Better Sleeping Through Chemistry

Researchers have published findings from a recent drug trial that point to a new pill that is successfully able to reset the body’s natural sleep rhythms.  Tasimelteon works on the same receptors as melatonin – the body’s natural sleep hormone – and may actually improve a patient’s alertness and performance the next day without any carryover sedative effects.  Colloquially, this breakthrough is being referred to as the “jet lag drug,” but its applications extend to anyone suffering from body clock related sleep disorders. The BBC reports:

In trials on 450 people who went to bed five hours earlier than normal to replicate crossing into a different time zone, those who took the drug enjoyed between 30 minutes and nearly two hours more sleep than volunteers who received a dummy pill.

At this point, the drug is being taken through additional trials to further test the results, but should its development remain on track, there is potential to see a consumer version on the market within the next few years.

[via BBC News]