Published on 12, July, 2020
Any tips for overcoming insomnia as an autistic person? I've had it for over a year now and I'd say it affects my life quite a bit. At the moment I have around 4 hours of sleep per night even though I spend 9 hours or so in bed. I tried CBT for insomnia a few months ago and every time I try and implement all the techniques, my anxiety levels raise as I become a bit obsessed with sticking to the exact sleep and wake time that I have set for myself. I then end up basing my self worth on if I achieve the set bedtime/ follow my exact bedtime routine. If I don't follow it exactly or go to bed/ wake up at the prescribed times, I end up feeling anxious as hell and like a failure. I also prevent myself from napping during the day (because that's what the CBT-I tells me to do) but I am currently severely burnt out so i don't know if this is the right thing to do...
Any other techniques for dealing with insomnia anyone has found? Feeling a bit stuck.
I know sleep hygiene recommends no naps, but other sources say actually naps are good for you! Sadly I find it very hard to nap unless I am really tired as transitions are too hard for me and it can take me 3 hours to have a 20 minute nap. But they do help many people.
There is also the theory that suggests it is good to have sleep in two or more phases, so a few hours then get up and do stuff for a few hours then have more sleep later.