Effect of melatonin on sleep-wake rhythm: the sleep diary of an autistic male.

This study reports on melatonin treatment in autism. A 14-year-old autistic male with severe mental retardation was given melatonin at a dose of 6 mg at 9:00 pm (C1) or 11:00 pm (C2). His parents kept a sleep diary. In C1, he often experienced early morning waking and fragmented night sleep but in C2, night sleep was prolonged and sleep-wake rhythm was improved. Suitable medication time, therefore, improved the sleep-wake rhythm.