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Autistics & Sleep: night-time wind down

EmilyW

Do any other autistics out there struggle to wind down for bed?

I love sleeping, I sleep well and often nap during the day, but something always seems to stop me at night. I find myself lying in bed for hours on my phone or procrastinating in some other way, and can’t break out of this stage. It always happens before I use the bathroom, and I hate brushing my teeth (though no idea why!) so maybe this is a factor? 

Maybe it’s something to do with autistic inertia? Does anyone else experience this? How do you combat it?

Thanks!

Parents

  • I agree with others. I have phases when I struggle to get to sleep. If I think about it, even worse. I can nearly drop off and wake myself before I drop off. Small sudden noises disturb me but sometimes it helps to have slow music on almost too quiet to hear. 

    Sometimes my mind goes through everything that happened during the day and more and sometimes I don't know why I don't drop off. Sometimes I get up and write things down for the morning, that can help.

    I used to sleep well if I had been late getting off the night before but not always now. 

    I try to walk most days and sometimes if I haven't been far I think that affects getting to sleep.

    It helps to watch something funny before bedtime as I have good thoughts in my mind.

    If I drop off even briefly before I go to bed I struggle to drop off when I get to bed.

    Unless very cold or windy I have a window open as being too warm disturbs my sleep.

    I also try to get up around the same time, so weekends if I have much more than an extra half hour in bed in the morning I'm not tired at night, especially not good on  a Sunday night before work.

Reply

  • I agree with others. I have phases when I struggle to get to sleep. If I think about it, even worse. I can nearly drop off and wake myself before I drop off. Small sudden noises disturb me but sometimes it helps to have slow music on almost too quiet to hear. 

    Sometimes my mind goes through everything that happened during the day and more and sometimes I don't know why I don't drop off. Sometimes I get up and write things down for the morning, that can help.

    I used to sleep well if I had been late getting off the night before but not always now. 

    I try to walk most days and sometimes if I haven't been far I think that affects getting to sleep.

    It helps to watch something funny before bedtime as I have good thoughts in my mind.

    If I drop off even briefly before I go to bed I struggle to drop off when I get to bed.

    Unless very cold or windy I have a window open as being too warm disturbs my sleep.

    I also try to get up around the same time, so weekends if I have much more than an extra half hour in bed in the morning I'm not tired at night, especially not good on  a Sunday night before work.

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