Understanding Delayed Phase Sleep Disorder

Probably one of the most misunderstood sleeping problems is called delayed phase sleep disorder. We are all familiar with the term "night owl", and those suffering from this sleep disorder fit that description. Unfortunately, this is a sleep disorder condition without a cure. That said, there are ways of treating and coping with it. If you have delayed phase sleep disorder, you are not alone, and you are not inherently lazy as you may have been labeled by some.

Often the behaviors associated with delayed phase sleep disorder is blamed on other things. Thus, an understanding of this condition is necessary.

Different Rhythms

Delayed phase sleep disorder is a problem that lies with circadian rhythms, or to put it simply, with a person's biological clock. Those who suffer from this disorder have difficulty falling asleep unless it's very late at night, usually a couple hours after midnight, and also have trouble waking up in the morning. The problem isn't in the ability to fall asleep, as the individual can sleep at the same late time each night and is able to sleep for a full eight hours, although people sometimes mistakenly blame delayed phase sleep disorder on insomnia.

Treatments

Correcting the problems of delayed phase sleep disorder can be achieved through a number of ways, ranging from drugs to forcing changes in the sleep schedule. Drugs such as ramelton and modafinil have shown promise in treating delayed phase sleep disorder, although for those seeking treatments without drugs, light therapy has been known to help people suffering from this syndrome.

Another method is to work with the body's desire to sleep late and to have the person suffering from the disorder to go to bed two hours later each night and sleep for eight hours, until the desired sleeping time is achieved. No matter the method, proper sleep hygiene and rigid adherence to the new bedtime once achieved is needed to prevent relapse.

Other measures for dealing with delayed phase sleep disorder, assuming it is negatively impacting your life, have been tried to good effect by many. You might consider taking a job that doesn't follow the typical 9 to 5 schedule, such as anything with a night shift, working in the theater, truck driving, or freelance writing. Being able to adhere to a schedule that works for you means that the you can be content and feel rested while still adhering to a sleep schedule that works for you. So, even though delayed phase sleep disorder is often misunderstood, it's also one that can be adjusted with beneficial results.

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