'Jet lag pill' developed to 'reset' the body's biological clock

Scientists have discovered a drug they say can reset the body's clock and offer relief to people who suffer from fatigue and insomnia caused by disrupted sleep patterns.

A person's circadian rhythm, or internal body clock, is responsible for synchronising vital bodily functions to a 24-hour cycle, with the humans designed to be awake during the day and asleep at night. Various things can upset this rhythm including shift work, time zone changes, medications, pregnancy, and certain physical and mental health problems.

The body clock is regulated by external cues, the most important of which is daylight. However, researchers have discovered that it can also be reset by Glucocorticoids, a type of steroid hormone, which can synchronise blood cells to "fool" the body into thinking night is day and vice versa.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

And the new drug could be of use to many. "Problems adjusting to atypical work schedules are a major issue for society," explained researcher Dr Diane Boivin, reports the Daily Telegraph.

Previous research has also linked prolonged body clock disruption to heart and metabolic disorders and even cancer. "Our previous studies clearly show that desynchronised circadian clocks disrupt the sleep, performance and cardiac parameters of night-shift workers," said Boivin.

Millions of people, including shift workers and business travellers who routinely cross several time zones, stand to benefit from the pill, but it is not yet ready to be released for general use.