Millions of people clock in before the sun even thinks about rising. Their bodies are basically still in dreamland. Now, a new study just found a drug that can help these early birds stay wide awake, and here's the kicker: it doesn't mess with their sleep later.
Seriously, if you're one of those folks starting work at 3 AM, your brain is hardwired to be asleep. That makes staying alert a real struggle, even if you're totally motivated. This isn't just about feeling tired; it's a condition called shift work disorder, and it can mess with your focus, job performance, and even safety.
A team at Mass General Brigham just dropped some pretty cool news in NEJM Evidence. They tested a drug called solriamfetol (you might know it as Sunosi) on early morning shift workers with this disorder. The results? It seriously boosted their alertness.
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Start Your News DetoxThis is a big deal because, as senior author Charles A. Czeisler pointed out, no one had really studied a treatment specifically for this group before. Most studies focused on people working overnight shifts.
Think about it: about one in four workers has a schedule outside the usual 9-to-5. Many start before dawn. They might not even think of themselves as "shift workers," just early risers. But their bodies still pay a price, struggling with sleep and feeling super sleepy during the day.
The clever thing about solriamfetol is that it's already approved for other sleep issues. Researchers figured it would work for early morning folks because it keeps you awake for several hours, but then it backs off, letting you actually get some rest when you need it.
They put 78 early morning shift workers with the disorder through a four-week trial. Half got the drug, half got a placebo. They checked how long people could stay awake during simulated work hours, and the difference was clear.
After a month, the group taking solriamfetol reported way less sleepiness. They could stay awake much longer. Both the participants and their doctors saw big improvements in how they functioned overall, their work productivity, and just getting through their daily lives.
Czeisler summed it up: the improvement was enough for workers to stay alert for a full eight-hour shift. That's huge for their performance, their safety, and just making their lives better. He added that these shift workers are essential to society, but they often pay a hidden biological cost. This study shows we can actually help them out.
While this study focused on healthy adults over four weeks, the team is already looking for people for a new trial. This next study will test solriamfetol in overnight shift workers, potentially paving the way for it to be approved more widely for shift work disorder. Pretty neat, right?
