Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome: Information, Symptoms and Causes

Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS): Information, Symptoms and Causes

Delayed Sleep-Phase Syndrome (DSPS) is a chronic sleep disorder in which the patient's internal body clock is not in sync with the morning-rise / evening-sleep pattern of the majority of adults. The disorder can lead to psychological and functional difficulties. People who have this disorder often appear to be "night owls", because they are awake most of the night and sleep for most of the day. For most DSPS sufferers, the condition is evident from their early infancy, and remains a lifelong condition. For some, the onset occurs during adolescence and for some of these people, the condition abates with maturity. Sadly, this DSPS is often misdiagnosed due to the fact that few doctors are aware of its existence.

Sometimes DSPS is confused with Non-24 Hour Sleep Phase Syndrome, in which the person's circadian rhythm is extended, often to more than 27 hours. People with this syndrome will also typically sleep later than society deems normal, even though they may be awake longer as well.

However, people with DSPS do live to a 24-hour a day schedule. They can go to bed at the same time every morning and get up at the same time each day, be it 10 AM or 3 PM. There have, however, been some reports of DSPS developing into Non-24 Hour Sleep Phase Syndrome, so there may be a link between the two disorders.

Symptoms

DSPS sufferers have a particular sleep pattern where the majority falls asleep in the pre-dawn hours and wake in the (early) afternoon. If people with DSPS are allowed to live by their body clocks, then there are generally no sleep problems and no ill effects are caused by the disorder. Sleepiness, melatonin-secretion, the core body temperature minimum and spontaneous awakening are all delayed by the same number of hours.

Random Sleeping Tip

If you are taking medications for any of your clinical conditions and you are observing that you are unable to sleep at night, then you must realize that it might be the medication that you might be taking before bedtime. It is wise that you call your physician and tell him that the medication that you are taking before bedtime is preventing you from sleeping. There are other medications that cause you to go to bathroom at night more than once, so you can ask your physician to make adjustments in that medication.

However, left unacknowledged, DSPS can cause the same problems that would be expected if persons of the same age with normal sleep patterns should force themselves to wake up in the middle of the night and try to go to sleep too early in the evening. Normal people who do not adjust well to working a night shift exhibit much the same symptoms as DSPS sufferers.

Causes

Recent research suggests that DSPS is caused by genetic factors.

DSPS sufferers may also have a severely reduced reaction to the re-setting effect of light on their body clock.

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