Efficacy of Ramelteon in Patients with Insomnia and Nocturia

Objectives: To study the efficacy of ramelteon for patients with insomnia and nocturia. Methods: Forty‐nine patients experiencing insomnia and two or more nocturnal voids were included. The degree of lower urinary tract symptoms and sleep disorders was evaluated using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) 1 score, and frequency/volume chart (FVC). The patients were treated with ramelteon (8 mg) for four weeks and then reexamined by questionnaire and FVC to evaluate the therapeutic efficacies. Results: The mean IPSS score was 16.1 ± 6.9 at baseline and 12.4 ± 7.1 at four weeks. The subject scores for the number of nocturnal voids also decreased significantly from 3.3 ± 0.9 to 2.9 ± 1.0. In addition, PSQI scores improved significantly from 7.4 ± 2.9 to 5.4 ± 2.8. According to the FVC, the number of nocturnal voids decreased significantly from 3.1 ± 1.2 at baseline to 2.2 ± 1.1 at four weeks, and nighttime bladder capacity improved significantly from 181.4 ± 79.9 to 201.1 ± 93.7 mL. Conclusion: Ramelteon alleviated nocturia and disturbed sleep in patients with insomnia and nocturia and led to increased nighttime bladder capacity.