Efficacy and Hypnotic Effects of Melatonin in Shift‑Work Nurses
Summary
Compared 5 mg melatonin vs placebo after night shifts; melatonin improved some sleep outcomes in shift‑working nurses.
Why It Matters For Night Shift Workers and Night Owls
Participants randomized in this trial whether melatonin timed before daytime sleep showed sleep & alertness for night‑shift workers and night owls. Results help move melatonin from vague sedative to a time‑sensitive tool studied in the context of night schedules. For people who work nights, that frames an everyday choice (when you eat, how you light the end of a shift, how rest is split) as part of the mechanism, not just routine.
Notes
Open access RCT in nurses.