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Date of Graduation
12-13-2024
Semester of Graduation
Fall
Abstract
Objective: To assess the effectiveness of melatonin as a treatment for insomnia in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Design: Systematic Literature Review. Methods: A search was conducted in 2023 via PubMed using search terms “Child Development Disorders, Pervasive” and “Melatonin” and on Scopus and Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) database with the search terms “Autism Spectrum Disorder” and “Melatonin”. Three articles were selected based on the inclusion criteria. Discussion: All three studies showed objective improvements from insomnia in children with ASD with the administration of melatonin. It was also noted that good sleep hygiene, consistent evening routines, and cognitive behavioral therapy when combined with melatonin can be more effective than on therapy alone. These findings in addition to good safety data and increases in subjective quality measurements, indicate the use of melatonin as a part of a systematic treatment regimen in children with ASD. Conclusion: The use of melatonin is a reasonable clinical approach with a good safety profile for long-term use to address sleep difficulties such as increased sleep onset latency (SOL) and decreased total sleep time (TST) in children in children with ASD.
Recommended Citation
Midland A, Patel P. Melatonin Therapy for Insomnia in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder. 2024.
