Have you heard of Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder?

So, I was looking into ADD research to come up with more strategies to cope when I stumbled across a sleep disorder I had never heard of before. (ADD is linked to sleep disorders and anxiety disorders.)

Because what I've found out is so rare and misunderstood, I thought I'd shed some light on it here. Besides, this does indirectly have to do with careers, especially art. You'll see.





Without a doubt I am certain I have a rare and misunderstood sleep disorder, Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder (or DSPD). Have you ever even heard of this? I know I haven't.

For those of you who haven't heard of this, and I'm assuming most of you haven't, here's the facts. People suffering from DSPD have a permanently delayed sleep wake reaction in relation to the environment. They're not tired until at least 2am but often until 4am, and sleep until around noon. (There is also a disorder called Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder, which causes sleep onset and wake to happen earlier than normal.) They tend to sleep normally (or even more than usual) otherwise. If they are forced onto a "normal schedule", even if on this "normal" schedule for an extended period of time, they begin to suffer insomnia symptoms.

It can be likened to experiencing perpetual jet lag. Because this is a rare disorder, it is often mistaken for laziness or regular insomnia. If left undiagnosed, it can cause the sufferer a lot of frustration. Sufferers usually have difficulty with 9-5 jobs and school. Speaking from personal experience, I had poor grades and attendance in school until I took afternoon and night classes in college. Often people with this disorder will do much better with evening shifts, freelance, or being self employed. When traveling, they have extra trouble adjusting to the new time zone. Daylight Savings is difficult to adjust to as well.

I also suspect having lingering mild Non-24, which was much worse when I was a teen. It's an even more rare disorder, affecting less than 1% of the population, most being completely blind. The disorder is pretty simply described; the biological clock is longer than 24 hours, making the patient sleep later and later until it cycles back into normalcy. Most who suffer from this develop it in early teens and no longer display symptoms as adults. If the symptoms still show as adults, they have it permanently. In the blind, this is thought to be caused by lack of perception of day and night. In individuals who can see, the cause is not understood.

When I was a teen, this behavior precisely explains my sleeping habits. I would viciously cycle, staying up an hour later every day. I'd even have days where I fell asleep at 5pm and awoke at 1am! Now I'd say I tend to stay up 10-30 minutes later every day, and with effort I can reset it to my normal schedule (sleep at 2:30, wake at 10:30) without having to cycle all the way through.

My variations tend to be 1:30am-4:30am for sleep (6am-9am if I have insomnia), and 9:30am-12:30pm to wake. Waking earlier than 9:30am no matter what makes me miserable and tired. I find that I absolutely cannot fall asleep normally before 12am.

I'd better bring this to the attention of a doctor as soon as possible so I can be properly diagnosed.
I feel excited and relieved that these are actual sleep disorders! Sure, they're not curable, but at least I can prove to people it's not me just being lazy. If I get proof of this disorder, employers are legally unable to discriminate against me and must provide me with hours within my natural sleep schedule. Plus, I'm being told it's far healthier for me to pursue being a freelance artist or to be my own boss! Yay!