Do you know what Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder (ASPD) is? If the answer is no, then you’re about to learn so much! This condition is a circadian rhythm disorder that is related to conventional bedtime. The condition is seen mostly in older adults. However, middle-aged individuals may also show signs of ASPD.
Nearly 1% of middle-aged to older adults experience advanced phase sleep disorder and has relations to family history. This implies that if anyone in your family had or has ASPD, you are more likely to develop its signs.
ASPD disrupts the normal circadian rhythm that follows a 24-hour cycle. People with ASPD experience an earlier schedule than they usually do. There are interesting things at play in this regard. We’ll explore those in the following sections.
What is Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder?
Advanced sleep phase disorder, or ASPD, is a circadian rhythm disorder that can cause an individual to retire for the day sooner than ‘expected.’ The condition causes a person to have a consistently earlier sleep routine than desired.
For example, someone with ASPD may fall asleep between 6 to 9 PM, inconsequentially waking up earlier, in this instance, between 2 to 5 AM. The early sleep-wake cycle can disrupt their daily life, leading to sleep deprivation and early morning insomnia!
This isn’t the first circadian rhythm disorder you’ve heard of. Other such disorders include jet lag, delayed sleep phase disorder, and 24-hour sleep-wake disorder. However, unlike jet lag, ASPD does not occur because of an external factor.
People with ASPD develop it because of irregular internal biological clocks. They are also prone to ASPD due to individuals being out of sync with their social or environmental expectations.
Mechanism Of Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder
The fact that people with ASPD operate on another circadian cycle eventually makes their bodies adjust to the change. One prominent change that helps the individual experience this cycle is the release of melatonin. This hormone signals sleepiness to the brain. This helps them sleep earlier.
In advanced phase sleep disorder, the individual finds staying awake in the evening difficult. This makes it difficult for them to enjoy activities in the evening when others are wide awake.
Younger people are more likely to develop delayed sleep phase disorder (DSPD), which is another type of circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorder. A person with ASPD struggles to keep up with societal expectations, which makes them resort to a lifestyle that allows them to sleep while others are awake.
ASPD is less common than DSPD, which can be attributed to the low diagnosis rates. There may be challenges in daily life, such as work and social situations.
Symptoms of Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder
Symptoms help identify when a condition is progressing towards becoming ‘serious.’ The following are the symptoms of advanced sleep phase disorder:
- Falling asleep during late afternoon or early evening, along with waking up too early while others sleep
- Feeling very sleepy in the afternoon and alert in the early morning hours.
- Waking up and sleeping before they are expected to.
These are the primary symptoms that are a tell-tale sign of ASPD. You can confirm this is ASPD when you experience it consistently.
Effects Of Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder
There are different ways ASPD can impact a person. You may see a change in their participation in societal events. They may also not engage in work activities or other social events.
This can lead to feelings of isolation, which is not always evident in those with ASPD. Here are a few of the effects that a person with ASPD may witness:
Chronic Sleep Deprivation
As the prevalence of chronic sleep deprivation is quite low, there aren’t a lot of people who would even be aware of it. This makes it difficult for people with advanced sleep phase disorder to keep up with social events.
They may push themselves to stay up past their bedtime to meet the expectations of those who plan such events. This is because staying up later than ‘usual’ can leave them sleep-deprived when done regularly, which is what happens.
If this continues, it can lead to sleep deprivation, which can be worse for the individual. Many symptoms can indicate sleep deprivation; these include lack of concentration or focus, sleepiness, and slower reaction time during the day. This can negatively impact their work or social life, harming their quality of life.
Sleepiness During Evening Events
One of the most common effects of ASPD is the inability to keep oneself awake during evening events. This can affect their social relationships. One of the reasons this happens is because of the release of melatonin early on in their system, which can make them sleep sooner than others.
Emotional Distress
People with advanced sleep phase disorder are more likely to experience emotional distress as they cannot commit to activities or expectations. These are usually night-time responsibilities during which they cannot stay awake.
This strains their relationship (s), which can also become distressing for them. Usually, they are disappointed about the commitments they cannot stand upon and their negative impact on their relations, which they cannot save.
Developing Negative Habits
To meet these social expectations, people with advanced sleep phase disorder may use stimulants that can help them stay awake. In the long run, this can become detrimental to their physical health as an excess of anything is bad.
Another characteristic habit that these individuals are seen to develop includes relying on sedatives or alcohol and sleeping pills to sleep in. These substances, such as stimulants (coffee/caffeine), sleeping pills, and alcohol, can lead to an increase in sleep deprivation, causing further adverse effects.
Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder: Causes
Most mental health disorders have an underlying reason known as the cause of the condition. Let’s have a look at the causes of ASPD:
- Middle- or old age
- Family history of ASPD
- Autism spectrum disorder
- High exposure to morning light
- Environmental factors such as work schedule. People with unusual shift timing of their work.
These are some of the primary causes of ASPD, which can also lead to other health conditions that may stem from this circadian rhythm disorder.
Diagnosis of ASPD
Diagnosing advanced sleep phase disorder is crucial as it can help identify the actual cause of the symptoms. Usually, it is easier to detect the issue by looking at the repeating pattern of early sleep time.
However, it can still be hard to diagnose it sooner. Professional workers’ expertise is necessary in this context. There are also chances that your healthcare professional may conduct tests such as:
- Actigraph, similar to a smartwatch, can record the sleep activity of the wearer and help the doctor diagnose ASPD.
- Polysomnogram, which is the sleep study that is performed overnight. The patient’s brain waves, breathing rate, heartbeat, oxygen levels, and body movements are studied. It can help rule out other sleep disorders which can cause similar symptoms.
The diagnosis of this issue is also carried out with the help of family history. This helps them look at the probability of you developing the condition.
Treatments For ASPD
One of the most popular treatment options for ASPD depends on the extent of the symptoms they observe. If the patient’s symptoms are not quite severe, they can make lifestyle changes to arrange their schedule around their daily work routine.
If the patient is experiencing severe symptoms, they can be recommended other treatment options such as:
Bright light therapy
Bright light therapy is an effective treatment for various other circadian rhythm disorders. This therapy option includes exposing the patient to bright light that mimics the sun’s power. They sit in front of light sources with a brightness of around 2000-2500 Iux or luminous flux per unit area.
How does such a bright light help them? The bright light helps reset their circadian rhythm, where people with ASPD can have a’ normal bedtime.’ Doctors also recommend keeping the lights low, reinforcing an earlier sleep schedule.
Follow a regular sleep schedule.
A healthy circadian rhythm can be through consistent schedules, including exposing the patient to light and darkness. This must be done regularly for it to be effective.
Following the same routine can help you gain better energy and sleep; you must also maintain this during your holidays.
Avoiding caffeine and other such substances
The use of stimulants such as caffeine is. They may also use alcohol or drugs to boost their alertness. These substances help them sleep in or stay awake in the late afternoon.
They also help disrupt sleep, which can make it difficult for them to have a healthy sleep cycle.
Your healthcare professional may also suggest other treatment options based on the progress your condition makes with other treatments.
Wrapping It Up!
In conclusion, it is evident that advanced sleep phase disorder requires a close look at the symptoms and if there is a pattern. Seeking professional help can help detect the condition sooner.
Seek professional help if you are experiencing any of the symptoms present in that section of the article.
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