|
Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
|
Melatonin: Role in Gating Nocturnal Rise in Sleep Propensity
Peretz Lavie
Sleep Laboratory, Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
The present article reviews the evidence that melatonin possesses sleep-inducing effects and that it gates the increase in nocturnal sleepiness. It is shown that, without exception, all the studies that have investigated daytime administrations of melatonin reported increased sleepiness, even at doses that do not increase plasma levels of melatonin beyond its physiological levels. By contrast, nighttime increase in sleepiness was achieved only after administration of high doses. Based on these findings and on the precise coupling between the endogenous nocturnal increase in melatonin secretion and the opening of the sleep gate, it is suggested that melatonin participates in the regulation of the sleep-wake cycle by inhibiting the central nervous system wakefulness generating system. This inhibition allows a smooth transition from wakefulness to sleep. Clinical findings on decreased levels of nocturnal melatonin in chronic insomniacs, and on the efficacy of exogenous melatonin in improving sleep in melatonin-deficient insomniacs, are congruent with this hypothesis.
Key Words: melatonin • sleep • humans • insomnia
Journal of Biological Rhythms, Vol. 12, No. 6,
657-665 (1997)
DOI: 10.1177/074873049701200622
 CiteULike  Complore  Connotea  Del.icio.us  Digg  Reddit  Technorati  Twitter What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
|
|
 
M. Y. Munch, S. W. Cain, and J. F. Duffy
Biological Rhythms Workshop IC: Sleep and Rhythms
Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol,
January 1, 2007;
72(0):
35 - 46.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. Krauchi, V. Knoblauch, A. Wirz-Justice, and C. Cajochen
Challenging the sleep homeostat does not influence the thermoregulatory system in men: evidence from a nap vs. sleep-deprivation study
Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol,
April 1, 2006;
290(4):
R1052 - R1061.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
D.-J. Dijk and M. von Schantz
Timing and Consolidation of Human Sleep, Wakefulness, and Performance by a Symphony of Oscillators
J Biol Rhythms,
August 1, 2005;
20(4):
279 - 290.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. M. W Rajaratnam, B. Middleton, B. M Stone, J. Arendt, and D.-J. Dijk
Melatonin advances the circadian timing of EEG sleep and directly facilitates sleep without altering its duration in extended sleep opportunities in humans
J. Physiol.,
November 15, 2004;
561(1):
339 - 351.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. R. Weaver and C. E. Capodice
Postmortem Stability of Melatonin Receptor Binding and Clock-Relevant mRNAs in Mouse Suprachiasmatic Nucleus
J Biol Rhythms,
June 1, 2001;
16(3):
216 - 223.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
D.-J. Dijk, J. F Duffy, E. Riel, T. L Shanahan, and C. A Czeisler
Ageing and the circadian and homeostatic regulation of human sleep during forced desynchrony of rest, melatonin and temperature rhythms
J. Physiol.,
April 15, 1999;
516(2):
611 - 627.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. L. Sack and A. J. Lewy
Melatonin as a Chronobiotic: Treatment of Circadian Desynchrony in Night Workers and the Blind
J Biol Rhythms,
December 1, 1997;
12(6):
595 - 603.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. A. Czeisler
Commentary: Evidence for Melatonin as a Circadian Phase-Shifting Agent
J Biol Rhythms,
December 1, 1997;
12(6):
618 - 623.
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
D.-J. Dijk and C. Cajochen
Melatonin and the Circadian Regulation of Sleep Initiation, Consolidation, Structure, and the Sleep EEG
J Biol Rhythms,
December 1, 1997;
12(6):
627 - 635.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I. V Zhdanova and R. J. Wurtman
Efficacy of Melatonin as a Sleep-Promoting Agent
J Biol Rhythms,
December 1, 1997;
12(6):
644 - 650.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. Roth and G. Richardson
Commentary: Is Melatonin Administration an Effective Hypnotic?
J Biol Rhythms,
December 1, 1997;
12(6):
666 - 669.
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
