does melatonin improve sleep quality?

Introduction

Melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland, plays a crucial role in regulating the sleep-wake cycle. Its production is influenced by the light/dark cycle, and it is often used as a supplement to improve sleep quality, particularly in populations with sleep disturbances such as the elderly, patients with insomnia, and individuals with specific health conditions.

Key Insights

Improvement in Sleep Quality in Elderly and Insomnia Patients
- Melatonin significantly improves sleep quality, sleep efficiency, and reduces wake time after sleep onset in elderly individuals and those with primary insomnia .
- Prolonged-release melatonin enhances morning alertness and does not cause withdrawal effects upon discontinuation.
Effectiveness in Specific Health Conditions
- Melatonin improves sleep quality in patients with cancer, although results are mixed, with some studies showing significant improvement and others showing no significant effect.
- In patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI), melatonin supplementation improves subjective sleep quality and some aspects of objective sleep quality.
- Melatonin improves sleep quality in patients with asthma without affecting asthma symptoms or pulmonary function.
Dietary Sources of Melatonin
- Consumption of melatonin-rich foods like milk and sour cherries may improve sleep quality, suggesting dietary sources of melatonin as potential adjuvants in sleep disorder treatment.
General Efficacy in Primary Sleep Disorders
- Meta-analysis shows that melatonin reduces sleep onset latency, increases total sleep time, and improves overall sleep quality in patients with primary sleep disorders. The effects are modest but consistent.
Use in Critical Care Settings
- In ICU patients, melatonin is associated with better sleep quality, although it does not significantly affect the duration of night sleep, analgesic or sedative use, or the occurrence of delirium, pain, and anxiety.

Conclusion

Melatonin supplementation appears to be effective in improving sleep quality across various populations, including the elderly, patients with primary insomnia, and individuals with specific health conditions such as cancer, TBI, and asthma. Dietary sources of melatonin also show potential benefits. While the effects are generally modest, melatonin's relatively benign side-effect profile makes it a viable option for improving sleep quality. Further research is warranted to optimize dosing and duration for different populations.

Does melatonin improve sleep quality?

Summary

Consensus Meter

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

Improvement of sleep quality in elderly people by controlled-release melatonin

Controlled-release melatonin effectively improves sleep quality in elderly people with insomnia, potentially due to melatonin deficiency.

Prolonged‐release melatonin improves sleep quality and morning alertness in insomnia patients aged 55 years and older and has no withdrawal effects

Prolonged-release melatonin significantly improves sleep quality and morning alertness in insomnia patients aged 55 years and older, suggesting more restorative sleep without withdrawal symptoms.

Influence of Dietary Sources of Melatonin on Sleep Quality: A Review.

Consumption of milk and sour cherries, sources of melatonin, may improve sleep quality and may serve as adjuvants in the prevention and treatment of sleep disorders.

Melatonin Supplementation for Six Weeks Had No Effect on Arterial Stiffness and Mitochondrial DNA in Women Aged 55 Years and Older with Insomnia: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Study

Melatonin supplementation improved sleep quality but did not significantly affect cardiometabolic parameters like arterial stiffness and mitochondrial DNA in women aged 55 years and older with insomnia.

The effect of melatonin on sleep quality and insomnia in patients with cancer: a systematic review study.

Melatonin may improve sleep quality and insomnia in cancer patients, but further studies are needed to determine the most effective and safest dose and duration of use.

The Effects of Melatonin Supplementation on Sleep Quality and Assessment of the Serum Melatonin in ICU Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Melatonin supplementation improves sleep quality in critically ill patients, suggesting its potential role in routine care in the future.

Efficacy of melatonin for sleep disturbance following traumatic brain injury: a randomised controlled trial

Melatonin supplementation effectively and safely improves subjective sleep quality and some aspects of objective sleep quality in patients with traumatic brain injury.

Effect of controlled-release melatonin on sleep quality, mood, and quality of life in subjects with seasonal or weather-associated changes in mood and behaviour

Melatonin improves sleep quality and vitality in individuals with seasonal affective disorder, but reduces atypical symptoms and quality of life in those with weather-associated syndrome, positive type.

Melatonin improves sleep in asthma: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Melatonin can improve sleep quality in patients with asthma, but further studies are needed to determine its long-term effects on airway inflammation and bronchial hyperresponsiveness.

Meta-Analysis: Melatonin for the Treatment of Primary Sleep Disorders

Melatonin effectively reduces sleep latency, increases total sleep time, and improves overall sleep quality in patients with primary sleep disorders.

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