Aims: To evaluate the effectiveness of melatonin in attenuating sleep difficulties during benzodiazepine (BDZ) withdrawal.

Design: Double-blind cross-over control study.

Setting: Methadone maintenance treatment clinic.

Participants: Eighty patients enrolled at a community methadone maintenance clinic recruited to a BDZ withdrawal programme.

Intervention: Melatonin (5 mg/day) or placebo: 6 weeks one arm, 1 week washout, 6 weeks other arm.

Measurements: Urine BDZ; self-reported Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) questionnaires administered at baseline, and at 6, 7 and 13 weeks.

Findings: Sixty-one patients (77.5% in the 'melatonin first' condition and 75% in the 'placebo first' condition) completed 6 weeks of treatment, showing a similar BDZ discontinuation rate of 11/31 and 11/30, respectively. PSQI scores were significantly lower (indicating better sleep quality) in the 22 patients who discontinued BDZ (8.9 +/- 0.9) than in 39 with urine BDZ (11.2 +/- 0.7, P = 0.04). Sleep quality in patients who continued abusing BDZ improved more in the 'melatonin first' group than in the 'placebo first' group, with no differences in sleep quality improvement in patients who stopped BDZ. CONCLUSION Most improvement in sleep quality was attributed to BDZ discontinuation. Although melatonin did not enhance BDZ discontinuation, it improved sleep quality, especially in patients who did not stop BDZ.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2007.02007.xDOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

sleep quality
24
methadone maintenance
12
bdz discontinuation
12
quality patients
12
bdz
11
sleep
8
maintenance treatment
8
urine bdz
8
'melatonin first'
8
first' condition
8

Similar Publications

Background: Insomnia is a prevalent sleep disorder affecting millions worldwide, with significant impacts on daily functioning and quality of life. While traditionally assessed through subjective measures such as the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), the advent of wearable technology has enabled continuous, objective sleep monitoring in natural environments. However, the relationship between subjective insomnia severity and objective sleep parameters remains unclear.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Sleep deprivation and reduced sleep quality are common in adolescents and negatively impact their physical and mental wellbeing. This study evaluates the effect of a participatory-developed school-based healthy sleep intervention for adolescents.

Method: A 16-week long intervention, cocreated with adolescents, was conducted with two schools with four schools serving as measurement-only controls.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We aimed to compare sleep problems in autistic and non-autistic adults with co-occurring depression and anxiety. The primary research question was whether autism status influences sleep quality, after accounting for the effects of depression and anxiety. We hypothesized that autistic adults would report higher levels of depression, anxiety, and sleep problems compared to non-autistic adults, after controlling for these covariates.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To investigate the synergistic effects of combined sleep interventions and enhanced nutritional support on postoperative recovery in colon cancer patients, with a focus on sleep quality, nutritional status, pain management, psychological well-being, and quality of life.

Methods: This randomized controlled trial included 290 postoperative colon cancer patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University between May 2021 and May 2023. Participants were randomized into two groups: the intervention group, which received standard care supplemented with sleep and nutritional interventions, and the control group, which received standard care alone.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Sleep is influenced by various factors, including social, economic, genetic, and medical factors, and work and study schedules. Medical students are highly susceptible to sleep-related problems. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the sleep patterns and quality of medical students and determine their correlation with academic achievement.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!