Causes, help-seeking and treatment approaches in DSWPD
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Causes, help-seeking and treatment approaches in Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder and Non-24-hour Sleep Wake Rhythm Disorder: a qualitative study.
IRAS ID
356652
Contact name
Nicholas Meyer
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of West London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 30 days
Research summary
Between 3.3 - 7.3% of adolescents and young adults have a diagnosis of delayed sleep-wake phase disorder (DSWPD). Individuals struggle to fall asleep at a socially conventional time, spending much of the night awake. They may eventually fall asleep in the early hours of the morning, but then experience profound difficulty with waking up in time for school, work or social commitments, and often sleep into the afternoon. Sleepiness, fatigue, mood and cognitive difficulties typically result, leading to absenteeism and social, educational and occupational dysfunction. A related condition, non-24-hour sleep wake rhythm disorder (N24SWD), is characterised by sleep-wake timing that progressively delays over successive days. It is considered by some to be an extreme form of DSWPD.
Current treatments for DSWPD and N24SWD are limited in their effectiveness. Patients may be able to improve their sleep timing for a few days to weeks, but often find it challenging to maintain these gains.
A key reason for this is a limited understanding of the causes of DSWPD and N24SWD, which are likely to result from a complex blend of biological, psychological and behavioural factors. As such, an improved understanding of the individual experiences of living with these disorders will be valuable in reducing this knowledge gap.
This qualitative study will use guided focus groups in convenience sampled adults who are under the care of a specialist behavioural sleep medicine service with a diagnosis of DSWPD or N24SWD, to explore: 1) reasons for help-seeking; 2) coping strategies; 3) challenges in maintaining improvements; 4) perspectives on causes, including the influence of psychiatric and medical co-morbidities , and 5) views on future directions for potential interventions and research.
Findings will be used to guide the development of future interventions for DSWPD and N24SWD, both within this research group and further afield.
REC name
South West - Frenchay Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/SW/0049
Date of REC Opinion
27 Apr 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion