Medical approaches to treating sleep problems caused by disrupted body clocks

Circadian rhythm sleep disorders may result from misalignment between sleep timing and the 24-hour environment.

• These disorders can cause insomnia and excessive sleepiness.
• Maladaptive behaviors are often significant contributors to these sleep disorders.
• Common types include delayed sleep phase disorder, advanced sleep phase disorder, and shift work sleep disorder.
• Diagnostic tools like sleep diaries and wrist activity monitoring can help confirm these conditions.
• Management typically requires a multimodal approach, including sleep hygiene education and light exposure strategies.
• Melatonin is often considered, but it is not FDA-approved for treating these disorders.

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