A team of researchers at Emory University believes they have discovered a naturally created sleep-promoting nutrient present in the spinal fluid that surrounds the brain. Studies conducted on patients diagnosed with hypersomnia, a disorder that causes constant and perpetual tiredness, found that an increase in spinal fluid around the brain serves a natural sedative. The compound is thought to affect the same pathways slowed by the commonly prescribed medication benzodiazepine, often sold under the name pharmaceutical Ambien or Valium.
The makeup of the compound dubbed the natural sedative is still unknown although it is thought to be some sort of protein. Future research will focus on identifying and exploring possible uses of the compound as a relief for chronic insomnia.
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