Category Archives: Coping Techniques

HB 363 in Texas – Establishing a Task Force to Study the Effect of Delayed School Start Times

April 18, 2023
HB 363 in Texas – Establishing a Task Force to Study the Effect of Delayed School Start Times
EXCITING NEWS - there is NEW legislation regarding starting school later in Texas!  H.B. 363 would establish a task force to study the effect of delayed school start times on students. Start School Later Texas collaborated with Representative Donna Howard regarding the bill in 2021 and were delighted when she filed the bill again in 2023. Here it is in its entirety: 88R2181 JTZ-D By: Howard H.B. No. 363 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN…
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My Interview on Vice News

January 15, 2022
My Interview on Vice News
In March, I was interviewed on Vice News about my experience with Daylight Saving Time. Most people find it difficult to lose an hour of sleep when the clocks shift ahead every spring. But for extreme night owls like myself, it's one of the worst days of the year. You can watch the segment here. I'm encouraged by the 400+ comments - many wrote that they didn't know that Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder was a real…
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Part 2 – My Patient Story on SRBR.org

March 1, 2021
Part 2 – My Patient Story on SRBR.org
This patient story was originally posted on Society for Research on Biological Rhythms (SRBR) Night owls have organized and our ranks are growing. Groups like the Circadian Sleep Disorders Network and B-Society are advocating for people with late chronotypes – building awareness of flexible work and school schedules, reducing stigma, and increasing federal funding for sleep research. Late chronotypes (“night owls”) are awake when most people are sleeping for different reasons. Some have a preference or habit for staying up late,…
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Treatments for Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder

July 25, 2017
Treatments for Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder
Here’s a partial list of the “treatments” I’ve tried so far: Light Therapy: Bright light therapy (10,000 lux light box, Feel Bright Light visor, Golite Blue Energy Light, etc.) in the morning. Light restriction (a.k.a. darkness therapy) via blue-light blocking glasses, black out curtains, f.lux on various screens. Using dim red-filtered light to avoid polychromatic and blue light in the evening. “Natural” Remedies: Valerian, passionflower extract, milky oats, catnip, skull cap, hops, teas, strong chamomile tea, natural GABA…
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Blame Your Parents – It’s Your Genes

July 1, 2017
Blame Your Parents – It’s Your Genes
Evidence continues to mount that certain types of sleep behaviors are governed by our genes. Some of the genes implicated in circadian rhythm sleep disorders are Period (PER1, PER2 and PER3) genes. For those who suffer from Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome, one of the culprits is a mutation (or 'variation') of the PER3 gene. This research is not new - here's an excerpt from a study in a 2003 issue of Sleep magazine: "The Per3 polymorphism correlated significantly with extreme diurnal preference, the longer…
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