DSPS Treatment SPECIFICS Lacking!

by Roxanne
(Ontario)

Hi all

Unemployed, desperate to be able to function in daytime hours, you know the drill.

Did "the research project from hell", finally got a light for light therapy & got it on a stand. Now trying to determine treatment protocols. What time increments are best tolerated and is it better to go forward on the clock or back. What about melatonin? What dosages, what timing.

It is really frustrating that for all the suffering and commiserating on forums, much of it by really intelligent people obviously well-read on the subject-- nowhere does there seem to be a good, solid, comprehensive summary of the basics-- light technology and reputable sources, circadian rhythm basics, hormone cycles, light response curve, melatonin etc. The net is swimming in general "what is DSPS" stuff, but finding any specific guidance on treatment is difficult, & what little there is is scattered all over the place in various articles. I haven't been able to find comprehensive information anywhere. I know it's a relatively new area of research but there must be a synthesis of current knowledge and treatment protocols *somewhere*. I understand DSPS is persistent & don't expect miracles but for those who need to try & tackle it regardless-- *where* is the specific information??

It looks like best to try with just light, at first at least. Synthetic/bovine melatonin may be risky to muk about with as these are complicated, interrelated hormonal systems. The key thing would seem to be not to use the light too early or you might get the opposite result, ie. further phase delay. Apparently there is a point where core body temperature is lowest and it has to be after that. But how to guess at it is the question. Apparently for "normal" people it would be about 4 am. So I figure I should add 5 or 6 hours. Presumably at some point you can move earlier but how do you know when.

For going forward on the clock ("chronotherapy"), most sources say to use 3 hour increments. However I've no idea what increments the body would best tolerate if trying to go back/ earlier instead? And in what period, ie. advance wake/sleep time by X minutes every day?/week?/month? If you go forward on the clock, do you use the light all along when you get up as you would if you were going backward?

And if you *were* to use melatonin, what are best practices re: dosages and timing??

Can anyone suggest a solid, credible publication or online source which actually lays out all the information, including the nuts and bolts? Or do you have your own summary of all this?

Many thanks & best of luck to all.