Aging Baby Boomers may Sleep Better With New Drug

A drug that may help aging baby boomers get the much-needed sleep has been developed by a leading expert at Tel Aviv University.

Circadin has been developed at Tel Aviv University by Prof. Nava Zisapel, a chemist and neurobiologist from TAU's George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences.

About Sleep Disorder
Sleep disorders can either be having difficulty in getting sleep or dozing off at inappropriate time.

In the research, the scientist focused on a hormone melatonin, which affects the way our biological functions differentiate between day and night.

"As we age, the melatonin hormone signal weakens," said Prof. Zisapel.

"As a result, our bodies and brains feel less difference between day and night," she added.

What Causes Snoring and its Treatment?
Turbulent airflow causes tissues of the nose and throat to vibrate and the noise produced by these vibrations is called snoring.

Zisapel said that exacerbating the effect of low melatonin levels, aging people tend to sleep in a less organized fashion than younger people.

"People are sleeping in front of the TV, or nodding off during conversations, and taking long afternoon naps. This leads to less sleep at night. In a way, their sleep habits become more like babies', and less like those of healthy adults who sleep in consolidated periods during the night," Zisapel said.

About Hypersomnia
Hyper means “excessive” and somnia refers to “sleep”, so hypersomnia is excessively long or deep sleep despite sleeping for several hours at night.

Mimicking the profile of night-time melatonin found in our bodies, Circadin replenishes the much-needed hormone, which declines steadily with age.

The clinical trials showed that Circadin improved sleep quality and morning alertness, and helps those 55 and over get a better night's sleep.

Sleep Disorders in Elderly-Causes-Symptoms-Diagnosis-Treatment-Conclusion
Sleep is a barometer of good health in the elderly. Sleep problems in the elderly are controlled by various external and internal factors.

The new drug therapy "improves sleep and daytime vigilance, helping to re-organize the circadian system, the body's internal clock," said Prof. Zisapel.

The study appears in the Journal of Sleep Research.

Source-ANI
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