Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome

[Milamber]

Hi,

I am a postgraduate student, and have always been more alert in the afternoon and at night.

If I have the luxury of living my internal sleep pattern, I tend to go to Bed around 6am, and wake up arount 2pm. Since this obviously is nowhere near workable except for holidays, I tend to try and be awake somhow between 9am and 7pm so that my studies are not totally disrupted.

However, this generates a whole new set of problems. I have huge difficlties going to sleep during a 'workable' time (2am for example), and will often decide at some point, that going to sleep is not worth it anymore, since I will have to be awake a few hours later. Since I also have great difficulties getting up, when I did not sleep at least 7h (more when sleep deprived), going to sleep too late, will result in me oversleeping and possibly waking up at 4pm.

It is quite usual for me, to have a few days where my rythm 'fits' into that 'window' (awake at least 9am-7pm), but shifts every evening, so that I will not be able to sleep, until about 1-2h later than the previous night. But once I get to a point where I would go to sleep too late again, I just stay awake until the next evening. Sometimes this works great, and I will fall asleep at about 8pm (or earlier, sometimes quite suddenly), at other times, even though I am sleep deprived, I can not go to sleep again until after midnight.

I have been keeping track of my sleep times for the last 25 days now, and my average day length (one whole wake/sleep cycle) is 31.27h long (with a standard deviation of 7.89h). I have, on average during this time, slept 30.14% of the time.

I do manage to be awake during the 'daytime' most of the time, although every now and then I will just fall asleep before going to university.

For me the actual sleep log does not fit much of a pattern, probably since I am constantly trying to keep my sleeping times outside of the 8am-7pm timeframe, even though my body tells me, that 8am is a great time to be asleep.

Right now, this problem is mostly managable, since I do not have to appear at 'work' at the same time every day, I can do a significant bit of my work at night. But when I am finished studying, and have my degree, this would probably be a huge problem once I have a job.

However, I am not sure how I can solve this problem...

[ben__666]

hey im 19 and i have just discovered that i have all the symptoms of DSPS, and i comletely understand what your saying. When you get a job it is annoying trying to fit into the hours that my manager was giving me, he was giving me 6am starts which was no good to me. Yet even when i tried telling him that i was no good for early morning he just dismissed it and told me i will get into a routine. My manager isnt the only one who has said it, even my parents think it is easier to get into a routine, but i find it extremely difficult to fall asleep before 1am. If i do try and get an early night i will be laid in bed awake for hours on end. Eventually i will come back downstairs to watch tv until i am falling asleep. it is currently 2am now, and im stil not tired yet i gotta be up for 10am, and i know if i get up before then i will be weary all day.
I have thought there was something wrong with me from the age of 13, it took nearly 5 years to notice, it couldnt just have been a childish phase. I was researching into sleeping patterns when i came across DSPS on wikipedia and i was astonished to find that i was experiencing all the symptoms. Im not saying its an illness or a disorder, but im not dismissing the idea either, all i know is im ringing my GP tomorrow to discuss it with him and to see what he has to say.

[Dione]

This is exactly what has been happening to me for many years. I only found out TONIGHT what this is! So I know how you are struggling to fit into the ways of the World, dude! I thought it was insomnia, but it isn't, cos if I'm left alone I sleep just great. I hate it when I have to be up early (to catch a train, to go somewhere, to keep an appointment,etc, etc) I have been spending so many days too exhausted, and thinking I'd sleep early cos I was SO tired, only it doesn't work. I always had this since I was about twelve. I used to sneak out in the night & go for walks (my parents would've been so scared!) Everyone thought I was lazy cos I couldn't get up, 7am felt like deep night to me. I don't know a cure. No herbal medicines, lavender oil, alcohol, relaxation exercises, hot baths, anything else makes a s***-load of difference. Medicines bought at the chemist for insomnia just make me feel woozy & horrible. Likewise, drinking coffee doesn't make any difference either. I can drink it if I feel sleepy already, and sleep straightway for 8-9 hours! Sometimes I stay up all night just to try & begin to fit in, then get to bed 10 the next night. But then I sleep till 10 am! if left to sleep naturally.And the next night, it's just back to the same old story again. My dog hates this. She wants to be up and out in the morning, and she has to wait for me. I couldn't do a normal job, so had little money. Now I've found a way, and started my own business, which I can run when I'm awake, and in my own time, and don't have to do it at eight am!
Maybe when your studies are finished you could do something like that? Start your own company or something dude. Be a geek about some subject you're good at.