Melatonin may be key to better sleep for Night-Shift doctors
NCT ID NCT05701969
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether taking melatonin can improve sleep quality and duration for medical residents working night float shifts. Fifty residents will be randomly assigned to receive either melatonin or a placebo, and their sleep will be measured with a portable brain-wave monitor. The goal is to see if this common supplement can help counteract the sleep disruption caused by overnight work.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Melatonin
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple, over-the-counter way to help shift workers sleep better.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early, small study (50 participants). Melatonin is generally safe but may not improve sleep more than a placebo, and results may not apply to other groups.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Early phase 1
The earliest testing in people: a first look at safety, in a very small group.
- Participants
-
About 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
May 2022
- Expected to finish
-
Jun 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Post-Graduate Year 1-5 * Current enrollment in anesthesiology, general surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, general medicine, or pediatrics residency at the Unversity of Virginia Exclusion Criteria: * Current use of sleep aids * Diagnosed sleep disorder * History of a pacemaker or other medical device. * pregnant or breast-feeding females * Bleeding disorders * Depression * High blood pressure * Seizure disorders * History of transplant on immunosuppression therapy.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Sleep disorders, circadian rhythm are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
University of Virginia
RECRUITINGCharlottesville, Virginia, 22908-0710, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a Valerian-Hop pill boost your brain after a bad Night's sleep?
- Later school bells: can a simple schedule change boost teen health?
- Can Sunlight-Mimicking lights in hospital rooms lift depression?
- Sunlight therapy shows promise for Alzheimer's sleep problems
- Could a simple patch replace painkillers? new trial investigates
- Could a new pill fix your body clock? phase 3 trial underway