ReviewJournal of family medicine and primary care2026
Melatonin and sleep: Exploring its role in regulating the circadian rhythm and sleep-wake cycle.
Review in Journal of family medicine and primary care, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
1 author.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Sleep is a vital physiological process essential for maintaining overall health, supporting cellular repair, immune regulation, and cognitive functions. Sleep disruptions are associated with adverse health outcomes, including cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, and impaired mental health. Sleep regulation is orchestrated by the circadian rhythm and homeostatic sleep drive, with melatonin-a neurohormone secreted by the pineal gland-playing a pivotal role in modulating these processes. Melatonin synthesis follows a biochemical pathway, converting serotonin to melatonin through key enzymes, AANAT and HIOMT, under circadian control. The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) governs its secretion via light-responsive pathways, with light exposure inhibiting and darkness stimulating melatonin production. Acting through MT1 and MT2 receptors in the SCN and other brain regions, melatonin facilitates sleep onset, circadian rhythm alignment, and sleep maintenance while exerting antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and chronobiotic effects. Exogenous melatonin has emerged as a therapeutic agent for managing sleep disorders, such as circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders, jet lag, and insomnia. Its chronobiotic properties enable circadian phase-shifting, aligning sleep-wake cycles with environmental cues. Despite its growing use, questions remain regarding optimal dosing and long-term safety. This review delves into the physiology of melatonin, its synthesis, regulation, and mechanisms of action in sleep regulation. It also examines its therapeutic potential, highlighting gaps in research and paving the way for future studies on melatonin's broader implications in health and disease.
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Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.