As the circadian rhythm of a person moves further and further forward as he grows older, the older a person becomes, the earlier he goes to bed in the evening. Duration of sleep is still approximately 8 hours and therefore, if you fall asleep at 19-20 hours, then by 3-4 o’clock in the morning a person will wake up. This phenomenon is called advanced sleep phase syndrome . The circadian rhythm of such people is shifted to the early evening. Going to bed early for “the larks” is normal, and for people suffering from insomnia with an advanced phase of sleep , it’s hard. They complain that they wake up “neither light, nor dawn” or in the middle of the night, and attempts to fall asleep again lead to nothing. Especially often we see such insomnia in the elderly and old people. Young family members often notice how grandparents wake up at 2-4 in the morning and cannot fall asleep. They walk around the apartment, do something, stop others from sleeping and provoke their discontent. During the day, people suffering from the advanced phase of sleep experience insurmountable drowsiness and, therefore, always “sleep” after dinner.
In the treatment of advanced sleep phase syndrome, you can apply a bright light. Light exposure should be carried out in the evening, which will lead to a lag of the rhythm due to lengthening the daylight hours, and sleep will come at a later time of day.
The method of treatment of the syndromes of light ahead and delayed sleep phases is adequate and corresponds to the mechanism of insomnia caused by desynchronization. It must be combined with sleep hygiene and, if necessary, take sleeping pills, prescribed by a doctor. Medications will be different depending on the diagnosis of insomnia caused by disruption of the circadian rhythm.