Effect of melatonin on sleep quality of copd intensive care patients: A pilot study

Sleep deprivation is extremely common in the intensive care unit (ICU), and this lack of sleep is associated with low melatonin secretion. The objecti ve of the current study was to explore the effect of exogenous melatonin ad ministration on sleep quality in patients hospitalized in the pulmonary int ensive care unit (ICU). We performed a double-blind, placebo-controlled stu dy in the pulmonary ICU of a tertiary care hospital. Eight adult patients h ospitalized in the pulmonary ICU with respiratory failure caused by exacerb ation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or with pneumonia wer e studied. Patients received either 3 mg of controlled-release melatonin or a placebo at 22:00, and sleep quality was evaluated by wrist actigraphy. T reatment with controlled-release melatonin dramatically improved both the d uration and quality of sleep in this group of patients. Our results suggest that melatonin administration to patients in intensive care units may be i ndicated as a treatment for sleep induction and resynchronization of the "b iologic clock." This treatment may also help in the prevention of the "ICU syndrome" and accelerate the healing process.