Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome
I can't remember the last time I've gone to bed before midnight. Maybe I've done it a handful of times within the past few years... like less than 5. Its kinda scary how tired I look sometimes, but when its time to go to bed, sleep just doesn't come.
I was trying to figure out what was up a while back. I came across this --
Delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS), also called phase lag syndrome, is a sleep disorder. However, unlike jet lag and the effects of shift work, delayed sleep phase syndrome is a persistent condition. In clinical settings, it is one of the most common complications of sleep-wake patterns.
Delayed sleep phase syndrome results from a desynchronization between the patient's internal biological clock and the external environment. Unlike jet lag, this desynchronization is not activated by travel or change in external environment. Rather, the patient's propensity to fall asleep is simply "delayed" in relation to that of the general public. Subsequently, a patient with DSPS is desynchronized with the routine that governs most of his or her life.
Patients typically are unable to fall asleep before 2 a.m. and have extreme difficulty waking early (e.g., by 7 a.m.). People with DSPS are sometimes called "night owls" or are described as "not being morning people." If they are able to sleep a full 7 to 8 hours (e.g., until 10 a.m.), they feel rested and function normally. Unfortunately, this is usually not the case.
The main difficulty for patients with DSPS is functioning early in the morning for school or work. A person with DSPS often fails courses in school or loses jobs, affecting them socially and compromising their health.
Patients with DSPS may initially refer to their symptoms as insomnia. As soon as people deviate from a normal sleep pattern, they tend to assume that they are not capable of sleep at all, but this is not true. Patients with DSPS are able to get plentiful sleep; it just differs from traditional sleep-wake patterns. DSPS makes it hard to wake up in the morning when simultaneously indulging in a late night sleep routine.
Chronotherapy was first used to treat DSPS in 1981 and was first suggested by C.A. Czeisler. This treatment is used to manipulate the sleep-wake cycle in an attempt to change the patient's underlying circadian rhythm. In chronotherapy, the patient progressively goes to bed and wakes up 3 hours later than the previous night, until he or she moves around the clock and can consistently sleep earlier. The sleep schedule may look like this:
In most cases, it is easier to stay up longer than it is to go to sleep earlier. Delayed chronotherapy of this type takes advantage of the natural progressive shift in circadian rhythm. It is a highly effective treatment for delayed sleep phase syndrome, but is not successful in 100% of DSPS cases. Some patients cannot reset their phase cycles using this technique and a few patients experience insomnia.
Following therapy, it is important to maintain a regular, scheduled wake-up time. In fact, some clinicians believe that straying at all from a schedule nullifies the effects of chronotherapy.
Chronotherapy can interfere with prescription medications and indications associated with other disorders. For example, it should not be used in patients who take insulin or who have immune system disorders. Before beginning treatment, patients should consult a physician experienced in treating sleep disorders and the effects of combining chronotherapy with other treatments.
I'm on the 3rd night. Only 4 more hours to go... I think I'm gonna go to the gym and the grocery store in a little bit.
I was trying to figure out what was up a while back. I came across this --
Delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS), also called phase lag syndrome, is a sleep disorder. However, unlike jet lag and the effects of shift work, delayed sleep phase syndrome is a persistent condition. In clinical settings, it is one of the most common complications of sleep-wake patterns.
Delayed sleep phase syndrome results from a desynchronization between the patient's internal biological clock and the external environment. Unlike jet lag, this desynchronization is not activated by travel or change in external environment. Rather, the patient's propensity to fall asleep is simply "delayed" in relation to that of the general public. Subsequently, a patient with DSPS is desynchronized with the routine that governs most of his or her life.
Patients typically are unable to fall asleep before 2 a.m. and have extreme difficulty waking early (e.g., by 7 a.m.). People with DSPS are sometimes called "night owls" or are described as "not being morning people." If they are able to sleep a full 7 to 8 hours (e.g., until 10 a.m.), they feel rested and function normally. Unfortunately, this is usually not the case.
The main difficulty for patients with DSPS is functioning early in the morning for school or work. A person with DSPS often fails courses in school or loses jobs, affecting them socially and compromising their health.
Patients with DSPS may initially refer to their symptoms as insomnia. As soon as people deviate from a normal sleep pattern, they tend to assume that they are not capable of sleep at all, but this is not true. Patients with DSPS are able to get plentiful sleep; it just differs from traditional sleep-wake patterns. DSPS makes it hard to wake up in the morning when simultaneously indulging in a late night sleep routine.
Chronotherapy was first used to treat DSPS in 1981 and was first suggested by C.A. Czeisler. This treatment is used to manipulate the sleep-wake cycle in an attempt to change the patient's underlying circadian rhythm. In chronotherapy, the patient progressively goes to bed and wakes up 3 hours later than the previous night, until he or she moves around the clock and can consistently sleep earlier. The sleep schedule may look like this:
- 1st night: sleep at 4 a.m., wake at 12 p.m.
- 2nd night: sleep at 7 a.m., wake at 3 p.m.
- 3rd night: sleep at 10 a.m., wake at 6 p.m.
- 4th night: sleep at 1 p.m., wake at 9 p.m.
- 5th night: sleep at 4 p.m., wake at 12 p.m.
- 6th night: sleep at 7 p.m., wake at 3 a.m.
- 7th night: sleep at 10 p.m., wake at 6 a.m.
In most cases, it is easier to stay up longer than it is to go to sleep earlier. Delayed chronotherapy of this type takes advantage of the natural progressive shift in circadian rhythm. It is a highly effective treatment for delayed sleep phase syndrome, but is not successful in 100% of DSPS cases. Some patients cannot reset their phase cycles using this technique and a few patients experience insomnia.
Following therapy, it is important to maintain a regular, scheduled wake-up time. In fact, some clinicians believe that straying at all from a schedule nullifies the effects of chronotherapy.
Chronotherapy can interfere with prescription medications and indications associated with other disorders. For example, it should not be used in patients who take insulin or who have immune system disorders. Before beginning treatment, patients should consult a physician experienced in treating sleep disorders and the effects of combining chronotherapy with other treatments.
I'm on the 3rd night. Only 4 more hours to go... I think I'm gonna go to the gym and the grocery store in a little bit.