Addressing Asperger’s Sleep Issues

Thank you for compiling these strategies. I too go through periods of sleep trouble. I don’t necessarily struggle getting off to sleep like some people do, I wake up from 2am onwards with whizzing thoughts and problem solving. I need to be stricter with myself about ‘me’ time and relaxation in think after reading your blog!

Working through the same issue: I’d been at least mildly depressed for at least several years – untreated – but I’m past that now only to find anxiety is the big issue and then insomnia. I’ve had these problems forever and didn’t know until after I was diagnosed aged 48. My problem anxiety is caused simply by being around people. This is because I have so little comprehension of what is going on with other people, and the huge insecurity that that causes.

I’m trying to use amongst other strategies, self hypnosis methods (I’m largely influenced by Jack Gibson’s book Relax and Live! in this, and also because I used hypnotherapy on other occasions such as successfully giving up smoking). I first tried to learn how to relax (that’s working well), then created a recording in hypno-language to try to nudge myself into better attitude and values regarding being around people while relaxing, which seems to help. It was at that point I realized that I’ve been adopting habits and behaviors to manage my anxiety problems, such as cruising the web, drinking, procrastinating and things like this. These work, but at a cost, and now that I know this, I’ve become determined to change them into habits, behaviors and attitudes and values that serve me better.

If for example I don’t drink a could of beers before I go to bed, the anxiety becomes severe, and I don’t sleep (and they are horrible, never ending nights). If I’ve been around people that day, it’s so much worse. But I’m beginning to get results with getting past those anxieties.

I’m hoping that creating a hypnosis recording to induce relaxation, nudge – by suggestion – my values and behaviors away from the useless and destructive ones, and toward better, more supportive ones (my conscious mind – after research, study and contemplation – completely and absolutely accepts that these changes would really help, if my subconscious accepts these, my behavior will change, and I’ll be sorted) and embedding in my mind a mantra that will ultimately bring on sleep will help.

This idea of embedding a mental trigger to induce sleep comes form a friend of mine who may or may not be on the spectrum. He says that he started using a mantra which he always recites to himself every single time he goes to sleep, that it has become completely effective and he could sleep anywhere at the drop of a hat. Jack Gibson also says that it is well worth developing such a mantra and suggests on the in breath “I will sleep” on on the out breath “I must sleep” – that after while, you’ll be asleep in no time every time you use this key.

If this works for me, I’ll be past a lot of my Aspie caused problems, and I don’t see why I shouldn’t be successful in this. I’ve been for months now listening to the Goldberg Variations as I go to bed – it helps, but not enough. I’m hoping for better results.

Avoid hot yoga if you take some psychiatric Medecine that you must avoid heat or even do exercise outdoors or make you sweat…olanzapine is one of them.

Not to gloat, but sleep is one issue I am blessed not to struggle with. I asked my mother about this after I was diagnosed with Asperger’s when I was 19. She said that I was so anxious all the time that my brain was exhausted and simply turned off at night. I do take Melatonin with L-Theanine and that helps me to get to sleep. Your blog is very informative. I don’t drink any caffeine as it makes me feel off the wall anxious. The only sleep related issue I have had is falling asleep when in a strange environment such as another person’s home or a hospital.

Hi there,
I have almost always had trouble sleeping and only this year did I connect it with Aspergers. Partly because I was only diagnosed at the start of this year, although I had suspected for well over 10 years that I was on the spectrum.
Armed with my recent diagnosis I went to my Dr and explained my sleep issues and asked about Melatonin. Her in the UK it is only available on prescription and then it’s only licensed for old folks with chronic insomnia and only 3 weeks of pills! Go figure. Anyway, by Dr was OK with prescribing it for me ‘off license’ and initial results were nothing short of miraculous. Due to this success the prescription is available to me on a repeat basis and Dr is happy for me to use daily ( nightly 😉 ). However, in the last month or two it doesn’t seem to affect me any more! Whereas I used to feel sleep within 30mins of taking it I now can’t tell I have had it. It’s odd and I’m going to talk to my Dr again soon.
I have been meditating for about 21months now, I can heartedly recommend it for general benefits. It usually could help me get to sleep if I did it when in bed. It’s also a good way to start the day. When you first get up, sit and meditate for 10mins 🙂

I think all the advice in this article is very relevant; so thanks for collating it 🙂

Kind regards,
Daniel

Some people think that ASD is a genetic predisposition – a mutation that suggests evolution is a falicy. A scholarly paper was published to say – ongstany other things – that the wooden thinking that comes with ASD makes it difficult to believe in God…it was retracted because it caused an uproar…I wonder if a well focussed aspie would consider if these theories are true?

Weird despise i have all those problems issues and has Asperger my major problem is stress.
I sleep hours and hours but i can’t get a repair good rest xD

Very nice article. I use melatonin every night and it really helps a lot.
It takes me a while to fall asleep , but once I do, I’m out. Nothing wakes me up, even by morning time it’s very hard to wake up. Anyone else experience this?

I’ve done plenty of research things to help falling asleep, and these are some good suggestions.
I would be careful about taking melatonin and any herbal supplement on a regular basis. Oregano and Chamomile tea both help you fall asleep, as do kiwifruit and walnuts, without risking being addictive. (as in, making it harder to fall asleep without them)
If you’re not on any sort of sleeping tablets, valerian and/or skullcap based tea can also help, but be aware that these can become habit-forming.
I didn’t know about the connection between tech and dopamine, but anything with a screen also has higher amounts of blue light, which stimulates cortisol production – that’s the opposite of melatonin, increases in the morning and decreases in the eve – and there are apps available to cut out the blue light (although these won’t work on all screens) (also most social networking sites are quite blue and white, which increases the blue light you pick up as well)
And caffeine can stay in your system for 10-12 hours, so if you MUST have caffeine, only have it in the morning when you wake up.
And avoid sugar before bed too. Salt stimulates the adrenal glands, too.
Just if anyone finds that infodump helpful at all.
(also if you wake up during the night, it can be because your body complex is a little low on energy, so having a bit of honey before bed can help with that.)

I find that sleep patterns can vary quite wildly. As an Autistic Woman I think that I am out of sync with my own body clock. It is as if the mind has its own time zone. I don’t, as far as I am aware get more moody on a monthy basis; but there is a pattern of sleep versus wakefulness that cycles round in roughly 3 to 4 monthly repeated extremes of needing excessive sleep to needing very little. I agree about the caffeine intake, it is best avoided. I think it affects mood and levels of irritability, which in turn affect quality of sleep. I find it useful to think about something that makes me happy when trying to relax. The use of technology as a gateway to news reports interfers with relaxation. Sometimes retreat to ones own world is the best way to get better rest; even when sleep is elusive.

I cant stop computer/tv use before bed…slows my mind… need it. If I’m going through a patch of poor sleep I use blue blockers.( Yellow lense sun glasses worn for 2 hours before planned bedtime)This is blue light therapy. With the absence of blue light my body produces melatonin. Anyone who has chickens will automatically be across this concept. They go to roost with reduction in daylight. Its only the last couple of hundred years in our evolution we have had the option of artificial daylight after the sun goes down.
works a treat!
If I wake and get up during the night…before switching on any lights (destroys melatonin) I pop on the glasses so increasing my options of falling asleep again.
4 pm and 4 am are when the sleep and waking hormones begin to stir. I have great respect for my circadian rhythm…. optimize my chances of having a refreshing sleep.