Drug could help beat jet lag

(03 December 2008)

A drug called tasimelteon, which could help travellers with jet lag, has been successfully trialled on volunteers.

The drug increased the time volunteers spent asleep, helped them to get to sleep quicker and reduced the amount of time they spent awake during the night.

Tasimelteon mimics the hormone melatonin that helps regulate our natural body clocks.

The drug is in the later stages of trials and must undergo rigorous testing before being made available to consumers.