Clinical update: melatonin and sleep disorders
Josephine Arendt, Eus JW Van Someren, Richard Appleton, Debra J Skene and Torbjorn Akerstedt
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7861/clinmedicine.8-4-381
Clin Med August 2008 Josephine Arendt
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford
Roles: Emeritus Professor of Endocrinology
Eus JW Van Someren
an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, and VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Roles: Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience
Richard Appleton
Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool
Roles: Consultant Paediatric Neurologist
Debra J Skene
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford
Roles: Professor of Neuroendocrinology
Torbjorn Akerstedt
Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
Roles: Professor of Behavioural Physiology

Abstract
The hormone melatonin is increasingly used for the treatment of certain sleep disorders, particularly those related to disturbed biological rhythms. This article summarises current knowledge of its mechanism of action and identifies situations where there is good evidence for its efficacy. The authors provide advice, based on their own experience and consistent published data, concerning the dose range of melatonin to be used and the critically important question of the timing of treatment. Anecdotal evidence for the use of melatonin needs to be replaced by data from well-controlled, preferably multi-centre, randomised clinical trials.
- © 2008 Royal College of Physicians
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Clinical update: melatonin and sleep disorders
Josephine Arendt, Eus JW Van Someren, Richard Appleton, Debra J Skene, Torbjorn Akerstedt
Clinical Medicine Aug 2008, 8 (4) 381-383; DOI: 10.7861/clinmedicine.8-4-381
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