Sleepiness 'could be controlled by nerves in the eye'

Tests on mice have revealed that sleepiness may be controlled by nerve cells in the eye, according to new research.

Reuters reports British researchers have found that when retinal ganglion cells in mice are turned off, the effects of light on sleep are removed.

Lead scientist Russell Foster from the Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology said the findings could be used to develop more effective sleeping pills.

He stated: "If we can mimic the effect of light pharmacologically, we could turn sleep on and off."

However, the researchers have not yet established if the work they have conducted on mice is applicable to humans.

As mice are nocturnal, the effects produced are opposite to those expected in humans.

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