Advanced Sleep Phase Syndrome (ASPS)

What is it?

Advanced Sleep Phase Syndrome (ASPS) is a circadian rhythm disorder where a person's internal body clock is advanced, or shifted earlier, by two hours or more. This causes them to feel very sleepy and go to bed much earlier than is conventional (e.g., between 7 PM and 9 PM) and consequently wake up consistently in the very early morning (e.g., between 3 AM and 5 AM), unable to fall back asleep.

Common Symptoms:

• An uncontrollable, overwhelming need to fall asleep in the early evening.
• Consistently waking up in the pre-dawn hours, often long before the alarm, and feeling fully rested.
• Inability to fall back asleep after waking up very early.
• Daytime sleepiness or fatigue in the late afternoon or early evening, especially if social obligations require a later bedtime.

Potential Solutions:

The goal of treatment is to safely adjust the body clock to better align with a conventional schedule. This is primarily achieved with carefully timed light exposure. Using a bright light therapy box for one to two hours in the early evening can help push bedtime later. Conversely, it's important to avoid bright light in the very early morning (for instance, by keeping the room dark) to prevent the body from reinforcing its early wake-up time. Behavioral strategies, such as progressively delaying bedtime by 15 minutes each night, can also be attempted.

When to see a specialist?:

Most people with ASPS seek treatment only when it significantly interferes with their family or social life, preventing them from participating in evening activities. If the early evening sleepiness or the very early awakenings cause you distress or social impairment, a sleep specialist can create a structured light therapy plan and help you manage your schedule.