Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders

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Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders

Circadian rhythm sleep disorders are a family of sleep disorders that primarily affect the timing of sleep. People with circadian rhythm sleep disorders are unable to sleep and wake at the times required for normal work, school, and social needs if those times are not the same as those dictated by their own body clocks. Unless they also have another sleep disorder, they are generally able to get enough sleep if allowed to sleep and wake according to their body clocks.

Types

  • Jet lag, which affects people who travel across several time zones.
  • Shift work sleep disorder, which affects people who work nights or rotating shifts.
  • Delayed sleep phase disorder, also called delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS,) characterized by a much later than normal timing of sleep onset and offset and a period of peak alertness in the middle of the night.
  • Advanced sleep phase syndrome, characterized by difficulty staying awake in the evening and difficulty staying asleep in the morning.
  • Non-24-hour sleep-wake syndrome, in which the affected individual’s sleep occurs later and later each day, with the period of peak alertness also continuously moving around the clock from day to day.
  • Irregular sleep-wake rhythm, where the person sleeps at very irregular times and usually more than twice per day, waking frequently during the night and taking naps during the day, but with total time asleep typical for the person’s age.

Possible treatments for circadian rhythm sleep disorders include the following:

  • Behavior therapy
  • Advice about sleep hygiene
  • Light therapy
  • Melatonin
  • Stimulant therapy
Please contact us for more details and treatment.
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