Delayed sleep phase syndrome is a type of circadian rhythm sleep disorder that is characterized by a delay of sleep onset and waking time the next day for at least 2 hours according to the conventional bedtime. As an example, if a person’s conventional bedtime is 10 pm and wakes up 6 am, if he or she is suffering from delayed sleep phase syndrome, he or she will usually fall asleep past midnight and wake up later in the morning.

Who gets Affected by Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome?

Delayed sleep phase syndrome or DSPS can actually affect anyone from all age groups. However, it is very common for young adults or college students to suffer from this type of circadian rhythm sleep disorder. Delayed sleep phase syndrome alters the circadian rhythm (internal body clock), which can give a hard time to people suffering from the said sleep disorder falling asleep at night. Students are at higher risks for delayed sleep phase syndrome since they do not prioritize their sleep, thus resulting to frequent sleep deprivation that can cause a shift to the circadian rhythm and bring about delayed sleep phase syndrome or DSPS.

Signs and Symptoms of Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome

As mentioned above, delayed sleep phase syndrome or DSPS is characterized by a delay of sleep onset according to the conventional bedtime. Delayed sleep phase syndrome can’t cause or alter a person’s quality of sleep, it can only cause a delay of sleepiness. There are a lot of people who think that they are suffering from insomnia, even if they are suffering from delayed sleep phase syndrome. Here are some other common symptoms of delayed sleep phase syndrome, aside from a delay of the onset of sleep.

• Inability to wake up early in the morning – Since there will be a delay to the onset of sleep, there will also be a delay to the waking time the next morning.
• Daytime sleepiness and fatigue – for people who need to wake up early in the morning for work or for school and they are suffering from delayed sleep phase syndrome, they can’t get enough time of sleep every single night. As a result, he or she will experience daytime sleepiness or fatigue since DSPS prevents them from getting enough sleep during the night.
• No other sleep disorders. – The only problem of delayed sleep phase syndrome is a late onset of sleep. An uncomplicated delayed sleep phase syndrome does not cause any problems during sleep, DSPS only alters the normal sleep and wake cycle.