Autism, sleep problems and melatonin

Up to 89% of children with autism have trouble sleeping. Melatonin is a naturally-occuring hormone that is important in regulating people's body clocks and researchers at the University of California in Sacramento carried out a four-week study on 18 children, between two and 15, with either autism or fragile X syndrome, to see whether melatonin could help them with their sleep problems. The children were given either 3mg of melatonin or a placebo every night for 2 weeks and then swapped over into the other group. The study found that treatment with melatonin was associated with longer sleep each night (by 20 minutes), less sleepiness and getting to sleep earlier (42 minutes on average).

You can find out more about this research at

http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUKTRE53J4GD20090420?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews&pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

Depression, motherhood and body clocks

Major depression during pregnancy or shortly after birth can be a devastating illness for mothers, impair the neurocognitive and socio-emotional development of the child and increase the risk of mental and medical disorders in the offspring later in life. Many people with mood disorders have disturbed body clocks. Oestrogen and progesterone are known to affect people's body clocks and it could be that changes in the levels of these substances in and around pregnancy disrupt people's body clocks and contribute towards depression. A substance called melatonin, which is secreted at night time, plays an important role in governing people's body clocks. Researchers from the University of California, San Diego, measured melatonin levels in pregnant women and new mothers with and without major depression. They found that melatonin levels were significantly lower in pregnant women with major depression but significantly higher in new mothers with major depression.

Parry, Barbara L. ... [et al] - Plasma melatonin circadian rhythym disturbances during pregnancy and postpartum in depressed women and women with personal or family histories of depression American Journal of Psychiatry 165(12), 1551-1558

Resetting body clocks for people with dementia

Older people with dementia have disturbed body clocks which can contribute to cognitive decline and problems with mood, behaviour and the activities of everyday living. Bright light and melatonin are known to help with body-clock problems and a study of care-home residents in Holland found that bright light slowed cognitive decline by 5%, reduced symptoms of depression by 19% and helped to slow down loss of functional ability. Melatonin improved sleep patterns but worsened mood unless it was accompanied by bright light.

British Medical Journal 21 June, 2008, 1400-1401