In this case series of 5 alcohol-dependent patients with insomnia who had initiated abstinence, a 4-week course of ramelteon 8 mg nightly was associated with markedly improved insomnia scores, increased total sleep time, and decreased time to fall asleep.
Given its lack of abuse potential and evidence of low melatonin levels in alcoholism, ramelteon deserves further study as a treatment for insomnia in this group of patients.
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