Melatonin rhythm abnormalities and sleep disorders in the elderly

Biological aging is often associated with sleep problems and daytime napping. Complaints of difficulty in initiating and maintaining sleep, as well as daytime drowsiness, are more common in the elderly than in any other age group. This report reviews evidence that impaired melatonin secretion is associated with sleep disorders in old age. Circulating melatonin levels have been found to be significantly lower and onset and peak times have been delayed in elderly insomniacs as compared to age-matched control subjects. In view of these findings, we investigated the effects of melatonin treatment on melatonin-deficient insomnia in the elderly. From the results of our study, it seems likely that melatonin replacement therapy may be beneficial in the initiation and maintenance of sleep in this population.