ASD and sleep quality - anyone tried this?

Hello, 

My mind bings 100% awake after four-ish hours asleep and then if I'm lucky I can get a few more 30min chunks of sleep before I get up.

When it awakes, I am not worried and not mulling anything, just 100% daytime awake. I make myself stay put, and I do listen to audio books (drony male British voices reading boring literature/novels works well).

A few months ago, I started taking 2.5 mg Melatonin near bedtime to speed up falling asleep process, which works great.

Recently I added 50mg L-theanine to calm my thinker because as soon as it wakes up at 2:30am-ish, it continues full-bore processing complex stuff it was working on all day, The L-theanine is working to focus and calm the "analyzer" bit so that I can direct my mind to activities that are more sleep inviting. Like visualizing various textures (for some reason).

Anyone else tried this combination, and experienced side effects from either/both? 

PS. I did try 5-HTP very briefly but it made me really agitated and fragile the next day (unlike most people's success with it), which of course isn't fair to others around me :)

Parents
  • I haven't tried either of these methods but I might do now. Thanks 

  • Hope it works. Am late-diagnosed too ( just read your profile). Am just starting to take care of things that I've lumped as unsolvable through the years. Like sleep disruption, and sound sensitivity.

  • Ditto, it's a bit of a slow process (by my estimation anyway, of wanting everything NOW! lol) but at the same time, it's so empowering. Now I'm finding out what's really going on, I don't see things as problems anymore, but rather things that I can find ways around so they don't cause a problem for me. I think I kind of like it, in a way, because I like solving problems, and I'd rather put my energy into making life better or easier or whatever, than trying to 'fit in' (which never really worked) or trying to hide or compensate for my differences. In just over 2 weeks since getting my diagnosis, I've got so much support and already my sleeping pattern is moving towards what I want. I have used sleeping tablets, but only once so far, and now I've got your info, I can try these, less addictive and less harmful methods. Actually, I've just realised after writing this, that it is only a little over 2 weeks since I got my diagnosis, so jeez, if I can do all that I've done in 2 weeks, look out world, I'm coming at ya! Lol! I'm also saving up for some Bose noise cancelling head phones and looking forward to life with less noise. Getting back into exercise is a slow process, I've been attempting it for a while now and even though it's slow, I am making progress and now I'm thinking, if I exercise once in two weeks, it's more than I've done in the last 12 months, so I've switched my thinking to focus on what I am doing rather than what I haven't done and even though I still have a tiny little inner battle with this thought process sometimes, again, it's really empowering to see that whatever I do in the direction of getting my health and strength etc back, is worth celebrating and of course, regular daily exercise helps with my sleep patterns etc. I'm learning so much, I'll maybe write some little posts on here about what I've learned and how I'm managing because it could help someone else. I'm actually blown away by how much I'm learning. I didn't think the actual diagnosis would make that much of an impact, as I've known myself since May last year, that I'm autistic, but I'm actually blown away by what's happened since the formal diagnosis. And today, I'm going to my first ever art class!!!! I've been drawing/doodling for years and thought of art classes as something I would do 'one day' but my friend, who is also autistic, remembered I like to draw and sent me a link of an art group, in a ladies house near me! Bingo, it'l be nice and quite, it's within walking distance of my house and my friend knows the lady and says she's lovely. Can I afford it - no! Am I gonna do it anyway - you bet! It's gonna have so many benefits, not to mention, move my doodles, to another level. 

    Sorry, got carried away! I'm just so enthralled and excited and grateful to be in communication with other people like me and despite me thinking, this is a slow process, just by writing this, I can see that I've made a lot of progress in a short amount of space. I did start getting some energy back before I got the diagnosis because I realised, even with a diagnosis, I still had to get myself out of this burnout so I've been trying really hard but yeah, just being here in this group is helping so so much. Thank you for sharing what's working for you, I'll let you know how I get on. Did you get the melatonin and the other stuff from the gp? 

Reply
  • Ditto, it's a bit of a slow process (by my estimation anyway, of wanting everything NOW! lol) but at the same time, it's so empowering. Now I'm finding out what's really going on, I don't see things as problems anymore, but rather things that I can find ways around so they don't cause a problem for me. I think I kind of like it, in a way, because I like solving problems, and I'd rather put my energy into making life better or easier or whatever, than trying to 'fit in' (which never really worked) or trying to hide or compensate for my differences. In just over 2 weeks since getting my diagnosis, I've got so much support and already my sleeping pattern is moving towards what I want. I have used sleeping tablets, but only once so far, and now I've got your info, I can try these, less addictive and less harmful methods. Actually, I've just realised after writing this, that it is only a little over 2 weeks since I got my diagnosis, so jeez, if I can do all that I've done in 2 weeks, look out world, I'm coming at ya! Lol! I'm also saving up for some Bose noise cancelling head phones and looking forward to life with less noise. Getting back into exercise is a slow process, I've been attempting it for a while now and even though it's slow, I am making progress and now I'm thinking, if I exercise once in two weeks, it's more than I've done in the last 12 months, so I've switched my thinking to focus on what I am doing rather than what I haven't done and even though I still have a tiny little inner battle with this thought process sometimes, again, it's really empowering to see that whatever I do in the direction of getting my health and strength etc back, is worth celebrating and of course, regular daily exercise helps with my sleep patterns etc. I'm learning so much, I'll maybe write some little posts on here about what I've learned and how I'm managing because it could help someone else. I'm actually blown away by how much I'm learning. I didn't think the actual diagnosis would make that much of an impact, as I've known myself since May last year, that I'm autistic, but I'm actually blown away by what's happened since the formal diagnosis. And today, I'm going to my first ever art class!!!! I've been drawing/doodling for years and thought of art classes as something I would do 'one day' but my friend, who is also autistic, remembered I like to draw and sent me a link of an art group, in a ladies house near me! Bingo, it'l be nice and quite, it's within walking distance of my house and my friend knows the lady and says she's lovely. Can I afford it - no! Am I gonna do it anyway - you bet! It's gonna have so many benefits, not to mention, move my doodles, to another level. 

    Sorry, got carried away! I'm just so enthralled and excited and grateful to be in communication with other people like me and despite me thinking, this is a slow process, just by writing this, I can see that I've made a lot of progress in a short amount of space. I did start getting some energy back before I got the diagnosis because I realised, even with a diagnosis, I still had to get myself out of this burnout so I've been trying really hard but yeah, just being here in this group is helping so so much. Thank you for sharing what's working for you, I'll let you know how I get on. Did you get the melatonin and the other stuff from the gp? 

Children
  • https://shttp://www.adhdqld.com/6-essential-often-overlooked-supplements-adhd/

    pectrumnews.org/news/melatonin-gains-momentum-sleep-aid-people-autism/?utm_source=Copy+of+Spectrum+News+%28Daily+Report%29&utm_campaign=2ccfa63121-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_11_10&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5d6f652fd5-2ccfa63121-168431521 This is recent research on melatonin

    The first article could just as easily be applied to adults and might be helpful. When I did buy magnesium I got it from the local health store but you would be able to find it online too. Magnesium also said to help reduce pain as well. Like both of you Ihave sleep issues but for several different reasons. I’m glad you are both benefiting from the forum helpful and finding ways to adapt your lives. Lovely to see you being proactive as a result of your new found information and diagnosis. 

  • Oh, and no my GP didn't. Actually I haven't told my GP or anyone except 5 people so far.

    Melatonin can be bought very cheaply (generic). Theanine is harder to find - it's usually in some sleep remedy that is sold in health stores, sometimes in pharmacies. You have to actually read the label to see if it's listed - it doesn't usually say it on the front. It's often paired with melatonin so make sure you don't overdo. I don't think we need more than 1-3mg max of melatonin, and it seems to work up to 6 hrs for me if i take it before bed.  I shouldn't recommend anything on here tho - I'm sure they don't want that. I'm just saying what I do, what works or not for me (5HTP was a disaster lol).

  • You have a nice positive outlook, Misfit. I feel similarly, actually. It's been a relief, and is rapidly becoming my new odd topic to research to death - always have ONE on the go, and now I understand that it is likely related to the ASD itself. Slight smile

    It's like I've turned the turret of my researching brain inward in some way.

    If you're like me, you might also be refactoring a whole lot of the events and circumstances of the past, seeing it all through a different lens. It's been helpful for me to do that anyway.

    Diagnosis of APD was recently added - I find that one a bit more frustrating as it's to a degree that isn't treatable.

    Hope you find a good outlet in art!  Mine is wilderness. I can release all verbal and bask in sensory overload of the good kind. This planet is thrumming with countless miracles to see, hear, smell, feel.  Content-less exploration!