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Can't Figure Out How To Treat My DSPS

by Margaret Horn
(West Jefferson, NC, USA)

My sleep pattern was (asleep) 3 or 4 am and (awake) 1 or 2 pm. My neuro said chronotherapy was the only way to correct my problem; he said it was impossible to go backwards. I have some chronic health issues, and chrono was wrecking my health. I was getting colds, and I felt awful.


I have a light box, blue-light-blocking sunglasses, and a dawn-simulating alarm clock (a little desperate :) ). I decided to set my alarm clock starting at 11:45 am and go one half hour earlier every other day. I also opened my blinds a little more each night. I exposed myself to light after the alarm went off. All that worked until I got to 10:30 am (pretty amazing).

A few days before that, I started waking up in the pre-dawn to dawn hours, and couldn't get back to sleep. I don't know if it was because the blinds were open, or because I was anticipating waking up earlier than normal or what. Yesterday, I was so sleepy, I could barely get through the day, and today, well, I slept until noon. If I'm titrating gradually, it doesn't help to have bright sunlight streaming in the windows in the morning.

All the literature says to use light therapy very early in the a.m., ie, at 7 a.m. So, am I using the light too late, and thus advancing my phase? Or is it ok to do what I'm doing, and just tough it out? I just need some fine tuning.

Comments for Can't Figure Out How To Treat My DSPS

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Jul 25, 2014
 Light therapy at 7 a.m.? NEW
by: Anonymous

No. It may say that in some of the literature, but it's wrong. If you happen to be waking up naturally at 7 a.m. and need to get up EVEN EARLIER, fine, use bright light at 7 a.m., but not many people are in that situation!
.
Using (bright) light more than an hour or so earlier than your natural wake-up time WILL MAKE THINGS WORSE. To actually understand this, one must study the Phase Response Curve for Light in Humans.
.
Use bright light at the time you wake up naturally. (Use it for, usually, 30-60 minutes.) Then, very s l o w l y, start using it a little bit (no more than 5 minutes!) earlier each day. If/when you are waking naturally an hour or so earlier than before, take a pause in the treatment to solidify your result.
.
This does work for some people. It requires self-discipline and no late nights. More info at http://circadiansleepdisorders.org
.
Good luck!
Jul 25, 2014
 Bright light at 7 a.m.? NEW
by: delayed2sleep

No. It may say that in some of the literature, but it's wrong. If you happen to be waking up naturally at 7 a.m. and need to get up EVEN EARLIER, fine, use bright light at 7 a.m., but not many people are in that situation!
.
Using (bright) light more than an hour or so earlier than your natural wake-up time WILL MAKE THINGS WORSE. To actually understand this, one must study the Phase Response Curve for Light in Humans.
.
Use bright light at the time you wake up naturally. (Use it for, usually, 30-60 minutes.) Then, very s l o w l y, start using it a little bit (no more than 5 minutes!) earlier each day. If/when you are waking naturally an hour or so earlier than before, take a pause in the treatment to solidify your result.
.
This does work for some people. It requires self-discipline and no late nights. More info at http://circadiansleepdisorders.org
.
Good luck!

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