Melatonin in sleep disorders.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Review
- Population
- Patients with insomnia, particularly older adults with age-related melatonin decline (narrative review)
- Intervention
- Melatonin in sleep disorders. Melatonin (various doses and preparations; dosing not clearly defined in literature)
- Comparator
- Placebo
- Primary Outcome
- Sleep quality improvement in insomnia; age-related sleep disorders
- Effect Direction
- Neutral
- Risk of Bias
- Unclear
Abstract
Melatonin is the main hormone involved in the control of the sleep-wake cycle. It is easily synthesisable and can be administered orally, which has led to interest in its use as a treatment for insomnia. Moreover, as production of the hormone decreases with age, in inverse correlation with the frequency of poor sleep quality, it has been suggested that melatonin deficit is at least partly responsible for sleep disorders. Treating this age-related deficit would therefore appear to be a natural way of restoring sleep quality, which is lost as patients age. However, despite the undeniable theoretical appeal of this approach to insomnia, little scientific evidence is available that supports any benefit of this substitutive therapy. Furthermore, the most suitable dose ranges and pharmaceutical preparations for melatonin administration are yet to be clearly defined. This review addresses the physiology of melatonin, the different pharmaceutical preparations, and data on its clinical usefulness.
TL;DR
Despite the undeniable theoretical appeal of this approach to insomnia, little scientific evidence is available that supports any benefit of this substitutive therapy and the most suitable dose ranges and pharmaceutical preparations for melatonin administration are yet to be clearly defined.