People who suffer from Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS) are often known as a night owl as they stay up very late every night. They often don’t go to bed until two, three or four in the morning and as such have a very difficult time getting up in the morning.
A person with DSPS has their internal sleep/wake cycle shifted around the clock by several hours and it is out of sync with their desired schedule. They find it very difficult to maintain a typical nine to five job and fit into everyone else’s “normal” sleep/wake schedule.
Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome is a problem with a person’s sleep timing and it often starts in their late childhood or early teens. Many people out grow their condition but if it doesn’t stop by the time the person is in their twenties they will probably have DSPS their entire life.
Because they fall asleep in the early hours of the morning they don’t get enough sleep by the time they have to get up in the morning. Since their sleep timing is different then other people around them they feel chronically tired.
If they have a job that allows them to get up when they want to they often feel well rested and alert the rest of their day. As such many people with DSPS seek out a career that allows them to keep their own hours like being a work from home consultant, work at a bar or be a writer or comedian.
Treatments for DSPS
DSPS may become worst in the winter months when there is less sunlight so some people find it helpful to use bright light therapy first thing in the morning and to try to avoid bright lights late in the evening.
They could also they to reset their internal biological clock by going to bed 30 minutes earlier for a few days, then turning their bedtime back another 30 minutes. They can keep doing this until they are in sync with their desired social and family schedules.
Taking melatonin can help a person get to sleep at an earlier time and some people use cannabis to help them get to sleep.
Improving sleep habits can also help. Limit caffeine late in the day, exercise and try to stick to a sleep/wake schedule.
People with DSPS are night owls who can coexist with people who have a “normal” sleep/wake schedule and are capable of feeling rested and alert if they are allowed to be creative and flexible with their timetable.