Melatonin News and Research

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Melatonin, also known chemically as N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, is a naturally occurring compound found in animals, plants, and microbes. In animals, circulating levels of the hormone melatonin vary in a daily cycle, thereby allowing the entrainment of the circadian rhythms of several biological functions.

Irregular patterns of sleep and wakefulness linked to lower grades among college students

Previous research has analyzed variations in sleep patterns including number of hours slept, quality of sleep, and sleep-wake times, and found an association with cognitive impairments, health and performance; however, few studies have considered or accurately quantified the effects of regular sleep patterns.

12 Jun 2017

Delayed eating can increase weight and negatively affect fat metabolism

New findings suggest eating late at night could be more dangerous than you think. Compared to eating earlier in the day, prolonged delayed eating can increase weight, insulin and cholesterol levels, and negatively affect fat metabolism, and hormonal markers implicated in heart disease, diabetes and other health problems, according to results from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

2 Jun 2017

Meal-times help to regulate our body clock, study finds

The human body works according to a roughly 24-hr cycle. It is controlled by a master clock in the brain and by peripheral clocks in other parts of the body, which are synchronized according to external cues such as light.

2 Jun 2017

Sleep disturbances, long and short duration of sleep may increase risk of dementia and lung cancer

Difficulties in initiating or maintaining sleep at middle-age are associated with an increased risk of dementia, according to a new study from the University of Eastern Finland.

24 May 2017

Exposure to blue light increases athletes' performance during the final spurt

Athletes often have to compete late in the evening, when they are no longer able to perform at their best. As reported in the journal Frontiers in Physiology, however, researchers from the University of Basel have shown that athletes who are exposed to blue light before competing can significantly increase their performance in the final spurt.

19 May 2017

History of sleep: what was normal?

We used to sleep in two phases, with a first sleep and then a second sleep. Arguably from time immemorial to the nineteenth century, the dominant pattern of sleep in Western societies was biphasic, whereby most preindustrial households retired between 9 and 10pm, slept for 3 to 3 ½ hours during their “first sleep,”

17 May 2017

Neuroscience research has rapidly grown over the years, study finds

A study of the impact and research topics of neuroscience papers from 2006-2015 has shown that the number of papers and highly-productive core neuroscience journals has grown, while psychology and behavioral sciences have become more popular research areas.

20 Apr 2017

Gene CRY1 variant alters circadian clock contributing to delayed sleep phase disorder, study finds

If all your life, you have been functioning best in the evening and night compared to the mornings, a gene mutation may be a reason.

10 Apr 2017

Preference for evening activity in type 2 diabetes patients linked to greater depression symptoms

People with type 2 diabetes who are "night owls" and prefer the evening for activity report having more symptoms of depression than those who are early to bed and early to rise, regardless of the quality of their sleep, a new study finds.

2 Apr 2017

Study sheds new light on poor sleep conditions during Antarctic summer

The continuous daylight conditions of summer in Antarctica are known to interfere with physiological functions such as sleep patterns and the release of melatonin, a hormone associated with circadian rhythms and sleep.

10 Mar 2017

People living without artificial lights also skimp on sleep, study finds

Screen time before bed can mess with your sleep. But people without TV and laptops skimp on sleep too, researchers say. A Duke University study of people living without electricity or artificial light in a remote farming village in Madagascar finds they get shorter, poorer sleep than people in the U.S. or Europe.

17 Feb 2017

Melatonin content of dietary supplements shows wide variability, study finds

A new study suggests that the melatonin content of dietary supplements often varies widely from what is listed on the label.

14 Feb 2017

New clinical practice guideline provides evidence-based analyses of specific insomnia drugs

A new clinical practice guideline is the first from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine to provide comprehensive, evidence-based analyses of individual agents commonly used in the treatment of chronic insomnia disorder.

14 Feb 2017

Returning to nature can improve sleep patterns

New sleep research has shown that by respecting nature and keeping days light and nights dark we can improve our sleep patterns.

3 Feb 2017

Physician explains how poor or low-quality sleep hinders common resolutions

Making New Year's resolutions is easy. Keeping them — beyond a couple of weeks, at least — is tough.

20 Jan 2017

Exposure to insecticides that mimic melatonin could put people at higher risk for diabetes

Synthetic chemicals commonly found in insecticides and garden products bind to the receptors that govern our biological clocks, University at Buffalo researchers have found.

19 Jan 2017

Electro-acupuncture may be effective in treating sleep disturbances in women with breast cancer

It's somewhat of a little-known adverse effect of having breast cancer, but studies suggest that approximately 30% to 40% of women with breast cancer report persistent hot flashes. Nocturnal hot flashes are among the most problematic because they can contribute to poor sleep.

29 Nov 2016