Apparently I’m justified?

Disabled

Delayed Sleep-Phase Syndrome.

I’m dubious of the value in labeling everything a “syndrome” or a “disorder” or a “condition,” but it’s a pretty apt descriptor of my habits. I can wake up at earlier hours, if I have to. But going to sleep before midnight is hard, unless I’m truly exhausted. And that’s been true for years, now.

And I rather liked this Achewood comic, which (while not exactly my attitude) does to some extent encapsulate my irritation that society treats sleeping late as somehow morally weak — nevermind how many hours of sleep you’re actually getting.

(Diagnosis and comic from toddalcott and comments therein.)

0 Responses to “Apparently I’m justified?”

  1. c0untmystars

    It’s rare that I can fall asleep before midnight either… for years my natural sleep pattern was 2am-10am. (When I still lived in the Central time zone I used to joke that I was living on Pacific time already.) I’ve been on a “socially acceptable” timetable for my dayjob for three years now and I’ve occasionally wondered if that’s why I don’t sleep as well as I used to.

  2. doriscrockford2

    I completely agree with the irritation of calling this a “disorder”. What happened to being a night owl? What about people who work night shifts and have adjusted accordingly? Sleep is sleep, and somewhere in the world it must be the “appropriate” hours. 🙂

    • Marie Brennan

      Well, at least part of the point is that some people can’t adjust, or have an extremely hard time doing so. But I’d be okay with labeling it a “pattern” or some other value-neutral word.

      • myladyswardrobe

        Thats my problem! My natural sleep pattern is Midnight to 8am. Sometimes 1am to 8am!

        Getting up at 5am to be in work for 8am (2 hour journey to work in London) is not good for me at all!

        Damn society dictating how we all should live!

  3. moonandserpent

    This is actually what I’ve been tentatively diagnosed with. (Tentatively because I can’t afford to go do a sleep study to prove it one way or the other.) But my current doctor thinks it’s on the ball.

  4. dyrecorn

    Hmm… I do think our society is almost as obsessed with “disorders” as it is with suing people.

    Still, this reads like a summary of my sleep habits since I was 10… ={

    • zellandyne

      *laughter* I know I’ve told you about DSPS before. I was diagnosed with it several years ago. In my case, I don’t produce enough melatonin to get to sleep. My circadian rhythms were all out of wack, so that my sleep cycles never left me rested enough.

      • Marie Brennan

        I know you’ve talked about sleep, but I don’t remember you bringing up this particular syndrom before.

        I’m plenty rested; I just get my rest at (what society considers to be) odd hours.

    • Marie Brennan

      As I said above, I’d be totally okay if we labeled things “patterns” — there’s value in recognizing them, but I’d rather they not be framed in terms of dysfunction or disease.

  5. brigidsblest

    Heh. I have this. My average daily schedule is 11:30 am (awakening) to around 2:30 – 4 AM (bedtime). No amount of going to bed earlier, cutting out caffeine, vitamin B12, melatonin, warm milk, chamomile tea, exercise, dietary changes, etc. has done anything for it. I’ve been like this since I was 12, at least (which is when I got my first alarm clock for my birthday and finally realized that, even though my parents put me to bed at 8:30 pm on school nights, I wasn’t falling asleep before 1 or 2 am).

  6. mmegaera

    Night owls. We’re called night owls [g]. That article describes me, too. But I don’t want it cured. The best thing was when I worked noon till 9 pm. That was my equivalent of 9-5, and it was brilliant. However, it’s not easy to find that sort of job that pays halfway decently, alas.

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