Correction of non–24‐hour sleep/wake cycle by melatonin in a blind retarded boy

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Abstract
A 9‐year‐old, blind boy with severe mental retardation with a chronic sleep/wake disturbance had a circadian rhythm of 24.75 hours and an internal desynchronization of the endogenous rhythms. Treatment with oral melatonin given at 6PM induced a regular sleep/wake pattern. Melatonin, in this patient, convincingly entrained the endogenous rhythm to the appropriate chronological 24‐hour day.