Delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS) is a sleep disorder where you fall asleep too late. Delayed sleep phase syndrome is most common in adolescents and accounts for approximately 7% of all insomnia patients. Learn how to diagnose and treat delayed sleep phase syndrome effectively.

Contents:

  1. Delayed sleep phase syndrome - what is it?
  2. Delayed sleep phase syndrome and insomnia
  3. Delayed sleep phase syndrome - causes
  4. Delayed sleep phase syndrome - diagnosis
  5. Delayed sleep phase syndrome - treatment

Delayed sleep phase syndrome, like other sleep disorders, are often underestimated not only by patients but also by their relatives. What they do not understand is that “go to bed early” advice is not effective. It is important that in the delayed sleep phase syndrome the cause of its occurrence is not wrong habits resulting e.g. from lifestyle.

Therefore, young people who cannot fall asleep do not have this problem as a result of playing computer games late or watching TV at night. This is another disorder that, like insomnia, needs to be treated. Find out if the use of melatonin is the only effective way to finally fall asleep at the "human" time.

Delayed sleep phase syndrome - what is it?

Delayed sleep phase syndrome, also called DSPS, DSPD or DSWPD, is classified as a circadian rhythm disorder and is classified as DSM-IV TR. This type of dyssomnia is characterized by a 3-6 hour delay in the main sleep episode compared to standard bedtime. In practice, this means that patients with DSPD do not fall asleep until 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., and wake up around 12 noon.

Additionally, the patient is unable to fall asleep or wake up at the expected earlier hour, and is most efficient in the evening and in the first part of the night. If, due to their daily duties, people with delayed sleep phase syndrome are forced to get up earlier, it negatively affects their concentration and makes them tired and sleepy.

Delayed sleep phase syndrome occurs in young people and even 7-16% of adolescents suffer from it. It rarely occurs in people over 30 years of age and it is believed that delayed sleep phase syndrome affects nearly 0.2% ofgeneral population. Most often it is detected when people with DSPS have to go to school, for example, and going to bed late and getting up in the morning becomes problematic. As a rule, the symptoms of this disease disappear later in life, when the sleep stages shift to earlier ones.

Delayed sleep phase syndrome and insomnia

Although the delayed sleep phase syndrome is similar to insomnia, it is worth noting that it is significantly different. In people struggling with DSPD, bedtime is generally considered outside the norm, but sleep itself is normal - patients do not wake up, sleep is deep, and when they wake up, they feel refreshed.

Therefore, the definition of delayed sleep phase syndrome as insomnia is incorrect, because in the second group of patients, sleep does not regenerate, it is often interrupted and shallow, so after waking up these people are not rested, on the contrary - irritable, distracted and distracted. tired.

Delayed sleep phase syndrome - causes

Despite numerous studies on sleep disorders, so far there are no clearly defined causes of delayed sleep phase syndrome. It is known that the disorder arises as a result of an inconsistency between the body's natural rhythm and the social norms that determine the time of activity and rest. This may be the result of disturbances in the mechanisms that regulate circadian rhythms that are significantly longer than 24 hours.

It is also worth emphasizing that the delayed sleep phase syndrome does not result from improper sleep hygiene habits related to, for example, lifestyle, as is the case with the habitual delay in the sleep phase. In this case, people with DSPS cannot adjust to generally prevailing norms so easily and in their case advice such as "just go to bed early" does not help.

Specialists emphasize that the causes of delayed sleep phase syndrome may be the patient's long circadian rhythm or low sensitivity of the body to external factors such as light during the day, causing activity and darkness at night, which induces to rest.

Delayed sleep phase syndrome - diagnosis

To diagnose delayed sleep phase syndrome, falling asleep late and waking up must last at least three months, and also have negative consequences, such as malaise. Additionally, diagnosis of DSPS is possible only when the patient, after independently choosing the time to go to sleep and wake up, is refreshed and declares that his length and quality of sleep are satisfactory.

To check if the patient actually has delayed sleep phase syndrome, the specialist conducts an interview in which he confirms that the disorder is not due to otherailments such as, for example, neurological, mental or somatic disorders, as well as the use of pharmacological agents or psychoactive substances. In order to diagnose delayed sleep phase syndrome, it is necessary to keep a sleep diary or perform an actigraphic test.

If, after measuring activity and rest rhythms for a minimum of 7 days (preferably 14 days), the patient shows a delay in the sleep period, this is the basis for a diagnosis of DSPS. Other, less frequently used methods of diagnosing delayed sleep phase syndrome include measuring internal body temperature or measuring evening melatonin rhythm.

Delayed sleep phase syndrome - treatment

Treatment of delayed sleep phase syndrome consists primarily of pharmacological agents such as melatonin. It is usually applied 5-7 hours before the time of falling asleep, which makes the patient go to sleep and wake up earlier. Moreover, the use of sleeping pills or stimulants is not recommended.

In addition, patients are also treated with phototherapy - exposure to bright light in the morning accelerates the phases of circadian rhythms. This therapy usually takes 1-2 weeks. It is based on the fact that the patient, initially immediately after waking up, starts the exposure for 30-120 minutes. Each subsequent day, the exposure takes place 30-60 minutes earlier. Additionally, in the evening hours the patient should avoid exposure to light.

Treatment of delayed sleep phase syndrome forces the patient to take care of the regularity of getting up and going to bed. He should not change them also on days off, as this will negatively affect the circadian rhythm. It is also important that the patients' morning is active, so it is worthwhile to decide e.g. for a cool shower, a hearty breakfast, a warm drink, and quickly step out into a bright light exposure. In turn, in the evenings, patients should not use sources emitting blue light (phones, tablets, TV sets).

Successful treatment for delayed sleep phase syndrome must last about 6-8 weeks.

About the authorSonia Młodzianowska Journalist, editor, copywriter. He publishes in he alth and parenting magazines and portals. He belongs to the Journalists for He alth Association.

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Category:

Psychiatry