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Review
. 2010 Dec;33(12):1605-14.
doi: 10.1093/sleep/33.12.1605.

The use of exogenous melatonin in delayed sleep phase disorder: a meta-analysis

Affiliations
Review

The use of exogenous melatonin in delayed sleep phase disorder: a meta-analysis

Ingeborg M van Geijlswijk et al. Sleep. 2010 Dec.

Abstract

Study objectives: To perform a meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of exogenous melatonin in advancing sleep-wake rhythm in patients with delayed sleep phase disorder.

Design: Meta analysis of papers indexed for PubMed, Embase, and the abstracts of sleep and chronobiologic societies (1990-2009).

Patients: Individuals with delayed sleep phase disorder.

Interventions: Administration of melatonin.

Measurements and results: A meta-analysis of data of randomized controlled trials involving individuals with delayed sleep phase disorder that were published in English, compared melatonin with placebo, and reported 1 or more of the following: endogenous melatonin onset, clock hour of sleep onset, wake-up time, sleep-onset latency, and total sleep time. The 5 trials including 91 adults and 4 trials including 226 children showed that melatonin treatment advanced mean endogenous melatonin onset by 1.18 hours (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.89-1.48 h) and clock hour of sleep onset by 0.67 hours (95% CI: 0.45-0.89 h). Melatonin decreased sleep-onset latency by 23.27 minutes (95% CI: 4.83 -41.72 min). The wake-up time and total sleep time did not change significantly.

Conclusions: Melatonin is effective in advancing sleep-wake rhythm and endogenous melatonin rhythm in delayed sleep phase disorder.

Keywords: Melatonin; delayed sleep phase disorder; meta-analysis.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study selection
Figure 2
Figure 2
Dim Light Melatonin Onset in patients with delayed sleep phase disorder. MD, Mean difference (h); IV, inverse variance; t, estimate of the between study variance where the weight (W) given to each study is calculated by the inverse sum of the within study and between study variance estimates.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Clock hour of sleep onset in patients with delayed sleep phase disorder. MD, Mean difference (h); IV, inverse variance; t, estimate of the between study variance where the weight (W) given to each study is calculated by the inverse sum of the within study and between study variance estimates.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Wake up time in patients with delayed sleep phase disorder. MD, Mean difference (h); IV, inverse variance; t, estimate of the between study variance where the weight (W) given to each study is calculated by the inverse sum of the within study and between study variance estimates.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Sleep onset latency in patients with delayed sleep phase disorder. MD, Mean difference (h); IV, inverse variance; t, estimate of the between study variance where the weight (W) given to each study is calculated by the inverse sum of the within study and between study variance estimates.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Total sleep time in patients with delayed sleep phase disorder. MD, Mean difference (h); IV, inverse variance; t, estimate of the between study variance where the weight (W) given to each study is calculated by the inverse sum of the within study and between study variance estimates.

Comment in

References

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