According to an article published in the British Medical Journal, there seems to be no evidence that melatonin helps treat secondary sleep disorders or prevents jet lag.
The report explains that sleep disorders place a serious burden on society because they have a negative impact on quality of life, safety, productivity and the utilisation of healthcare.
People have been using melatonin increasingly over the past few years as a treatment for sleep disorders.
At the University of Alberta, Canada, researchers looked at trials which used melatonin for people with secondary sleep disorders. A secondary sleep disorder is one associated with a medical, neurological or substance abuse. They also looked at trials using melatonin to treat jet lag and shiftwork disorder.
Although the researchers found melatonin to be safe for short-term use, they found no evidence that it helps people with secondary sleep disorders or sleep disturbance caused by jet lag or shiftwork. How safe melatonin is with long-term use was not covered in the study.
Efficacy and safety of exogenous melatonin for secondary sleep disorders and sleep disorders accompanying sleep restriction: Meta-analysis;BMJ Online First
Click here to view the article in BMJ Online
Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today