Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome

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DSPS Causes

The precise medical cause of DSPS is unknown. Circadian rhythms, which regulate the internal biological clock and influence functions such as sleep-wake patterns, are usually described as being out-of-phase in DSPS. If sleep occurs on a continuum, then the circadian rhythms of patients with DSPS signal sleep at delayed intervals.

DSPS often occurs in patients who experience head trauma or serious illness. In these cases, the body's natural healing process may disrupt normal circadian rhythm and render the biological clock unable to reset or resynchronize.

Lifestyles that allow alternative sleep-wake patterns (e.g., work-at-home jobs, computer programming, artistic careers) may help sustain DSPS, rather than to shape the disorder.

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