Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome- The Basics

Delayed sleep phase syndrome is a very real debilitating disorder where the circadian rhythm seems to have been reversed. Nighttime sleeping is nearly impossible, and excessive daytime sleepiness interferes with the lifestyle.

Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS)

SYMPTOMS

• Insomnia.Especially when going to bed at night. Inability to fall asleep until early morning.
  
• Reversed sleep patterns.Inability to sleep at night leads to an increased need to sleep during the day.
  
• Night Owls.Bright and energetic during the evening hours.
• Excessive daytime sleepiness.Find it difficult to stay awake at work or even during daytime recreation.
  

CAUSES

• Abnormal Circadian Rhythm Cycles.The body clock is out of time with what's considered normal.
  
• Shift work.Long periods of shift work or night work can temporarily disrupt the circadian rhythm, but getting back on a regular schedule usually reverses this.
  
• Lifestyle.Like shift work and night work, a lifestyle of late nights and daytime sleeping can also temporarily disrupt the circadian rhythm.

  Neither shift work nor a lifestyle of late nights causes delayed sleep disorder syndrome, although they can cause a temporary condition similar to DSPS. This disorder is caused by a glitch in the circadian rhythm and often becomes apparent in childhood.

EFFECTS

• Excessive daytime sleepiness
  
• Irritability
  
• Depression
  
• Sleep deprivation
  

METHODS OF DIAGNOSIS

• No diagnostic test can detect DSPS.
• Detected by personal sleep history.
• Keeping a sleep diary listing the times of sleep and wakefulness.

TREATMENT

• Bright Light Therapy. - The use of light boxes, like Apollo Lightsin the early morning is sometimes successful.
  
• Chronotherapy.Going to sleep three hours later every day until you reach your desired bedtime.
  
• Lifestyle Changes.Although changing your lifestyle probably won't cure DSPS, it can help to ease the symptoms. Try to keep to as regular a schedule as you can. Avoid stimulant drugs, like caffeine or nicotine, in the evening. Follow good Sleep Hygiene.
• Some people have benefited from taking melatonin or Vitamin B^12.
• Light on the back of the knees.For a time researchers believed that shining bright light on the sensitive, nerve filled skin at the back of the knees would reset the body's clock. However, more recent research throws doubt on this.

For More on Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome, check out my DSPS Articles and Links.