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A sleeping pill has been invented that will not affect attention, memory or well-being
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Despite the abundance of remedies for insomnia, many people prefer not to resort to their help due to the side effects that most of the drugs are characterized by.
Researchers from Pennsylvania (USA) have invented a new sleeping pill that does not affect the body's cognitive abilities and can provide healthy and quality sleep. At the moment, the drug has been successfully tested on small rodents and monkeys, which after taking the drug fell into a deep and calm sleep. Scientists claim that the new drug has no side effects, which were observed in all previously developed drugs.
Experts began developing a new sleeping pill because the number of people suffering from insomnia and, at the same time, avoiding medications has increased in the United States recently. Almost all currently known sleeping pills have a negative effect on the cognitive properties of the human body.
About 10-15% of modern Americans suffer from chronic insomnia, often unable to fall asleep at night and waking up in the middle of the night. Compared to the past decade, the number of people who complain of insomnia has increased significantly.
Among popular sleeping pills, doctors highlight eszopiclone, zaliplon and zolpidem, which are benzodiazepine receptor agonists. Despite their noticeable effectiveness, such drugs can cause short-term memory loss and slow reactions after waking up. The drugs slow down brain activity, which affects a person’s mood and behavior. Sleeping pills can also negatively affect learning ability, memory, perception and adaptation. Some scientists believe that sleeping pills can provoke sleepwalking and sleepwalking, which can lead to accidents. After a detailed study of the side effects and negative impact of sleeping pills, doctors began developing a new drug.
A group of American neurologists has turned their attention to the orexin system of the human brain as a new “target” that the drug should hit. Orexin is a neuropeptide (a protein neurotransmitter discovered at the end of the last millennium) that is synthesized by cells of the hypothalamus. It is generally accepted that a deficiency of orexins in the body can cause narcolepsy, the main symptom of which is constant drowsiness and lethargy. Orexins can control the process of sleep and awakening of the body and, possibly, affect the cognitive functions of the human body.
A newly invented drug slows down the formation of orexins, which calms the body and induces sleep. Experiments conducted on mammals showed that the drug successfully puts animals into a deep sleep. A subsequent study confirmed the scientists' assumption that the new sleeping pill does not affect cognitive functions and has no side effects.
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