Workers who rotate between day and night shifts are at high risk for sleep and mood disorders. New research highlights a possible biological explanation—lower amounts of the key brain chemical serotonin.
Serotonin helps regulate the brain’s circadian cycle and also plays a large role in mood. Antidepressants such as fluoxetine (Prozac) and sertraline (Zoloft) increase production of serotonin that the brain’s nerve cells use to communicate.
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