What is the Difference Between ASPD and DSPD

The key difference between ASPD and DSPD is that ASPD is a circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorder that has an internal body clock that runs earlier, while DSPD is a circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorder that has an internal body clock that runs later.

Advanced sleep phase disorder (ASPD) and delayed sleep phase disorder (DSPD) are two different circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders. They are caused by desynchronization between internal sleep-wake rhythms and the light-darkness cycle. However, they have symptoms that are on opposite sides of the spectrum.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is ASPD 
3. What is DSPD
4. Similarities – ASPD and DSPD
5. ASPD vs. DSPD in Tabular Form
6. Summary – ASPD vs. DSPD

What is ASPD?

ASPD (Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder) is a circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorder characterized by having an early bird circadian clock. People with ASPD tend to go to bed several hours before their usual bedtime, resulting in them waking up several hours earlier than normal people in the morning. People with ASPD generally feel sleepy in the late afternoon. Therefore, their bedtime tends to be between 6 pm and 9 pm. They also tend to wake up between 2 am and 5 am. Moreover, someone with ASPD may have symptoms such as falling asleep in the late afternoon or early evening and waking up too early in the morning, feeling very sleepy in the late afternoon and very alert in the early hours of the morning, and awakening and falling asleep before they would like. Another sleep disorder, an underlying medical condition, some medicine use, a mental health disorder, and substance use can cause ASPD. The risk factors for this condition include older adults and seniors, genetic links in younger patients, environmental factors, and social or work pressure.

ASPD can be diagnosed through family history, maintaining a sleep diary for weeks, sleep study, and using an actigraph at home. Furthermore, ASPD can be treated through education, behavioural counselling, and bright light therapy.

What is DSPD?

DSPD (Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder) is a circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorder characterized by having a late bird circadian clock. This means most people with DSPD begin to feel sleepy between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. and wake up in the late morning or afternoon. Moreover, the symptoms of DSPD may include the absence of sleepiness at normal bedtime, inability to fall asleep at normal bedtime, difficulty waking up at normal times in the morning, and excessive sleepiness during the daytime. The common causes of DSPD include irregular sleep schedule or routine, being confined to bed for an extended period of time, lack of exposure to light properly, jet lag (temporary sleep problem), and damage to the brain (from injury, stroke, or degenerative disease). The risk factors for DSPD include genetic preference, environmental factors, social responsibilities, and psychological or mental disorders.

DSPD is diagnosed through medical history, maintaining a sleep log, actigraphy, and polysomnogram. Furthermore, the treatment options for DSPD may include advancing the internal clock (each night go to bed about 15 minutes earlier), delaying the internal clock (involves delaying the bedtime 1 to 2.5 hours every six days), bright light therapy, melatonin supplements, improving sleep hygiene such as avoiding electronics at bedtime, avoiding caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, and vigorous exercise.

What are the Similarities Between ASPD and DSPD?

• ASPD and DSPD are two different circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders.
• Genetic links, environmental factors, social issues, and existing mental disorders can cause both conditions.
• Both conditions can be diagnosed through sleep logs and
• They are mainly treated through good sleep hygiene and bright light therapy.

What is the Difference Between ASPD and DSPD?

ASPD is a circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorder that has an internal body clock that runs earlier, while DSPD is a circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorder that has an internal body clock that runs later. Thus, this is the key difference between ASPD and DSPD. Furthermore, the risk factors for ASPD include older adults and seniors, genetic links in younger patients, environmental factors, and social or work pressure. On the other hand, the risk factors for DSPD include genetic preference, environmental factors, social responsibilities, and psychological or mental disorders.

The infographic below presents the differences between ASPD and DSPD in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – ASPD vs. DSPD

Circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders arise when the body’s internal clock, which regulates sleep and wake times, becomes misaligned with the external environment. ASPD and DSPD are two different circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders with symptoms on opposite sides of the spectrum. ASPD is a condition where people have an internal body clock that runs earlier, while DSPD is a condition where people have an internal body clock that runs later. So, this summarizes the difference between ASPD and DSPD.

Reference:

1. “Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder – An Overview.” ScienceDirect.
2.“Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS).” Stanford Health Care (SHC) – Stanford Medical Center.

Image Courtesy:

1. “CRSD Types” By Myaharris98 – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “DSPS biorhythm” By Waka Maka Faka – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia