Hello doctor, I am 18 years old. I use to sleep very much about 11-13 hours a day. I sleep late at night and wake up very late. This is creating a great hamper in my study as well as my daily life. Now, what can I do in order to get rid of this devastating problem?
Hello. What you are describing is a common sleep disorder known as delayed sleep phase syndrome. It is a disorder of the body clock. This clock is tuned by bright light and blue light. Chronotherapy: Sleep in a room where the sunlight will bathe your eyes in morning, even during sleep. Once awake, spend your first hour in the sun, either having tea, or reading newspaper or jogging. In short, increase the exposure to sunlight in the morning, both when you are asleep as well as awake. Do not sleep in the day at any cost. At night time, reduce your exposure to blue light emitted by TV screens, laptop, phones, etc., by 1) Minimize the usage at night. 2) Install blue light filter or flux applications in your devices. You can also use amber-colored goggles when watching TV or using a laptop, etc. 3) Have curd or a diary product at night. 4) Go to bed at the intended time, make your room completely dark, do not use the night lamp even. Use a band to cover your eyes when on the bed. Do not use your phone while on the bed. If these measures are not helpful, take Melatonin supplements like tablet Meloset 3 mg one hour before the intended time to sleep and hit the bed at the intended time to sleep. Another option if you are fine with taking medicines, is tablet Agomelatine. It makes falling asleep easy and makes you awake and alert in the day. It also has mood-enhancing property. These measures will reset your body clock and solve your sleep issue. I hope this helps.