The Effect of Sleep Disturbances and Melatonin in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an idiopathic condition which increases and decreases in intensity and results in a poor quality of life for those afflicted. Advances in the molecular machinery of the circadian clock, and the discovery of clock genes in the gastrointestinal tract have led to an increase in research into the role of sleep in IBD. Altering circadian rhythm significantly worsens the development of colitis in animal models, and preliminary human studies have shown that patients with IBD are at increased risk for sleep disruption. Melatonin, a hormone and marker of the central circadian clock, has been shown to be protective in animal models of colitis and there are several anecdotal findings of melatonin supplementation alleviating ulcerative colitis. Further human studies are needed to determine the effect of sleep disorders on IBD and whether supplemental melatonin can be used to reverse sleep disturbances and mucosal inflammation. (Intest Res 2011;9:85-89)