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Howdy Folks Thought I'd share this article from Discovery Health and the attached URL for those of you (like me) who have trouble sleeping. The URL has some good info. Kelly in Calgary 40\39\36 Melatonin Resets The Clock The hormone melatonin may be able to help blind people keep their sleep cycles on track. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers from Oregon Health Sciences University found that melatonin can help blind people who suffer from insomnia and daytime sleepiness to regulate their internal clocks. Because they are unable to distinguish periods of dark and light, completely blind people often have "free-running" circadian rhythms (sleeping and waking cycles), The Associated Press reports. In the study, the researchers looked at seven blind men and women whose circadian rhythms were 24.2 to 24.9 hours, rather then the standard 24 hours. The subjects were given either 10 mg of melatonin or a placebo an hour before bedtime each night for three to nine weeks. Then, the groups were switched and the subjects who had been getting melatonin were given a placebo and those taking a placebo were given melatonin. The researchers found that the placebos had no effect on the subjects. However, six of the seven were able to "reset" their circadian rhythm to 24 hours with the help of melatonin. This benefit continued even when their dose of the hormone was cut to 0.5 mg. However, other experts are skeptical of the results, saying that melatonin has not proven very successful overall in regulating sleep disorder patients' cycles, the AP says. For more sleep disorders, go to: http://www.discoveryhealth.com/DH/ihtIH/EMDSC000/24597/24597.html