Ramelteon-induced nightmares: A case report

Abstract

Ramelteon is the only FDA-approved melatonin agonist for treatment of insomnia. It acts on melatonin MT1 and MT2 receptors. We describe a case of a patient who was prescribed ramelteon for insomnia disorder. Shortly after initiation of ramelteon, he described vivid nightmares leading to discontinuation of ramelteon. The nightmares ameliorated with ramelteon discontinuation. Ramelteon is well tolerated with a favorable side-effect profile. No documented cases of nightmares secondary to ramelteon use were found in the literature. The effects of ramelteon on rapid eye movement sleep, the stage of sleep where dreams occur, need to be further explored.

Keywords: Dreams; Nightmares; Ramelteon.