Nerds sind doch irgendwie krank, oder? Das zumindest ist die einhellige Auffassung von einem unscharf abgegrenzten Personenkreis, von dem ich mich gerne abgrenzen möchte.
Meist wird das berühmt-berüchtigte Asperger-Syndrom mit dem Nerdtum verknüpft – so eine Art Autismus light, der unter anderem mit albernen Fragebögen („I am fascinated by numbers.“) diagnostiziert werden soll.
Ein weiterer heißer Kandidat ist wohl das DSPS – das Delayed sleep phase syndrome:
Delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS), also called phase lag syndrome, is a circadian rhythm sleep disorder. However, unlike jet lag and the effects of shift work, delayed sleep phase syndrome is a persistent condition. In clinical settings, it is one of the most common complications of sleep-wake patterns.
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Patients typically are unable to fall asleep before 2 a.m. and have extreme difficulty waking early (e.g., by 7 a.m.). People with DSPS are sometimes called „night owls“ or are described as „not being morning people.“ If they are able to sleep a full 7 to 8 hours (e.g., until 10 a.m.), they feel rested and function normally. Unfortunately, this is usually not the case.
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Incidence of delayed sleep phase syndrome is unknown. In a recent study involving 5,000 participants, DSPS accounted for about 40% of disorders involving sleep-wake schedules. DSPS may surface in childhood and it occurs most often in young men. It is estimated that the disorder affects approximately 7% of teenagers.