A natural sleeping pill may relieve some pain for patients suffering from a common inflammatory eye disease.

Researchers have found melatonin may assist with the disease uveitis, which causes redness, pain in the eye and a deterioration of vision.

The drug, which many people use as a sleep aid, was found to greatly reduce the inflammation associated with the disease. It also decreased the appearance of symptoms such as blood vessel expansion and cataract.

Currently, the most common treatment for the disease is corticoid steroid eye drops. However long-term use could lead to the development of glaucoma.

If left untreated, patients with uveitis may lose their vision permanently. The disease accounts for an estimated 10 percent to 15 percent of blindness cases in the U.S.

While the disease can be caused by cancer and autoimmune diseases, it can also result from an eye injury or exposure to toxins.

Melatonin may have other benefits as a natural sleep aid in assisting people to get eight hours each night.

It was recently reported in the Boston Globe that exercise can offer protection against cancer, but getting less than seven hours of sleep a night can cancel out the benefits.