Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder - Found something that worked

[xploit316]

I've been struggling with Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder(DSPD) for the past four years. I'm not entirely sure what triggered it, it could be related to my Hypothyroidism, ADHD, Dopamine issues, age who knows. It started suddenly one day, and ever since, I've been falling asleep very late, usually between 2–3 AM on average.

Over the years, I’ve tried many things to fix it:

• Melatonin, tart cherry juice
• Different diets — high-carb, low-carb, keto, cutting sugar at night
• Having a whole egg for dinner (thanks to @Wishful for the idea)
• Avoiding screens and media well before bedtime
• Reading comics, romance novels

But nothing worked consistently or lasted more than a week.

However, I noticed something lately. Every weekend, no matter what I ate for lunch, I started feeling sleepy between 3:30–4:30pm (only weekends, not weekdays when I am working), Like clockwork, I would start feeling sleepy around this time and need to take a long nap for 1–1.5 hours. Mind you, I had this habit of taking long naps since I was a kid.

I stopped taking these weekend naps. To my surprise, I started feeling more drowsy, more tired evening time and by 11:30pm my body feels so tired that I have no choice but to hit the sack and immediately after 5-10mins I am fast asleep. Have been following this no napping on weekend routine consistently for over a month now, and I fall asleep by 11:30-11:45pm without issues the entire week.

I haven't fully figured it out yet, how not taking afternoon naps on weekends helps DSPD over the entire week, but I suspect that my body just needed a more consistent schedule. Those long weekend naps might have been throwing off my rhythm somehow, disrupting my ability to sleep. Now I am happy that I haven't had an issue for over a month, but I know with this condition good ideas dont last long, but I am hopeful and keeping my fingers crossed this time.

 

[JES]

I have struggled with this problem for years also. Naps definitely do not help, agreed. I never found any supplement either that would fix it permanently. Anything that made me sedated also usually meant I would feel carry-over fatigue to the next day, which isn't nice when you are already dealing with fatigue.

Ironically, the one thing that briefly worked was some kind of physical activity before sleep. Moving my stuff into a new apartment and being even more fatigued after that turned out to work for sleep until it later put my nervous system into overdrive, but oh well, it worked for a week.

The second thing that slightly works is sunlight, as I notice the problem is reduced in summer time.

 

[Hip]

Have you tried taking melatonin in advance of the time that you wish to get to sleep, rather than when you got to bed? For example, taking melatonin 2 or 3 hours before your bedtime. That worked for my non-24 sleep issue.

 

[xploit316]

Have you tried taking melatonin in advance of the time that you wish to get to sleep, rather than when you got to bed? For example, taking melatonin 2 or 3 hours before your bedtime. That worked for my non-24 sleep issue.

Hi Hip, I used to take Melatonin 1 hour after dinner so around 2 hours before bed. I have noted in my journal that 3rd day onwards no effect whatsoever. Its the story of my life with all supplements, works the 1st time I take it and maybe 2-3 times after, and than stops working forever, even when I change brands or strength.

I have tried 2 brands of Melatonin btw, NOW 5mg and a liquid one from Natrol.

 

[Remissionqueen]

I have struggled with this problem for years also. Naps definitely do not help, agreed. I never found any supplement either that would fix it permanently. Anything that made me sedated also usually meant I would feel carry-over fatigue to the next day, which isn't nice when you are already dealing with fatigue.

Ironically, the one thing that briefly worked was some kind of physical activity before sleep. Moving my stuff into a new apartment and being even more fatigued after that turned out to work for sleep until it later put my nervous system into overdrive, but oh well, it worked for a week.

The second thing that slightly works is sunlight, as I notice the problem is reduced in summer time.

This is bc of neuro inflammation.
Maybe LDA could help

 

[belize44]

I have this delayed syndrome as well. I have just been using that awake time for my writing, but as time goes by, I am still finding that I am up later and later until I am falling asleep around dawn, and only after taking Melatonin and Benadryl. Benadryl is supposed to be bad for you over time because it dries you out; dry eyes inflamed sinuses, etc. I really dislike waking after one pm, but nothing else works.

BTW, I have read where some of you take Melatonin hours before bed. For me, if I take a very small amount I become very drowsy within twenty minutes.