People who experience DSPS are usually prone to have a late bedtime and a corresponding late rising. It is related to the “owl” personality that we profiled in a previous article. Although the term “late” is relative, it refers to people who stay up longer than the “norm” and wake up later as a result. But DSPS is not simply a way of labeling the condition of “night” people.” DSPS is considered a true circadian rhythm disorder. While “night” people exhibit a preference, DSPS sufferers cannot do anything about their tendencies.
One interesting difference between “morning” and “evening” people occurs when their bedtimes are delayed. The “morning” person responds to this change by shortening their sleep time, and wakes up at their normal hour. The “evening” person however just sleeps in later and still gets their eight hours of sleep.
“Evening” types (and DSPS sufferers) have a delayed but steady relationship to the time of day. This isn’t a problem per se, but the person is still out of synch with world, and as a result, the demands of home and work may cause severe hardships. An “evening” type who is forced to get up early (such going to work) can be under a heavy burden to simply function.
What causes DSPS? It is generally believed that chronic DSPS is related to a chemical imbalance or irregularity and is most noticible through people experiencing jet lag or shiftwork. And because “evening” types find it easier to delay their bedtime during schedule changes, they are more susceptible to DSPS In some people there is no known cause. His or her circadian clock just seems to run a few hours behind everyone else. (The opposite of DSPS is called Advanced Sleep Phase Syndrome (ASPS), which will be discussed in a future article.)
While most studies focus on adults, DSPS has also been documented in adolescents who may succumb to social pressures to delay their bedtimes. Coupled with hormonal changes that may affect their biological clocks, these young adults are often at risk of developing DSPS. Some adolescents also report they have had DSPS symptoms since childhood. That may be true. My own son exhibited “night owl” behavior from a very early age.
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