Delayed Sleep Phase

Treatment

Mayo Clinic sleep specialists can help a patient assess behavioral and environmental factors that are making delayed sleep phase (DSP) worse, and develop a plan to correct them. A plan might include improving sleep hygiene, chronotherapy, bright light therapy or melatonin supplements.

Improving sleep hygiene
Changes in sleep hygiene might include:

• Maintaining a regular sleep schedule
  
• Limiting stimulating activities such as loud music, video games and Internet use before bedtime
  
• Making the sleep environment more comfortable by appropriate means, such as adjusting the bedroom temperature, for example
  
• Avoiding caffeine, nicotine or alcohol

Chronotherapy
Chronotherapy works by advancing a patient's bedtime by about three hours per day , earlier and earlier, until the desired bedtime is reached. At this point the schedule is rigorously maintained.

Bright light therapy
Increasing natural sun exposure in the morning and avoiding it late in the day may help some patients. Specially designed artificial bright lights are more helpful to others. These are available in a few forms:

• Light box that sits on a table or desk and plugs into the wall
  
• Desk lamp similar to light box but designed to better blend in at workplace
  
• Light visor worn like a tennis visor
  
• Dawn simulator that mimics sunrise and gradually brightens the room

Melatonin supplements
Because melatonin plays a role in signaling the body to sleep, taking the supplement in the afternoon or early evening helps some patients with DSP.