Melatonin and insomnia: a map of research activity
A publication review found growing research interest and changing themes, but it did not measure whether melatonin improves sleep.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Research on melatonin and insomnia generally increased across the publication window, despite annual fluctuations. The authors describe work involving children, older adults and people with neurological disorders as prominent themes. This is a picture of what researchers have studied; it does not establish how much melatonin helps insomnia, who benefits, or how safely it works.
The abstract reports publication patterns rather than treatment effects. It provides no pooled sleep outcomes or safety estimates, so publication volume cannot be used to judge clinical benefit.
What researchers found
Annual publication activity
Across 2015–2024, publication volume generally rose when compared across years, with fluctuations; the abstract gives no numerical growth estimate.
What the study mapped
The team searched research databases and used visualization software to chart links among authors, institutions, countries and cited work. Its question concerned the organization and direction of the literature, rather than participants' sleep changes.
How to read the themes
The authors highlight neurological conditions, cancer and pain medication as areas for future attention. These are research themes identified in the literature; their appearance does not demonstrate that melatonin is effective for insomnia in those settings.
The original publication
Status of research on the application of melatonin in insomnia based on bibliometric visualization analysis and development trends.
Liu H, Zhao J, Wang Z et al.
Front Psychiatry · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41089313
- Record checked
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