The Journal of clinical psychiatry
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Melatonin in schizophrenic outpatients with insomnia: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
Low nighttime levels of melatonin have been demonstrated in patients with insomnia, and melatonin has been shown to have hypnotic properties in some groups of such subjects. Low melatonin levels have also been observed in patients with schizophrenia; however, there is little literature on the efficacy of exogenous melatonin in treating insomnia associated with schizophrenia. ⋯ Melatonin may be a useful short-term hypnotic for schizophrenic patients with insomnia. Melatonin could be considered for patients in whom conventional hypnotic drug therapy or higher sedative antipsychotic drug doses may be problematic.