Delayed sleep phase syndrome falls under the umbrella of circadian rhythm disorders. These are disorders where the time of day when one feels sleepy (or alert) is not conducive to school, social activities or work. Trouble with falling asleep (i.e., insomnia) and daytime sleepiness are also prevalent in these groups. Most teengers have a natural tendency to want to go to bed late and sleep in late which is referred to as a delayed sleep phase tendency. If the delay is 2 hours of more outside what is needed to function, this is more of a “disorder”. We often work with patients to gradually advance the bedtime and waketime, avoid “social jetlag” (sleeping in on weekends) and expose to bright light in the morning. Ideally, we would love to see a world where high school start times were later given that teens have this natural tendency!

DrLullaby can help with behavioral sleep issues. The information provided here is not intended as a diagnosis or medical treatment, but instead meant as a learning opportunity. Please schedule an appointment with DrLullaby for more help.