Home › Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders › NCT05701969
Effect of Melatonin on Sleep Patterns of Resident Trainees During Night Float Shift
Who can join
Ages 18 and older · All sexes · Healthy volunteers welcome
Full eligibility criteria
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.
About the study
Anesthesiology residency requires extended and overnight shifts, which may negatively impact the quantity and quality of sleep.
Previous studies have investigated the effect of night float shift work on anesthesiology resident sleep and performance and demonstrated that total sleep quantity and time spent in deep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep were significantly reduced during night float and did not return to baseline after 3 nights of recovery.
Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland, which regulates the circadian rhythm that governs sleep. Exogenous melatonin may be used as a sleep aid and is available over the counter in the United States. Melatonin is effective in realigning the circadian rhythm disorder caused by night shift work and increasing sleep duration; however, melatonin's effect on improving sleep in resident trainees has not been investigated. The investigators propose a prospective double-blinded randomized control trial to investigate the effect of melatonin on sleep quantity and quality in resident physicians assigned to a night float system.
What is being tested
- Melatonin (dietary supplement)
- Placebo (other)
Sponsor: University of Virginia · Participants: 50 · Started: May 30, 2022
Contact the study team
- Keita Ikeda, PH.D. · Phone: 9195931174
- Emily Chuang, MA · Phone: 7575348912
Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT05701969
Locations in the U.S.
| Virginia | University of Virginia, Charlottesville |
Conditions
From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Oct 2, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.