Anyone who has endured a long-haul flight knows the struggle of trying to fall asleep upon returning home. The familiar frustration of lying awake in the middle of the night might soon become a distant memory, thanks to a groundbreaking scientific discovery.
A Potential Breakthrough in Sleep Science
Researchers from Kanazawa University in Japan have developed a novel drug that promises to 'reset' your internal body clock forward. This compound, named Mic-628, works by inducing a specific clock gene known as Per1, which plays a crucial role in maintaining circadian rhythms—the natural cycles that regulate sleep and wakefulness.
How Mic-628 Works
In laboratory tests conducted on mice, a single oral dose of Mic-628 demonstrated remarkable efficacy. It shortened the period required for the internal clock to readjust from seven days to just four. This finding suggests that Mic-628 could serve as a prototype 'smart drug' for managing conditions like jet lag or the disruptive effects of shift work.
The researchers believe this compound may prove more effective than existing methods, such as light therapy or melatonin supplements, which are commonly used to realign the body's sleep-wake cycle. According to the experts, Mic-628 works 'powerfully' to reset the internal body clock, offering a targeted approach to circadian rhythm disorders.
The Impact of Travel Direction on Jet Lag
This development follows recent studies highlighting that jet lag is often more severe when travelling eastwards. Younger individuals tend to experience it more acutely compared to those in their sixties. While sleep duration may recover quickly after crossing time zones, sleep timing can take 'significantly longer' to realign.
In their paper published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the team explained: 'West-to-east transmeridian flights are more disruptive than east-to-west ones due to challenges in advancing the human circadian clock. Here, we unravel a specific Per1 inducer…enabling abrupt phase advance in mouse behavioural rhythms.'
They added: 'These findings underscore the potential of selective Per expression as a therapeutic approach for human circadian rhythm disorders.'
Future Research and Safety Considerations
The scientists plan to conduct further investigations into the safety and effectiveness of Mic-628 through additional animal studies and eventual human trials. This cautious approach ensures that any potential treatment meets rigorous standards before becoming widely available.
Alternative Strategies for Beating Jet Lag
In related research, a separate study published in 2023 explored dietary methods to combat jet lag. Scientists from Northwestern University in the United States developed a mathematical model to analyse the best ways to reset the body clock after long-haul flights.
Their findings suggest that for someone flying from the UK to a time zone six hours away, having a substantial breakfast while skipping dinner for the first three days of the trip could accelerate recovery by up to three days compared to usual methods.
Dr Rosemary Braun, senior author of that study, noted: 'We were interested in resetting your body clock using food, rather than light, because it is much easier to change your breakfast than to be jolted awake by your alarm clock.'
However, she cautioned: 'This study does provide more evidence for a life hack which could help to ease jet lag, but we would not yet recommend it to anyone until we have more evidence from studies in people showing that it works.'
Understanding Jet Lag and Its Symptoms
Jet lag occurs when your normal sleep pattern is disrupted after a long flight, typically improving within a few days as your body adjusts to the new time zone. Common symptoms include difficulty sleeping at bedtime, waking up in the morning, tiredness, exhaustion, poor sleep quality, and challenges with concentration and memory.
Additional effects can sometimes include dizziness, indigestion, nausea, constipation, changes in appetite, and mild anxiety. While there is no definitive cure for jet lag, various strategies can help mitigate its impact.
Practical Tips for Reducing Jet Lag
To minimise the effects of jet lag, consider the following recommendations:
- Get plenty of rest before you travel and adjust your sleep schedule to align with your destination's time zone.
- During your flight, drink plenty of water, stay active by stretching and walking around the cabin, and try to sleep if it is night time at your destination.
- After arrival, change your sleep schedule to the new time zone quickly, set an alarm to avoid oversleeping, and go outside during the day to benefit from natural light.
- Avoid sleeping during the day and limit caffeine and alcohol intake, as they can exacerbate jet lag symptoms.
For short trips lasting two to three days, maintaining your home sleep and meal times might be more practical. While sleeping tablets or melatonin supplements are sometimes used, they are not universally recommended due to limited evidence of effectiveness or potential for dependency.
This new research into Mic-628 offers hope for frequent travellers and shift workers, potentially revolutionising how we manage circadian rhythm disruptions in the future.
