Across the country, up to 58 children per 1,000 residents received the sleep drug melatonin discharged in 2015. In 2009, the corresponding figure was up to ten people, according to a report from the Swedish Medicines Agency which came earlier this year.

According to the Swedish Medicines Agency, Sörmland, after Stockholm and Uppsala, is the county where the most sleep medication is printed for children. And so it happens even though you still do not know what long-lasting effects melatonin sleep has on children.

"You have to think about when you write medicine for children, especially when it comes to sleeping medication because we should have made other efforts before we go into it," says Sofia Mossfeldt, unit manager and chief physician at BUP in Sörmland.

Substantial increase

The number of patients in pediatric and adolescent psychiatry, BUP, in Sörmland who have been prescribed drowsiness has increased significantly in recent years, according to new figures that SVT Sörmland has noted. In 2005, 21 children in pediatric and adolescent psychiatry received sleeping medication, in 2018 there were a total of 1,891 children.

- It may be that we have more children in Sörmland who need sleep medication, we may have a population where you have a larger child psychiatric problem. But it can also be because we printed too much, it is difficult to say exactly what it is due to, says Sofia Mossfeldt.

Do you print too much sleep aid for children?

- I can't sit here and say it never happens. I think that in the time we are living in now, with the increased pressure on BUP and difficulties to catch up, there is a risk that both as a patient and for a patient, they are seeking a quick help and that as a physician you may be tempted to take that help, says Sofia Mossfeldt.

This is how many children in Sörmland have been prescribed sleeping medication in recent years. Photo: SVT Design

"The youngest one I printed was only five years old"

It is mainly children and adolescents who have ADHD who are prescribed sleeping medication. Major sleep problems are common in this group.

- The youngest one I have written to was actually only five years old, it was a child with very severe ADHD problems where the lack of sleep in itself became dangerous. That is the judgment you have to make, you have to look at the whole context.

Must try other efforts first

But she believes that the main reason for the dramatic increase is that more ADHD diagnoses are being made today. According to the Swedish Medicines Agency, health care should first try other interventions before printing sleep drugs, especially when it comes to children.

- I hope not to continue. But it always requires a discussion about how we think about drugs, how we should prescribe it and what we need to do and to support each other in it.