The following is a visitor-submitted question or story. For more, you can submit your own sleep story here, or browse the collection of experiences and questions other visitors have shared here.

So Glad I Found This! College and Jobs Not Going Well With DSPS

by Ashley
(Charleston, WV, USA)

I am currently 18 and have had this problem of delayed sleep since I was about 9. It has completely ruined my life. I spent most of my days in middle school in detention because I was always late. When I got to high school, it was worse. I basically missed about half of the school days because I couldn't wake up. My parents would say I was just lazy and was purposely not getting up, but I have never even been able to wake up to an alarm my entire life.


I was in college a few months ago, but that was an overall horrible experience. I was able to get my classes to start at noon, but i found myself missing those by a mile. I even had an office job, but it started at 7 in the morning, so you can guess how that went. my boss kept me on for way longer than she needed to because the few hours I was able to be there I worked hard enough to get all of the work done with time to spare. she eventually had to let me go because I was only there for 2 out of the 7-8 hours I was supposed to work.

I am currently jobless and with no life outside of my house. Seems like no one is ever up during my schedule (I sleep from 6-7am to 4-5pm)..

This is nowhere near the life I imagined having at 18.

Comments for So Glad I Found This! College and Jobs Not Going Well With DSPS

Click here to add your own comments

Aug 15, 2015
 Seeking Out A Profession With Your Desired Hours
by: Kevin

Thanks for sharing your story Ashley. Working business hours is of course a very common problem for people with a delayed sleep phase. One way around it though is to seek out professions that allow you to work at your own time preference. Working online can be a great option for some people in that regard. Or, as another example, working support for an international company that needs support members available for European, Asian, or Australian business hours. Best wishes!

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Thoughts On Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome.



Enjoy this page? Please help us pay it forward to others who would find it valuable by Liking, Sharing, Tweeting, Stumbling, and/or Voting below.

About This Site

Welcome! This site is continuously being created by students of Dr. William C. Dement's Sleep And Dreams course at Stanford University.

We made this site as a call to action for people all over the world to live healthier, happier, safer, and more productive lives by learning about their own sleep. We have faith that reading the information provided on this site will motivate you to be smart about your sleep deprivation and strategic about your alertness in order to live life to your fullest, most energetic potential.

In fact, we challenge you to do so! What do you say, are you up for the challenge?

A Note On Visitor-Submitted Questions:

Publishing sleep stories and questions from our visitors is meant to create a forum for open and proactive dialogue about an extremely important portion of our lives (one that occupies 1/3 of it and affects the other 2/3) that isn't talked about enough. It is not meant to substitute a trip to the doctor or the advice of a specialist. It's good to talk; it is not good to avoid consulting someone who's profession it is to help you with this kind of stuff.

If you are in any way concerned about your sleep health, don't wait for an answer on here, and don't necessarily rely on them. See a sleep specialist in your area as soon as possible.

More Questions:

Ask | Answer

The Stanford Sleep Book

Stanford Sleep Book Picture

Dr. Dement's pioneering textbook has been the core text for Sleep and Dreams since 1980, but it has just recently been made available to the wider public for the first time.

In it you'll find a more detailed account of the most important things you need to know about sleep, alertness, dreams, and sleep disorders. Studies, statistics, plus plenty of Dr. Dement's classic anecdotes painting the history of sleep medicine.

Preface | Intro | Contents | Get A Copy

More Sleep Resources

The Zeo

Track Your Own Sleep With Zeo

A revolution in personal sleep tracking, the Zeo is a wireless headband that transmits your brainwaves in realtime to a dock (pictured here) or your smartphone. The result? You can wake up and see exactly what stages of sleep you were in during the night! Unprecedented personalized sleep knowledge.

Sleep Paralysis: A Dreamer's Guide

Sleep Paralysis Treatment Book

Ever woken up paralyzed? A surprising number of us have, believe it or not. But few know the actual causes of this phenomenon, and fewer still how to exert control over it. Dream researcher and sleep paralysis expert Ryan Hurd shares breakthrough insights into how to do just that.

Important Disclaimer

Please Note:

The information found on this page and throughout this site is intended for general information purposes only. While it may prove useful and empowering, it is NOT intended as a substitute for the expertise and judgments of healthcare practitioners.

For more info, see our
Terms of Use.