Typical Teenage Behavior -- Or Sleep Disorder?

Several years ago a mother, father and their 17-year-old son came to our sleep clinic to discuss the son's "sleeping problem." A senior in high school, the teenager had missed about 50 percent of his first period classes and was in danger of failing. According to his mother, the problem was simple: "He cannot get up in time for school."

His father was less concerned. Dad believed the problem was also simple - his son was a "slacker" and just needed to go to bed on time. Weeks before their appointment, the son's sleep problems had resulted in a somewhat tumultuous home situation with the police having to break up a family disturbance. Dad, tired of trying unsuccessfully to wake up his "slacker" son each morning, threw a bucket of ice water on him. Obviously shocked (and cold), the son jumped out of bed and began punching his father, while mom looked on and called 911.

Not all presentations of this scenario are quite so dramatic, but many do involve family discord. After obtaining a complete sleep history, it was apparent that this young man was not lazy or oppositional - he had Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS).

DSPS is a circadian rhythm disorder affecting the timing of the brain's sleep-wake clock. Individuals with DSPS are unable to fall asleep earlier than their usual sleep time, despite being sleep deprived from staying up the night before.

DSPS is a disorder that affects 7-16 percent of children and teenagers. The causes of DSPS have not been confirmed although most sleep specialists believe it may be an exaggerated reaction to the normal shift in internal clocks that adolescents experience during puberty.

Most of us have an internal clock that runs slightly longer than 24 hours, resulting in a natural tendency to delay sleep. Environmental factors such as social routines, timing of meals and exposure to light serve to reset the clock to keep it stable. Sensitivity to environmental factors that regulate the sleep-wake cycle may be attenuated in adolescence. DSPS often runs in families, so if you were a night owl during your teenage years, your son or daughter may inherit a similar sleep pattern.

Are you constantly dragging your son or daughter out of the bed? The symptoms of DSPS include:

Inability to Fall Asleep Before 2 or 3 a.m. Many individuals with DSPS first believe they are insomniacs. For teenagers, the inability to initiate sleep at conventional hours may be exacerbated by social pressure to communicate throughout the night via cell phones or computers.

Inability to Wake Up On Time for School or Work. While most people do not jump out of bed each morning when their alarm goes off, a person with DSPS will often sleep through multiple alarms and be very difficult to arouse even if given substantial incentives to do so.

. A common complaint of DSPS is the overwhelming feeling of sleepiness in the morning and up to the early afternoon. Sleeping during morning classes is a common sign.