Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome

[Starpuss]

I found this forum by chance. I was reading about DSPS and think my husband has it. How do you get it diagnosed and is there any effective treatment?

[hope512]

Hi, diagnosis is usually done by a combination of things. A discussion about the sleep history , a sleep diary and sometimes a polysomnogram. Your husband will have to go to a sleep doctor/clinic and discuss it. I'm in Britain so went to my GP and got referred.

As for 'treatment' there's no easy answer. It's not really a problem unless it significantly interferes with daily life. It's a naturally different body clock rhythm. Only considered a 'problem' because of the lack of understanding of other people and difficulty adjusting to 'normal' society. There are things that can be tried.

Controlling light and light therapy, chronotherapy, sleep hygiene, maybe if there are any underlying problems; medication, psychological, illness, restless legs... But usually it's just the body clock. There's no easy answer to finding solutions. I'm currently trying to find a way of sleeping better and maybe adjusting my sleep pattern to earlier waking. But there's no magic answer. There aren't any drugs that will 'cure' it. And I think we need to think of it as something that's part of us, and find a way of finding what's right for us, including management of it.

In the past I've felt very hurt by people who think I'm just lazy or being difficult. But DSPS is part of me. I want to sleep better and manage the DSPS as best I can, but it's not a disease to be cured.