How you cope with DSPS ???

I have DSPS where I want to sleep late and wakeup late. I have tried to live with this condition, and it has eventually caught up with me. I hope someone can share their coping strategies with this damn condition. Here are my questions:
* Is there a sure success-rate with light therapy and Melatonin as in CPAP. I was detected with OSA 1 year ago and been on CPAP. It sure helps my energy level and mood. They also told me that I have DSPS and my REM sleep started around 6:00 AM An told me to get light exposure under sun earl in the morning. That's all.

* I am a computer programmer that had to be at work at 8 AM, I got the worst insomnia of my life. My doctor put me on Dalmane. It was such a relief at first, but I got moe depresed, foggy headed and would inevitibly be considered lazy at work. I would go to work toward noon, as it progressed. It helped my mood and being clear-headed and alert at my work. I also put in 6 hours and really worked those 6 hours. Eventualy it came to the point that I was always put on disciplinary action. How do you cope with this? Do you tell the employer upfront with this condition, or couple of months down the road?

* I had avoided hopping from company to company and making the big bucks. I knew that the stress of a new job would stress me and I avoid it, but that means limited skill set, limited opportunity for you improvments. Should I lower my expectation of myself?

*Although you cope with this condition as much as you can, it becomes real personal and affected my self esteem to a great degree. It's does not feel good to be this way.

* It affects your social situation and circle of friends. You are not the upbeat
persdon that everyone else was. They picked on you and eventually you blow up the steam. This ain't good.

Help. I love to hear and share your coping strategies with the damn DSPS

Not to be a wiseass, but what is DSPS? I'm not sure I've ever heard of it, at least by that name.

-Dr. Liam, Medicine Woman.

DSPS stands for Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome. Your internal clock is screwed up and out of sync with the rest of the world. You wanna sleep late like 4AM and wake up at noon.
Here is a comprehensive Website
http://www.sleepdisorderchannel.net/dsps/

Let's give it one more try. How do you cope with daytime sleepyness? I really appereciate yor input

snamvar

I certainly don't have that delayed sleep thing. Maybe someone else does and can help.

I would think that as a computer programmer you might be able to find work that suits your hours, maybe? Computer programmers always seem so much in demand, I'm guessing. Are you a wiz at troubleshooting both software and hardware for computers? I had an office manager job briefly and we hired a man who had his own business, very small, just a couple of people, and they had contracts with companies to maintain their computer systems, generally small businesses which can't afford to hire a full time computer person. I don't know. Just a thought. It just seems you might be underestimating your abilities and find that you should be able to call some of the shots (such as time worked). Sure, I know you want to be able to change what you have and sleep regular night time hours, but it might be easier to have a job with suitable hours which don't pose additional stress as you try and readjust your sleep pattern.

Are you really having problems with personal relationships because of this sleep pattern? Are you able to exercise, and does that help ease things any? And if you're up all nite, what do you do with yourself? Just lie there stressed out over not being able to sleep?

Good luck, though. All that must be tough.

Linda

Ah... Sounds like what I have always called "mismatched circadian rhythm". I think my natural sleep cycle, if left to it's own devices, would be about 25.5 hours long. In college (particularly over the summer and in my early years, before I got serious), I found that my sleep would slowly shift.

I wouldn't get tired until between an hour and 3 hours later than I had the night before, would then sleep my 8 hours and wake up.

But it sounds like what finally broke me of this hasn't helped you: Having to get up on a regular schedule. I still struggle with it, but for the most part my body has become acclimated to the idea that I'm supposed to wake up at 7 every morning, and so whether I have the alarm clock set or not, there I am, awake, at 7 every morning.

This kind of limits the extent to which my body can refuse to go to sleep at 11 the night before (although not entirely, or I wouldn't have insomnia problems).

Liam, who wrote a reply because he felt bad for derailing the topic earlier, not necessarily because he felt he had anything helpful to say.

Hi Linda and Liam,
Thanks for your kind inputs. I got diagnosed with OSA a year ago. The sleep doctor also told me that I also have DSPS. I guess that I did not want to ever accept this condition myself (before I was told by sleep doc) and at some level blaming myself and feeling ashamed of it. I now see that it doesn't help at all. How do I expect others to understand it, if I can't myself.
It does affect the relationship and friendships too. Imagine feeling groggy and fuzzy headed until 3 PM everyday.
I think there is a fine line between having a medical condition, accepting it and trying to treat it, vs. working around it. I do agree with you about trying to get into jobs and businesses that you can work flexible hours in the afternoon. Unfortunately, I did not do that and work around ths situation. But I am planning too.
God bless and take care