reports suggest long-term use of melatonin could possibly disrupt puberty in children.

Bottom line, there's a lot we're finding out about melatonin, and if you have kids at home, don't just leave it on a nightstand anymore. Put it in a safe place, along with your other medications, and sleep well.

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