Delaying DSPS Treatment. Suggestions for Eventual Course of Action?

by ParryFG
(Provo, UT)

The Short Version.

I am confident I have DSPS but am delaying "treatment" while I look for some work that will accommodate my current sleeping habits. Next fall I intend to start a Masters program, and while School can be more flexible than work, I will need my full productivity back (i.e., sleeping on a more regular schedule) When I do attend to my DSPS again, I am hoping that I can be armed with a few options that will work. That is the hope. Before anyone says anything, please read the following.

Things I have tried, but did/do not work:

Deep breathing, imagery exercises, meditating
CBT: Did all the healthy night-time behaviors (no stimulants, only using my bed for sleep, blah blah blah).
Melatonin
Diphenhydramine
Various herbal remedies (currently taking Magnesium 400 mg, B-50 Complex, Valarian root 530 mg)
Chamomile
*Trazadone (This actually worked but I stopped using it due to heart palpitations)

Plan B:
Light Therapy
???

>>What are your suggestions for other treatment options that will help me to alter my sleeping schedule?<<

Bonus Question: Does anyone know of any paid/unpaid studies that would be interested in someone with DSPS? Yes yes, I know, I am asking anyways.

And now, this is the unnecessary and unnecessarily long history section that may prove useful, but is probably more for me.

All my life I have had sleep issues. Typically this equated to not sleeping till midnight, and taking 30-45 minutes to do so. In January of 2010, at 24 years of age, my condition worsened and 8:00 AM became my standard bed time. After 4 months of this I started taking Trazadone and that fixed the problem, at least as long as I slowly increased the dosage as well (I took it for about one year).

June of 2011 I got off of Trazadone due to some intense heart palpitations and I slowly transitioned back to a sleep time of 6:00 AM. I have noticed that I am sensitive to light in the morning, however I can't afford a nice private room with a giant window that faces the east to help me wake up in the morning. I bought an LED light therapy device, and have tried it 3-4 times only. I crashed pretty hard around 9:00 PM, DID NOT SLEEP, then my energy peaked about a couple hours later and I would still go to bed at my usual time around 6:00 AM. I have not tried to consistently use light therapy to solve the issue yet, as I am waiting to do so. There are some other psychological factors that may be relevant.

As a teenager I was diagnosed with a mild form of tourettes (ticks) with the attendant ADD/ADHD, as well as depression (which is known to run in my family). Growing up in Michigan I definitely dealt with SAD, but out in Utah I don't have any issues with that. I do live with some amount of uncertainty and anxiety in my life (no job, dealing with sleep issues, trying to plan for a future career or a plan B to my future career if I can't figure sleeping thing out, etc). I have found that I am much more susceptible to anxiety, mood swings, negativity, anger, frustration, lack of motivation and being overwhelmed when I have a sleep schedule of 6:00 AM - 2:00 PM, as opposed to a more regular sleep schedule. I have left out some of the details regarding how I would further diagnose my case as being DSPS because I don't think they would be relevant.

That about sums it up. Questions?