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Delayed sleep phase disorder?

I was reading about OCD I have on wikipedia and saw this "Individuals with OCD have also been found to be affected by delayed sleep phase syndrome at a substantially higher rate than the general public". I decided to read about that syndrome more because I felt like this might give me answers for some of my questions.

I am 20, male, with puberty being kinda late since doctors had to help me with hormones to start it properly. Last 2 years I am experiencing problem of going to sleep and waking up early.

I just can't get myself to sleep before 3am and have really big troubles waking up. I was going to a job for a while after I graduated (didn't go to sleep at night day before because I was afraid of not waking up to actually graduate). While working, I was waking up at 5am and used to go to sleep at 3am or even 4am, leaving me only 1-2 hours to sleep. Then I felt like zombie for the rest of the day but couldn't go to sleep early anyway.

Now I am going to a college and that's where I get bit depressed about it. I want to go to school but I constantly keep sleeping over them. It's not like I oversleep 10 minutes and not catch the bus. I wake up 5 hours later without even remembering I turned off alarm. Everyday I try to wake up I set usually about 8 alarms or more and put my phone all over the room so I actually have to get up and turn it off. I don't even remember doing that and I wake up 4 hours later with mobile in my hand. I often ask my mom to wake me up when I am scared I won't.

I tried to restart my sleeping schedule to be normal and go to sleep sooner. I did things like try to skip all night and then next day go to sleep earlier but it just doesn't work. I will stop feeling tired until it's like 3-5am.

When I had free time and went to sleep and woke up whenever I wanted I had delayed but stable sleeping schedule and I was not feeling exhausted at all.

I am worried about this and how is it affecting me. I would like to know what should be my next step. Should talk to my parents about this? Should I go to doctor? I am afraid of just just being called lazy. I am also bad at expressing stuff so if you have any questions please ask me! Thank you.



4 Responses
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1780921 tn?1499301793
As to your last 2 questions, Yes. Tell your parents and go see a doctor. There could be a underlining issue that needs addressed to help you sleep. In the meantime you could try a natural sleep aid. The one that I use is called Melatonin and can be bought at just about any store.
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Avatar universal
Maybe you should try adjusting to a different sleep cycle- seeing that the standard 8 hours of sleep one isn't working.  Here is something you can read about-

http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/07/13/alternative-sleep-cycles-7-10-hours-is-not-needed/
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Avatar universal
I have had pretty much the same problem for many years.  My sleep onset tends to be very late, and then I need to sleep very late in the morning to get enough rest.  It does severely interfere with working, so I totally understand your difficulty.  I would have no problem at all, if I never had to be anywhere until noon, but I do.  I work in a field in which all the jobs are 8:00AM to 4:30PM.

I finally went to a sleep medicine specialist about two years ago and was diagnosed with restless leg syndrome (RLS) and Periodic Limb Movements in Sleep (PLMS).  I was offered a prescription for an antiparkinson's drug, which is standard treatment for RLS.  I refused that prescription and have found relief through dietary measures.  

It turns out I have multiple food intolerances, including a main one of gluten intolerance.  It was inflammation resulting from my food intolerances that was at the root of my sleep problems.  I am doing much, much better now.  I'm not cured, but I can enough sleep at night to get to work on time the next day, and I am continuing to slowly improve even more.

I would advise you to consult a sleep medicine specialist and get a sleep study done.  You will sleep in a lab (although your room will look like a motel room) with monitors on you to see what the physical problem is.  The diagnosis should give you some good information that you can use to decide what you want to do next.

In the meantime, when you really, really do have to get up early in the morning, my best advice is to use two alarm clocks, and put one of them across the room so that you have to get out of bed to turn it off.  Then do not get back in bed, no matter what.

Good luck.
Helpful - 0
1340994 tn?1374193977
If you want to try melatonin, be aware that you need to take it and be in an absolutely dark room afterward for it to work right.  But countries in Europe do not agree that it's safe and it's illegal there.  

You should probably get relaxation therapy with biofeedback training to help you learn how to relax.  You do the exercises trying to stay awake, but it will make you very relaxed and ready for sleep.

Or start exercising vigorously and notice when the relaxation hits you.  Some people are relaxed immediately afterward, and others are hyper right after exercise and relax later.  You could then time your exercise to help you relax and be sleepy at night.  

Take magnesium supplements in the morning (about 400 mg) and calcium and vitamin D at night at around  500/2000 IU.  Also consider whether you are constipated, because being constipated will cause insomnia just like you describe.  The magnesium could help this.  Get labs to see if you have thyroid disease or anemia or something.  
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