Research
Hormonal
Exogenous melatonin advances sleep-wake rhythm and endogenous melatonin onset in patients with Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder (DSPD) when administered chronobiologically timed (approximately 5 hours prior to Dim Light Melatonin Onset).
For individuals with DSPD, taking melatonin approximately 5 hours before their natural sleep onset time (DLMO) effectively shifts their internal clock earlier, leading to earlier sleep onset and advanced melatonin production. This requires identifying one's natural melatonin onset time.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Melatonin is effective in advancing sleep-wake rhythm and endogenous melatonin rhythm in delayed sleep phase disorder.
Why this rating
Meta-analysis of 9 randomized controlled trials, though limited by small sample sizes in adults.
Source
The Use of Exogenous Melatonin in Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder: A Meta-analysis
Ingeborg M. van Geijlswijk et al. · SLEEP · 2010
DOI 10.1093/sleep/33.12.1605
Meta-analysis · 9 studiesCited 264×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Melatonin administration significantly reduces sleep-onset latency (SOL) in children with DSPD, but this effect is not statistically significant in adults.Good
- Incorrect timing or high doses of melatonin administered late relative to endogenous melatonin onset can result in no phase advance or even a delay in the circadian rhythm.Moderate
Related findings · Hormonal
- Initial treatment for type 2 diabetes should be a combination of metformin and either an SGLT-2 inhibitor or a GLP-1 receptor agonist to achieve cardiorenal protection, rather than monotherapy or older agents like sulfonylureas.Strong
- For patients with specific monogenic obesity syndromes (leptin deficiency, POMC/PCSK1/LEPR mutations), targeted pharmacotherapy (recombinant leptin or setmelanotide) is highly effective and should be prioritized, unlike in polygenic obesity.Strong
- Continued weekly administration of 2.4 mg subcutaneous semaglutide prevents weight regain and promotes further weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity, whereas switching to placebo results in significant weight regain.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →