Journal of sleep research
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Journal of sleep research · Jun 1998
Clinical TrialDelayed sleep phase syndrome: A placebo-controlled cross-over study on the effects of melatonin administered five hours before the individual dim light melatonin onset.
In a double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over study, 30 patients with Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS) were included, of whom 25 finished the study. Melatonin 5 mg was administered during two weeks in a double-blind setting and two weeks in an open setting successively or interrupted by two week of placebo. The study's impact was assessed by measurements of the 24-h curves of endogenous melatonin production and rectal temperature (n = 14), polysomnography (n = 22), actigraphy (n = 13), sleep log (n = 22), and subjective sleep quality (n = 25). ⋯ During melatonin treatment patients felt significantly more refreshed in the morning. These results show that analysis of DLMO of patients suffering from DSPS is important both for diagnosis and therapy. These results are discussed in terms of the biochemistry of the pineal.