title: Circadian rhythms in 6-sulphatoxymelatonin and nocturnal sleep in blind children.
abstract: This article describes the relationship between melatonin secretion and sleep quality and subjective complaints about sleep in totally blind children. Eleven boarding-school children (mean age 15.2 years) participated. The major urinary melatonin metabolite 6-sulphatoxymelatonin (aMT6s) was measured five times a day for 48 h. Sleep-wake cycles were recorded by continuous actigraphic recordings during the same time period. Results showed that delayed secretory peaks in aMT6s were significantly associated with disturbed nocturnal sleep and with complaints about morning fatigue.
authors.affiliation: Sleep Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tzischinsky
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Skene
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Epstein
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lavie
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001766:Blindness / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000652:urine; D012890:Sleep
chemical_list: C054513:6-sulfatoxymelatonin; D008550:Melatonin