MELATONIN AND DELAYED SLEEP PHASE SYNDROME - AMBULATORY POLYGRAPHIC EVALUATION

THE present study objectively evaluated the efficacy of oral 5 mg day( -1) melatonin in advancing the sleep-wake rhythm in patients with dela yed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS). Six patients underwent ambulatory sle ep monitoring for 72 h before and 48 h after 1 month of melatonin trea tment. In each patient melatonin was administered on the basis of his own estimated dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) delay. Mean advances in sleep onset time of 115 min and in final awakening hour of 106 min we re found after treatment, with no significant changes in sleep archite cture parameters. Our study objectively confirms previous data obtaine d by a sleep-wake subjective diary on the efficacy of melatonin DSPS.