Effects of low doses of melatonin on late afternoon napping and mood

The effects of low doses of melatonin (0.1, 0.5 and 1 mg) given at 16:00 h on induction and quality of sleep in the late afternoon (17:00-21:00 h), as well as on subjective fatigue and mood ratings before and after sleep were studied. Ten healthy male volunteers (age 26-30 years) were given on a double-blind crossover basis, tablets containing melatonin, or placebo, with one day washout between treatments. Mood and fatigue were assessed before and after bedtime. Sleep quality was objectively monitored using wrist-worn actigraphs and subjectively by using sleep logs. Data were analysed by means of analysis of variance for repeated measures with a factor of group (placebo and the three melatonin doses). The analysis revealed dose-dependent increase by melatonin in subjective evaluation of fatigue and sleepiness, and decrease in alertness, efficiency, vigor and concentration before the nap. Melatonin did not significantly affect actigraph-measured nap sleep latency and efficiency but reduced wake time after sleep onset and delayed sleep offset time compared to placebo. Melatonin did not significantly affect sleep latency and sleep efficiency in the night following the treatment. These data indicate acute effects of low doses of melatonin given at 16:00 h on sleepiness and fatigue but not on sleep efficiency or latency in healthy young individuals.