Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome

We all know that you wake in the day and sleep at night. Our body clocks are set to this pattern of sleeping and waking. People who have Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS) have a slightly different body clock that is out of sync with everyone else’s.

What causes DSPS?

There is no known cause of DSPS. It is a disorder of the body's timing system. You have difficulty falling asleep and difficulty waking up because your natural biological clock is out of phase with the sleeping and waking times you need to go to school or work.

DSPS is similar to jet lag, when you feel tired because you have to adjust your sleeping pattern after travelling in a different time zone, but it is much longer-lasting. It can develop suddenly or gradually.

Who can it affect?

Anyone can suffer from Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome. It is thought to affect around seven per cent of the adolescent population but is not common in people over the age of 30 years.

What are the symptoms of DSPS?

Daytime sleepiness

Because people with DSPS have got to sleep late they find it particularly hard to wake up in the mornings. They are therefore sleepy throughout the day, as they have not had enough sleep.

Lengthy sleeping patterns at the weekends

People with DSPS usually sleep for around 9-12 hours at the weekend since they are catching up on the lack of sleep from earlier in the week.

No other sleep complaints

Once people with DSPS have managed to fall asleep, they sleep deeply and are unlikely to wake within the night. They don’t have any other sleep problems.

How is DSPS diagnosed and treated?

People with DSPS cannot get to sleep for at least two hours after they start trying to go to sleep at night.

A lot of people can go through stressful periods where they might find it difficult getting to sleep. But the problem of not getting to sleep will have been going on for more than three months before your doctor would think to diagnose DSPS.

Once diagnosed with DSPS there are various treatments that may help. These aim to get your body clock back to normal so you can wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the day ahead.

Bright Light Therapy

The person is exposed to a bright light for around half-an-hour every morning soon after waking and avoids bright light during the evening towards bedtime. This can help to shift a person’s internal clock and make them more alert during the daytime.

Chronotherapy

Because it is easier to move a person’s body clock backwards than it is forwards, a person with DSPS should go to sleep 2 or 3 hours later than usual each night; for example if a person can’t get to sleep before 4am, they should go to bed at 7am on the first night, and 10am the next day and sleep for 7 or 8 hours. This continues until a sensible bedtime is reached.

What’s going to help?

Other small lifestyle changes can help you to get a better night’s sleep:

Create a restful sleeping environment – your bedroom should be kept for rest and sleep. Try not to let it get too hot or cold. Have it as quiet and dark as possible to get to sleep
Relax – try to relax before going to bed. Have a warm bath, listen to some quiet music. Try to wind down from your day
Eat a healthy balanced diet – vitamins and minerals from the food you eat are essential to keep your mind and body functioning properly. Try not to go to sleep on a full or empty stomach as this can keep you awake
Exercise regularly – getting at least the 30 minutes recommended exercise a day will help to relieve stress and tire you out. Don’t exercise too close to bedtime or it may keep you awake!

Looking forward

With treatment and a healthy lifestyle you should be able to combat your sleep problems and develop a sleep pattern that suits you.

For more help and information

If you would like to know more about Delayed Phase Sleep Syndrome please ask your doctor.

Last reviewed by Dr Chris Idzikowski: 21 January 2008

Health > Conditions > D > Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome

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