Published on 12, July, 2020
I’m currently struggling with my sleep. My sleep pattern is strange. I’ll get to sleep at around 10.30pm then I’ll wake around 2am then about an hour later get back to sleep until 6am.
The problem is that I feel tired during the afternoon, since I’ve been off work I’ve been sleeping in the afternoons. It just feels I’m always wanting to sleep.
Is this normal.
I struggle to fall asleep at night.
Once I am asleep, I dream/remember dreaming a lot.
I tend to wake in the very early hours and be very wake but often if I stay in bed and listen to an audiobook then after an hour or so I'll fall back asleep again.
I wear a Fitbit... I have no idea how accurate they are but I like data... It suggests that I struggle to sleep deeply... This seems reasonable based on my own experience and what others have told me when I've shared a room for the night...
I too often need an afternoon nap. I find it helps me function better in the evenings when I have activities I attend.
Napping helps my mental well-being too. I generally feel better able to cope and calmer after a nap.
A psychologist suggested to me that you should nap before 3pm if you need to to avoid affecting your nighttime sleep.
Sometimes I need lots of sleep and sometimes I need much much less.
I think sleep problems are thought to be common amongst autistic individuals. I've recently heard of some new research regarding this very topic.