Health | jet lag New Drug Promises Better Sleep for the Jet-Lagged Substance works a lot like today's popular but unregulated melatonin supplements By Rebecca Smith Hurd Posted Dec 7, 2008 2:32 PM CST Copied Nelly Su, of Miami, rests in the arms of her sleeping boyfriend Mike Thomas, as Satish Venkat, rear, also tries to nap before their flights out of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis, File) A new drug promises to put an end to jet lag and enable better sleep for travelers, swing-shift crews, and insomniacs, the Economist reports. Tasimelteon works a lot like today's popular but unregulated melatonin supplements, bonding with brain receptors to stimulate melatonin production and REM sleep. The distinction is significant because the drug is not acting as a mere sedative. “We want to treat the underlying cause of jet lag or shift-work disorder: the misalignment of the inner circadian clock with the external environmental time,” says the drug’s lead researcher. More than 400 people successfully shifted their sleep patterns by 5 hours in two clinical trials. If further tests prove effective, an even simpler remedy for sleeplessness—such as wearing orange-tinted sunglasses at night—may be forthcoming. Read These Next JD Vance in hot water over birthday boating trip. Two state troopers were shot in Pennsylvania "Rock's forgotten genius" said no to Led Zeppelin. Kelly Clarkson's ex died a day after she disclosed he was ill. Report an error