Types of Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders

• Delayed sleep phase disorder (DSP): DSP occurs when a person regularly goes to sleep and wakes up more than two hours later, as name suggests delayed sleep phase, than is considered normal. People with DSP tend to be “evening types” or “night owls” who typically stay awake late at night or until 1 a.m. or later and then wake-up in the late morning or afternoon. A person with DSP will have a very stable sleep pattern, if able to go to bed at the preferred late time on a regular basis. DPS is found to be more common among adolescents and young adults.

• Advanced sleep phase disorder (ASP): ASP occurs when a person regularly goes to sleep and wakes up several hours earlier than most people. People with ASP tend to be “morning types” who typically wake up early in the morning or between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. and go to sleep early as well or between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. If people with ASP unable to go to bed at the preferred early time on a regular basis, they will have a very stable sleep pattern. As per some researches ASP affects approximately 1% in middle-aged and older adults and increases with age.

• Jet lag disorder: As we know jet lag occurs when long travel by airplane quickly puts/shifts a person in another time zone. In this new location the person found it difficult but must sleep and wake at times that are now misaligned with his or her body clock. The severity of the problem increases with the number of time zones that are crossed by the person. The body tends to have more trouble adjusting while traveling towards east than to westward travel.  Jet lag disorder can affect all age groups. It is a temporary condition with temporary symptoms that begin approximately one to two days after air travel across at least two time zones.

• Shift work disorder: Shift work disorder occurs when a person’s work hours are scheduled during the normal sleep period of the person. Feeling sleepiness during the work shift is common, and when a person try to sleep during the time of day when most others are awake can be a struggle to him. Shiftwork schedules include early-morning shifts, night shifts and rotating shifts. Depending on the type of shift, day, night or rotating, diurnal or circadian preferences may influence the ability to adjust to shift work. Risk increases with comorbid medical, psychiatric and other sleep disorders such as sleep apnea.

• Irregular sleep-wake rhythm: This disorder include undefined sleep wake cycle of a person. The person’s sleep is fragmented into a series of  small naps that occur throughout  day that means, a 24-hour period. Sufferers complain of excessive sleepiness, chronic insomnia or both. A low-amplitude or irregular circadian rhythm of sleep-wake pattern may also be seen in association with some neurological disorders such as dementia mostly in old age and in children with mental retardation.

• Free-running (nonentrained) type: This disorder occurs when a person has a variable sleep-wake cycle that keep on shifting every day. It results most often when the brain receives no lighting cues from the surrounding environment or staying in the dark for long. Occasionally, the disorder is associated with dementia or mental retardation. It has also been suggested that there may be an overlap between circadian rhythm sleep disorder or delayed sleep phase type, and circadian rhythm sleep disorder or free-running type.

How do you know you need counselling/therapy?

• You are waking up too early and are unable to go back to sleep.

• You are struggling to maintain sleep, tend to wake up frequently during night.

• You are having a hard time initiating sleep.

• Your sleep is non restorative or none freshened or of poor quality.