Pilot Study Evaluating Melatonin Effects on Sleep and Daytime Functioning in Adolescents with Sleep Difficulties Aged 13 to 17

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the effects of melatonin supplementation on sleep and daytime functioning in typically developing adolescents aged 13 to 17 who experience short or disrupted sleep due to behavioral reasons, such as difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early. The study uses a randomized crossover design to compare melatonin with a placebo in this age group without organic sleep disorders. Participants will receive 3 mg of melatonin or a placebo one hour before bedtime for 12 consecutive nights each, with the order randomized. This within-person crossover approach allows each participant to try both melatonin and placebo treatments during separate periods, helping to measure the effects directly. Throughout the study, researchers will assess changes in objective sleep duration and emotion regulation between baseline and after each two-week treatment period. Participants will be monitored during these periods to evaluate how melatonin impacts their sleep patterns and daytime emotional functioning.

Melatonin Adolescent Research Study