Exogenous Melatonin and Sleep Quality: A Scoping Review of Systematic Reviews.

ABSTRACT: Melatonin is increasingly used to treat sleep disturbances, yet its overall efficacy remains unclear due to variability in existing evidence. This scoping review aimed to synthesize systematic reviews with meta-analyses assessing the effects of exogenously administered melatonin on sleep quality in humans. Seven databases were searched from inception to July 9, 2025. Eligible studies were systematic reviews containing at least one meta-analysis evaluating melatonin's effects on any domain of sleep quality compared to any comparator. Fifty-seven systematic reviews were included, comprising 227 meta-analyses. Overlap in primary studies was low (corrected covered area = 2.5%), suggesting that reviews drew on largely distinct evidence bases. Methodological quality was variable: only 8.8% of re

SUBMITTER: Iyer S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12859178 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature