Efficacy and hypnotic effects of melatonin in shift-work nurses: double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial
2008

Melatonin's Effects on Sleep in Shift-Work Nurses

Sample size: 86 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Khosro Sadeghniiat-Haghighi, Omid Aminian, Gholamreza Pouryaghoub, Zohreh Yazdi

Primary Institution: Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Hypothesis

Can melatonin improve sleep quality and reduce insomnia symptoms in shift workers?

Conclusion

Melatonin may be an effective treatment for shift workers with difficulty falling asleep.

Supporting Evidence

  • Melatonin significantly reduced sleep onset latency compared to placebo.
  • No adverse effects of melatonin were noted during the treatment period.
  • The study included 86 shift-worker nurses who reported sleep problems.

Takeaway

Melatonin can help nurses who work at night fall asleep faster.

Methodology

A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study comparing melatonin and placebo in shift-worker nurses.

Limitations

The study relied on subjective self-reports and did not use objective measures like polysomnography.

Participant Demographics

Participants were 86 shift-worker nurses aged 24 to 46 years, with 80.2% being female.

Statistical Information

P-Value

< 0.05

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1740-3391-6-10

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