Brain study points to jet lag help

MANCHESTER, England, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- Jet lag sufferers may have help soon in re-tuning their body clock to lessen the effects of the travelers' condition, a British research study suggests.

A University of Manchester team studied brain cells playing a key role in the body's waking and sleeping timing, the BBC reported Saturday.

Long believed to be quiet during the day, these cells can actually be "overexcited" to the point of appearing dormant, then calm down enough to be normally active and tell the body to awake, the study said.

This is the first study into the effect these cells have on the body clock, the BBC said.

The scientist leading the study team says the research could lead to treatments for jet lag and sleep disorders.

"There's a lot of interest in the pharmaceutical industry, obviously, to try to develop chemical treatments to reset your daily clock," Professor Hugh Piggins said.