This supplement improves sleep quality in people with MS

Taking melatonin has been shown to increase sleep quality in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study has found.

Melatonin is a hormone that is made in the body and it regulates our sleep-wake cycles. In this study, it was particularly good at prolonging the length of time people were asleep for.

Researchers said the participants’ sleep time decreased with age, which meant younger patients may have a better response to melatonin in terms of improving sleep.

Fatigue measurements also ‘nominally improved’, although not enough to be statistically significant.

Melatonin is available to buy over the counter in the US where the study took place. In the UK, it is prescription-only. According to the NHS website, it is mostly prescribed to adults over 55 for short-term sleep issues, although other age groups can be prescribed it if a doctor recommends it.