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Article: Melatonin may help insomniacs.
- Article from:
- HealthFacts
- Article date:
- September 1, 1995
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1995 Center for Medical Consumers, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The synthetic form of the hormone melatonin, which can be purchased at most health food stores, continues to show some effectiveness in treating insomnia. The latest preliminary study involved 12 elderly people (average age 76 years) who suffered chronic sleep disturbances and were receiving various medications for chronic illness.
Participants were given either a controlled-release form of melatonin (2 mg per night taken two hours before bedtime) or a placebo (a look alike inactive pill) in a study conducted by D. Garfinkel, M.D., and colleagues at various medical centers in Israel (The Lancet, 26 August 1995). The seven-week study was designed to make sure that the ...