Sleep disorders and related issues often appear alongside ADHD, but we have yet to “wake up” to the relationship between ADHD and delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS) – a type of circadian rhythm sleep disorder.
In fact, DSPS is quite common in individuals with ADHD but is seldom recognized, often brushed off as poor sleep hygiene or another sleep disorder.When DSPS goes unrecognized or misdiagnosed, it can wreak havoc on ADHD symptoms and seriously disrupt quality of life.
Accurate identification of DSPS – a treatable condition – is essential, as conventional approaches to manage sleep problems are often inadequate or ineffective for this sleep disorder.DSPS is characterized by significant difficulty falling asleep and waking up at socially conventional times.
As a circadian rhythm sleep disorder, DSPS affects the internal body clock, causing individuals to naturally sleep and wake several hours later (usually more than two hours later) than most people.According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine2, DSPS symptoms and characteristics include the following:[Symptom Test: Could You Have Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome?]Many individuals with DSPS, feeling completely alert and energized during normal sleeping hours, will stay up very late engaging in various activities (and often getting a lot of artificial light exposure, which further affects circadian rhythm).
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