Snorting a Brain Chemical Could Replace Sleep
By Alexis Madrigal12.28.07 | 12:00 AM
>http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/12/sleep_deprivation

A nasal spray of a key brain hormone cures sleepiness in sleep-
deprived monkeys. With no apparent side effects, the hormone might be
a promising sleep-replacement drug.

In what sounds like a dream for millions of tired coffee drinkers,
Darpa-funded scientists might have found a drug that will eliminate
sleepiness.

A nasal spray containing a naturally occurring brain hormone called
orexin A reversed the effects of sleep deprivation in monkeys,
allowing them to perform like well-rested monkeys on cognitive tests.
The discovery's first application will probably be in treatment of the
severe sleep disorder narcolepsy.

The treatment is "a totally new route for increasing arousal, and the
new study shows it to be relatively benign," saidJerome Siegel, a
professor of psychiatry at UCLA and a co-author of the paper. "It
reduces sleepiness without causing edginess."

Orexin A is a promising candidate to become a "sleep replacement"
drug. For decades, stimulants have been used to combat sleepiness, but
they can be addictive and often have side effects, including raising
blood pressure or causing mood swings. The military, for example,
administers amphetamines to pilots flying long distances, and has
funded research into new drugs like the stimulant modafinil (.pdf) and
orexin A in an effort to help troops stay awake with the fewest side
effects. ...