New drug can help early morning shift workers stay awake and alert, study finds

There's a new drug that can help early morning shift workers stay awake and alert, a study out of Boston found.

Researchers at Mass General Brigham said the drug solriamfetol, prescribed under the name Sunosi, can help reduce "excessive sleepiness" among those who start their work day earlier than most. The drug is currently approved to treat tiredness in people with sleep apnea and narcolepsy.

"People who start work between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. are waking up at a time when the brain is biologically programmed to sleep," study author Kirsi-Marja Zitting said in a statement. "That makes staying alert extraordinarily difficult, even when they are highly motivated."  

The clinical trial involved 78 early morning shift workers who have reported trouble staying awake at work or falling asleep when they're trying to rest. Researchers looked at how long they could stay awake in a quiet, dark space at a time when they would normally be working.

Those who received solriamfetol for four weeks reported that they were significantly less sleepy and could be more productive at work and in their daily activities.

"The improvement we saw is clinically meaningful," said Dr. Charles Czeisler, the hospital system's chief of sleep medicine. "These workers were able to stay awake and alert throughout a full eight-hour shift, which has real implications for performance, safety, and quality of life."

A large proportion of early morning workers struggle with "shift work disorder," researchers said, and that can lead to impaired thinking, poor job performance, as well as car crashes and workplace accidents. 

"This study addresses a major gap by focusing on the workers who start their day when most people are still asleep," Czeisler said.