Sweet Dreams: New Diet Sleep Pill

SCIENTISTS have created a new drug which they believe will not only help insomniacs to sleep, but help them dream and lose weight at the same time.

Its effects could also help to improve the memory capacity of the 20pc of the population who suffer with insomnia.

Created by Swiss company Actelion, the drug targets the orexin system, which is also associated with feeding and addiction.

Because of this, experts believe a product that effectively targets the system could also find application in treatments for obesity and addiction.

“Overweight is associated with obesity, and orexin is thought to be involved in feeding regulation,” said Shahrad Taheri, of the University of Bristol.

“A beneficial effect of blocking the orexin system could be that the person would eat less.”