Sleep Med Rev
Melatonin timing, dose key to improving sleep in neuropsychiatric pediatric patients
October 16, 2025

Melatonin at 2 to 4 mg, given 3 hours before bedtime, may optimize sleep outcomes in children with neuropsychiatric conditions. If validated in larger clinical trials, this regimen could inform future guidelines and standardize melatonin use for pediatric sleep disturbances in neuropsychiatric populations.
Study details: This systematic review and meta-analysis included 21 studies published up to April 2024, focusing on pediatric patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders. The analysis assessed mean differences in sleep onset latency, sleep efficiency, and total sleep time between melatonin and placebo groups, using dose-response curves and meta-regression to evaluate the impact of dose, timing, and duration.
Results: Melatonin administration significantly reduced sleep onset latency and increased both sleep efficiency and total sleep time. Maximal efficacy was observed with doses between 2 and 4 mg/day, administered approximately 3 hours before bedtime. Earlier administration was associated with greater reductions in sleep onset latency, while longer treatment durations improved sleep efficiency and total sleep time.
Source:
Bruno S, et al. (2025, August 30). Sleep Med Rev. Optimizing timing and dose of exogenous melatonin administration in neuropsychiatric pediatric populations: a meta-analysis on sleep outcomes. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40914024/
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