Lagging Behind

by Chris Bodenner
In a come-from-behind effort to capitalize on the unregulated use of melatonin to cure jet lag, the pharmaceutical industry is developing drugs to mimic its effects:

[Melatonin] is a hormone that regulates the biological clock. It is made in the brain [when] darkness sets in after sunset. Light is the most potent cue for keeping the biological clock in synch with solar time. The clock then tells the brain when to go to sleep. The theory of those who use melatonin is that an external dose of it can reset the clock, and thus cause the "go to sleep" signal to be sent at a more convenient moment.