A nasal spray containing a naturally occurring brain hormone called orexin A reversed the effects of sleep deprivation in monkeys, allowing them to perform like well-rested monkeys on cognitive tests. The discovery's first application will probably be in treatment of the severe sleep disorder narcolepsy.
By Alexis Madrigal
Full Story: http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/12/sleep_deprivation