Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder

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These responses all seem to be describing DSPS exactly. It simply entails having a body clock set to a later time (or as someone commented, different time zone). There was an interesting video posted on the facebook DSPS group explaining the theory that people with DSPS exist in evoltionary/survival-of-the-fittest terms to act as a community's nightwatchmen. This could, I feel, also account for why hypersensitivity seems to be associated with it: in pre-electronic age communities nights would have been very dark: light and sound sensitivity would have been definite advantages to late wakers. Genetic reserach also suggests that night owls are more intelligent: something to do in those dark hours?

BTW, for anyone interested, the Facebook group = https://www.facebook.com/groups/2227764796/

Well, I never ......

when I was a kid my father had a difficult time trying to get me to sleep. Even now I have a difficult time trying to fall asleep; I always associated it with being a b-person (more commonly known as being a "night owl") and I always resented that the world is being run by a-persons.

I used to think I might have this, but I don't think so now, because I get up earlier now that I have things that I am super eager to do, my obsession. I don't get up super early in the morning, but earlier than I did before. My brain does tend to turn on late at night, so it is hard to fall asleep, but I can usually fall asleep by 2 am.

I'd never heard of this, but your description sounds a lot like me. It would explain a lot, actually.

I've never heard of DSPD disorder, but now that I think about it, I may have it mildly. I am essentially nocturnal, as I can stay awake as late as I want to with no issues, but getting up in the mornings is hell for me. All of my roommates and friends don't understand how I can stay up so late and make it on minimal sleep. Could this explain my strange sleeping hours? It's not debilitating, but not exactly normal either.

I have been diagnosed with it, but it doesn't explain all my issues. Instead of being a consistent night owl, my pattern shifts with events in my life in ways that I can't control. I've tried to control it for a few days to make it thru an important event with mixed success. Basically, when something keeps me up later or puts me to sleep earlier, it starts a new "bedtime" or "wake time". Sometimes my body uses it's wake time to keep track of days, and sometimes it uses it's bedtime. I also require different amounts of sleep at different times. I know my Cyclothymia and SAD affect sleep so I don't know if my (lack of) pattern is due to their weird interactions w/ DSPS or something else entirely. I can tell you one thing, I definitely relate to what others have said about feeling hung over when I wake up. I usually feel more tired when I wake than before I went to bed. When I'm tired, I can't function at all. I've recently come to the conclusion that my sleep issues are probably the most disabling of any my issues. It completely controls my life.

I've come to the same conclusion.



Me too. Overall I just don't have a consistent 24-hour sleep cycle. I'm hesitant to call it a "delayed" sleep phase because it varies a lot more than just being delayed.

A lot of the time, I feel like going to bed in the middle of the day, or early evening, but I don't do that because I know I will just end up being awake half the night. So I just force myself to stay awake late enough so I can get a full night of sleep.

I'm in that place right now. I can only seem to delay for a bit later than the night before if I'm not shifting. I have so little control and it's frustrating to explain that to the people around me. I made it until 6pm last night and woke up after 1am. That's an improvement over 4pm the night before. I really disappointed my little sister, who wanted to go sledding. I got too sleepy to function by 1pm that day.

If you ever find anything that helps or a better label for it, pm me. My therapist (who specializes in sleep disorders) is at a loss. He's never seen anyone with issues like mine.

I rarely have a problem going to sleep, when I am tired, I am tired, and I'll just crash out, unless there is a lot of stimuli. As far as waking up, it's a slow progression. I am on-call, and occasionally I get awoken for something in the middle of the night. I usually semi-consciously get rid of the caller, then call back 15-30 minutes later to confirm the issue existed, and really try to solve the issue. If I have to do a customer-impacting install , which are typically done at 2AM it is much better for me to just stay up to do it, then to try and wake up to do it.

However, if I have had enough sleep 6-7 hrs (min), and I wake up to an alarm clock, or someone waking me up, I can generally perform common but not complex tasks until I fully wake. If I have a full night sleep (7.5+), I usually wake up, and instantly get out of the bed and start going without any delayed response.

Ok I will.

I was thinking that "chaotic sleep phase disorder" would be a better name for it. It's more random than delayed. I wish I knew what it is or what causes it.

There is a related circadian rhythm "disorder" called non 24 (http://www.non-24.com/about-non-24.php) which is perhaps what some of you have?

I'm not sure what I have as it's beemn years since I was able to go to sleep when I want, but it's definitely way later than most people and is characterised by my feeling slow and unbearably tired when I wake (apparently most people feel bright and with it) and, no matter how tired I feel throughout the day, feeling wide awake come 10ish at night. The assumption s that forcing early starts resets the body clock. It doesn't if you have non-24 or DSPS: it just causes sleep deprivation, which in turn ctriggers all sorts of health repercussions. I'm pretty sure my autoimmune disease and possibly urticaria are a result of never getting enough sleep. Learning about DSPS and its consequences through the facebook group has helped me no end and my partner now enables me to have 2 or 3 late wakes a week by getting our daughter up solo. This has helped no end.

I get that too (10-12 ish for me). Not every night, but most nights.

I think my sleep problems may be associated with PTSD.

http://www.svfreenyc.org/survivors_factsheet_101.html