Melatonin Study May Offer Hope To People With Sleep Problems

BOSTON — Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital say results from a new study could offer hope to people with sleep problems.

The study, published in this month’s journal Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics finds that receiving the sleep-regulating hormone melatonin through a skin patch, rather than through a pill, could help people sleep better and for longer.

Researcher Daniel Aeschbach explains that a melatonin patch could especially help shift workers who work at night, get the sleep they need during the day.

“The modern 24-society requires many people to sleep during the daytime,” he says. “But it is often difficult to maintain sleep long enough.”

He says the study also finds that a melatonin patch could help people suffering from jet-lag, or who have trouble sleeping through the night.