L Tryptophan Anyone tried this with any success??? any side effects?? I was looking into it due to the guy at the nutrition store telling me to cycle the Melatonin I give Sam to ensure it will work properly and for his body to reset itself from time to time...he has been using Melatonin for 9 months now with no break...I'd like to find another natural alternative...no more traditional sleep meds...none of them worked and he was AWAKE all night, not asleep.Have not tried L-tryptophan.  I just wanted to mention that even though the guy at the store is right that many people do get used to melatonin, and the best way to deal with it is to take a break from melatonin rather than increase the dose...it is not always the case. My ds took melatonin nightly for at least 4 years, and we have never had an issue with a build up of tolerance.  Even though he has grown a lot in 4 years, his dose is still at 3mg...and he's 9 yrs old.  We only use it once in a while now, usually when he's overtired and unable to settle. It's a good idea to look for an alternative just in case, but it may be that your ds will not build up a tolerance to melatonin. Curious what others have to say on the issue. [QUOTE=PhoenixRising] We have had issues with melatonin tolerance.  My eldest had to switch to an RX for sleep as he no longer reacted at all to melatonin--even with break periods.  My youngest (4) starts w/ 3 mg... goes with that for a few weeks... edges up to 6 mg... that works for a few more weeks... when it stops work we stop giving it for a week then bring her back on at the lower dosage... and cycle back through it all again. During the break period we use children's Benadryl (at doctor's direction). [/QUOTE]   So cycling the dose works for you>>?? I have tried benadryl, it does nothing....well, actually it does something, it makes him bounce off the walls. We recently tried Trazodone with awful results, but was hoping someone knew something of L Tryptophan. We have had issues with melatonin tolerance.  My eldest had to switch to an RX for sleep as he no longer reacted at all to melatonin--even with break periods.  My youngest (4) starts w/ 3 mg... goes with that for a few weeks... edges up to 6 mg... that works for a few more weeks... when it stops work we stop giving it for a week then bring her back on at the lower dosage... and cycle back through it all again. During the break period we use children's Benadryl (at doctor's direction). Sarah:  I see that you list IDIC15 as one of the issues your kiddo's dealing with.  Has sam had a sleep study and have they ruled out an apnea?  Also, have you had Sam evaluated for mitochondrial disorders?  There's a notice for physician's on the IDEAS site regarding this.  Between the 15q issue and the ASD, sleep is a struggle.I cycle with our boys. We use it until we see their sleep patterns get perfect, then they will begin to wake up in the middle of the night. One night of that and I know it's time. We take them off of it and they keep their good sleep habits. They go to bed with no problems, and sleep well. Once we see sleep issues return, we know it's time to go back on.
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