Autism & Sleep Struggles
7 How-To Strategies for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep
The sad truth is that getting a good night’s sleep is a very common struggle for autistic children and adults.
Unfortunately, lack of sleep can result in frustration and anxiety about not being able to sleep, making it even more difficult to sleep! It can also make it difficult to function during the day, and any challenges you have can be made more difficult.
For example, if you have difficulty focusing, not getting enough sleep can make it even harder to focus. If you have periods of depression, it can become more severe due to a lack of sleep.
Some of the sleep struggles include:
• Not falling asleep
• Racing thoughts
• Waking during the night or early in the morning
• Once awake, not falling back to sleep
• Restless sleep, tossing and turning
And more common in children:
• Night terrors of screaming and crying in a panic, but never actually waking up
• Not able to sleep alone and needing physical contact with a loved one – sometimes just to fall asleep and sometimes throughout the night
There are disruptions in sleeping patterns that can come and go in cycles and last for days or weeks.
Teens and adults that have access to technology in the evening and nighttime often find it extremely difficult to turn it off to go to sleep. They often end up staying awake half or most of the night and then sleeping until the afternoon.
Some studies indicate that autistic individuals spend less of their sleep in the REM (rapid eye movement) stage, which is important for learning and memory. And there may be a genetic predisposition to a disrupted sleep-wake struggle.
This means that extra focus and effort is needed to improve your sleep.
Many autistic people often have additional disorders or conditions such as gastrointestinal problems, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and/or depression that can contribute to insomnia.
Some autistic people seem to function fairly well with less sleep, while others tend to have more problems during the day that includes increased sensory sensitivity, irritability, stimming, depression, social anxiety and more.
There are a lot of factors that affect sleep, and it can feel overwhelming. But it’s well worth trying different strategies to find what works best for you. Even if you tried something in the past, it’s worth trying again. We are ever changing, and it just may help this time.
Improving your sleep could mean making one change or a combination. Even having overall success does not mean you won’t have any more sleepless nights. Especially when your stressed, ate too much junk food, or going through life transitions, some sleeplessness can be inevitable.
How to Improve Your Sleep
1. Accept That You Have Insomnia – It’s very important to start this process by accepting that you have a problem sleeping. The more you stress and worry about not sleeping, the more likely you are to have more difficulty sleeping.
When going to bed you may think, “oh no – another sleepless night!” This is very understandable. But acceptance is key! A relaxed mindset, not stressful thoughts, is going to help you sleep.
Learn to accept that this is what it is for now. You’ve lived with being sleep deprived, and it will last a little longer. Just breathe and have hope that it’ll get better. It’s going to be a matter of finding what works for you.
2. Figure Out What Calms Your Mind – Have a plan of what to do when you can’t sleep. Find activities that do not stimulate your brain. Don’t play video games or watch an action movie. When you are lying in bed wide awake, take breaks and get up. Here are some ideas of things to do:
• Listen to calming music
• Read or listen to a book
• Listen to sleep stories (look for apps with stories that appeal to you)
• Have a light snack. Look into what food and drinks are helpful for sleep and what to avoid. https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/nutrition/eats-to-help-you-sleep
• Listen to calming music
• Light stretching or yoga
• Listen to a relaxation or meditation recording (there are a lot of apps – find what appeals to you)
• Draw
• Journal
• Watch a low-key show or movie
• Reduce the effect of blue light coming from screens by using a filter or special computer glasses. https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/blue-light-reduce-effects
3. See Your Doctor – Consult with your doctor to assess your overall health and discuss your sleep challenges. Ask about taking Melatonin (a hormone that the body produces naturally), that may help you fall asleep. You can buy it over the counter, but make sure it’s a quality brand. It’s best to check with your doctor.
4. Have a Routine – Establish an evening routine. This can be a difficult task for many autistic individuals, as it involves the challenge of transitions and self-starting. Wind down and get off technology 1 to 3 hours before its time to sleep, so you reduce over stimulating your brain. Set a routine where you do the same steps of getting ready and going to bed every night, at the same time. Consider asking someone help you stick to the routine with reminders and encouragement.
5. Music Helps the Brain – Music and consistent rhythm can be calming to the brain. Try finding music that you find soothing and play it every night as you go to bed.
6. Change Your Diet – What you eat can significantly affect your sleep. If you’re up to it, make changes in your diet to eliminate what is not good for you including sugar, high fat, fast foods, and process foods that include additives, dyes, etc. More toward organic, fresh foods. But I know that’s a lot if you’re not used to it.
So, if changing your whole diet is overwhelming, the best thing you can do right now is stop eating sugar. It is one of the worst culprits that can cause insomnia. Start with decreasing sugar and eventually eliminate it. If you crave sweets, try naturally sweetened treats. Your taste buds will get used to that change and it really doesn’t take that long.
Making these changes does take some structure and will power. Reach out and get support. It’s okay to ask!
7. Schedule Calming Strategies – Throughout the day, find and use strategies that calm you. These can be sensory calming strategies that are individual for you. Put them into your schedule so they become routine.
Here are some ideas:
• Wear a weighted vest
• Stimming activities such as pacing, rocking, jumping or fidgets
• Get moving by exercising, walking, swimming, dancing
• Spend time in nature
• Ask for emotional support
• Listen to music
• Meditate
• Journal or draw
• Reach out to a trusted friend or family member when you need it, especially if you feel overwhelmed, stressed, anxious or depressed
It’s important to take a long-term approach to improving your sleep. It does require effort and lifestyle changes. But just imagine what it would be like to be able to sleep all night! It’s worth the effort. If you’d like some individual support, feel free to contact us.
Sweet Dreams????
7 How-To Strategies for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep
The sad truth is that getting a good night’s sleep is a very common struggle for autistic children and adults.
Unfortunately, lack of sleep can result in frustration and anxiety about not being able to sleep, making it even more difficult to sleep! It can also make it difficult to function during the day, and any challenges you have can be made more difficult.
For example, if you have difficulty focusing, not getting enough sleep can make it even harder to focus. If you have periods of depression, it can become more severe due to a lack of sleep.
Some of the sleep struggles include:
• Not falling asleep
• Racing thoughts
• Waking during the night or early in the morning
• Once awake, not falling back to sleep
• Restless sleep, tossing and turning
And more common in children:
• Night terrors of screaming and crying in a panic, but never actually waking up
• Not able to sleep alone and needing physical contact with a loved one – sometimes just to fall asleep and sometimes throughout the night
There are disruptions in sleeping patterns that can come and go in cycles and last for days or weeks.
Teens and adults that have access to technology in the evening and nighttime often find it extremely difficult to turn it off to go to sleep. They often end up staying awake half or most of the night and then sleeping until the afternoon.
Some studies indicate that autistic individuals spend less of their sleep in the REM (rapid eye movement) stage, which is important for learning and memory. And there may be a genetic predisposition to a disrupted sleep-wake struggle.
This means that extra focus and effort is needed to improve your sleep.
Many autistic people often have additional disorders or conditions such as gastrointestinal problems, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and/or depression that can contribute to insomnia.
Some autistic people seem to function fairly well with less sleep, while others tend to have more problems during the day that includesincreased sensory sensitivity, irritability, stimming, depression, social anxiety and more.
There are a lot of factors that affectsleep, and it can feel overwhelming. But it’s well worth trying different strategies to find what works best for you. Even if you tried something in the past, it’s worth trying again. We are ever changing, and it just may help this time.
Improving your sleep could mean making one change or a combination. Even having overall success does not mean you won’t have any more sleepless nights. Especially when your stressed, ate too much junk food, or going through life transitions,some sleeplessness can be inevitable.
How to Improve Your Sleep
1. Accept That You Have Insomnia It’s very important to start this process by accepting that you havea problem sleeping. The more you stress and worry about not sleeping, the more likely you are to have more difficulty sleeping.
When going to bed you may think, “oh no – another sleepless night!” This is very understandable. But acceptance is key!A relaxed mindset, not stress, is going to help you sleep.
Learn to accept that thisis what it is for now. You’ve lived with being sleep deprived, and it will last a little longer. Just breathe and have hope that it’ll get better. It’s going to be a matter of finding what works for you.
2. Figure Out What Calms Your Mind Have a plan of what to do when you can’t sleep. Find activities that donot stimulate your brain. Don’t play video games or watch an action movie. When you are lying in bed wide awake, take breaks and get up. Here are some ideas of things to do:
• Listen to calming music
• Read or listen to a book
• Listen to sleep stories (look for apps with stories that appeal to you)
• Have a light snack. Look into what food and drinks are helpful for sleep and what to avoid. https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/nutrition/eats-to-help-you-sleep
• Light stretching or yoga,
• Listen to a relaxation or meditation recording (there are a lot of apps – find what appeals to you)
• Draw
• Journal
• Watch a low-key show or movie.
• Reduce the effect of blue light coming from screens by using a filter or special computer glasses.https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/blue-light-reduce-effects
3. See Your DoctorConsult with your doctor to assess your overall health and discuss your sleep challenges. Ask about taking Melatonin (a hormone that the body produces naturally), that may help you fall asleep. You can buy it over the counter, but make sure it’s a quality brand. It’s best to check with your doctor.
4. Have a RoutineEstablish an evening routine. This can be a difficult task for many autistic individuals, as it involves the challenge of transitions and self-starting. Wind down and get off technology 1 to 3 hours before its time to sleep, so you reduce over stimulating your brain. Set a routine where you do the same steps of getting ready and going to bed every night, at the same time. Consider asking someone help you stick to the routine with reminders and encouragement.
5. Music Helps the BrainMusic and consistent rhythm can be calming to the brain. Try finding music that you find soothing and play it every night as you go to bed.
6. Change Your DietWhat you eat can significantly affect your sleep. If you’re up to it, make changes in your diet to eliminate what is not good for you including sugar, high fat, fast foods, and process foods that include additives, dyes, etc. More toward organic, fresh foods. But I know that’s a lot if you’re not used to it.
So, the best thing you can do is stop eating sugar. It is one of the worst culprits that can cause insomnia. Start with decreasing sugar and eventually eliminate it. If you crave sweets, try naturally sweetened treats. Your taste buds will get used to that change and it really doesn’t take that long.
Making these changes does take some structure and will power. Reach out and get support. It’s okay to ask!
7. Calm YourselfThroughout the day, find and use strategies that calm you. These can be sensory calming strategies that are individual for you. Put them into your schedule so they become routine.
Here are some ideas:
• Wear a weighted vest
• Stimming activities such as pacing, rocking, jumping or fidgets
• Get moving by exercising, walking, swimming, dancing
• Spend time innature
• Ask for emotional support
• Listen to music
• Meditate
• Journal or draw
• Reach out to a trusted friend or family member when you need it, especially if you feel overwhelmed, stressed, anxious or depressed
It’s important to take a long-term approach to improving your sleep. It does require effort and lifestyle changes. But just imagine what it would be like to be able to sleep all night! It’s worth the effort. If you’d like some individual support, feel free to contact me.
Sweet Dreams????
7 How-To Strategies for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep
The sad truth is that getting a good night’s sleep is a very common struggle for autistic children and adults.
Unfortunately, lack of sleep can result in frustration and anxiety about not being able to sleep, making it even more difficult to sleep! It can also make it difficult to function during the day, and any challenges you have can be made more difficult.
For example, if you have difficulty focusing, not getting enough sleep can make it even harder to focus. If you have periods of depression, it can become more severe due to a lack of sleep.
Some of the sleep struggles include:
• Not falling asleep
• Racing thoughts
• Waking during the night or early in the morning
• Once awake, not falling back to sleep
• Restless sleep, tossing and turning
And more common in children:
• Night terrors of screaming and crying in a panic, but never actually waking up
• Not able to sleep alone and needing physical contact with a loved one – sometimes just to fall asleep and sometimes throughout the night
There are disruptions in sleeping patterns that can come and go in cycles and last for days or weeks.
Teens and adults that have access to technology in the evening and nighttime often find it extremely difficult to turn it off to go to sleep. They often end up staying awake half or most of the night and then sleeping until the afternoon.
Some studies indicate that autistic individuals spend less of their sleep in the REM (rapid eye movement) stage, which is important for learning and memory. And there may be a genetic predisposition to a disrupted sleep-wake struggle.
This means that extra focus and effort is needed to improve your sleep.
Many autistic people often have additional disorders or conditions such as gastrointestinal problems, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and/or depression that can contribute to insomnia.
Some autistic people seem to function fairly well with less sleep, while others tend to have more problems during the day that includesincreased sensory sensitivity, irritability, stimming, depression, social anxiety and more.
There are a lot of factors that affectsleep, and it can feel overwhelming. But it’s well worth trying different strategies to find what works best for you. Even if you tried something in the past, it’s worth trying again. We are ever changing, and it just may help this time.
Improving your sleep could mean making one change or a combination. Even having overall success does not mean you won’t have any more sleepless nights. Especially when your stressed, ate too much junk food, or going through life transitions,some sleeplessness can be inevitable.
How to Improve Your Sleep
1. Accept That You Have Insomnia It’s very important to start this process by accepting that you havea problem sleeping. The more you stress and worry about not sleeping, the more likely you are to have more difficulty sleeping.
When going to bed you may think, “oh no – another sleepless night!” This is very understandable. But acceptance is key!A relaxed mindset, not stress, is going to help you sleep.
Learn to accept that thisis what it is for now. You’ve lived with being sleep deprived, and it will last a little longer. Just breathe and have hope that it’ll get better. It’s going to be a matter of finding what works for you.
2. Figure Out What Calms Your Mind Have a plan of what to do when you can’t sleep. Find activities that donot stimulate your brain. Don’t play video games or watch an action movie. When you are lying in bed wide awake, take breaks and get up. Here are some ideas of things to do:
• Listen to calming music
• Read or listen to a book
• Listen to sleep stories (look for apps with stories that appeal to you)
• Have a light snack. Look into what food and drinks are helpful for sleep and what to avoid. https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/nutrition/eats-to-help-you-sleep
• Light stretching or yoga,
• Listen to a relaxation or meditation recording (there are a lot of apps – find what appeals to you)
• Draw
• Journal
• Watch a low-key show or movie.
• Reduce the effect of blue light coming from screens by using a filter or special computer glasses.https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/blue-light-reduce-effects
3. See Your DoctorConsult with your doctor to assess your overall health and discuss your sleep challenges. Ask about taking Melatonin (a hormone that the body produces naturally), that may help you fall asleep. You can buy it over the counter, but make sure it’s a quality brand. It’s best to check with your doctor.
4. Have a RoutineEstablish an evening routine. This can be a difficult task for many autistic individuals, as it involves the challenge of transitions and self-starting. Wind down and get off technology 1 to 3 hours before its time to sleep, so you reduce over stimulating your brain. Set a routine where you do the same steps of getting ready and going to bed every night, at the same time. Consider asking someone help you stick to the routine with reminders and encouragement.
5. Music Helps the BrainMusic and consistent rhythm can be calming to the brain. Try finding music that you find soothing and play it every night as you go to bed.
6. Change Your DietWhat you eat can significantly affect your sleep. If you’re up to it, make changes in your diet to eliminate what is not good for you including sugar, high fat, fast foods, and process foods that include additives, dyes, etc. More toward organic, fresh foods. But I know that’s a lot if you’re not used to it.
So, the best thing you can do is stop eating sugar. It is one of the worst culprits that can cause insomnia. Start with decreasing sugar and eventually eliminate it. If you crave sweets, try naturally sweetened treats. Your taste buds will get used to that change and it really doesn’t take that long.
Making these changes does take some structure and will power. Reach out and get support. It’s okay to ask!
7. Calm YourselfThroughout the day, find and use strategies that calm you. These can be sensory calming strategies that are individual for you. Put them into your schedule so they become routine.
Here are some ideas:
• Wear a weighted vest
• Stimming activities such as pacing, rocking, jumping or fidgets
• Get moving by exercising, walking, swimming, dancing
• Spend time innature
• Ask for emotional support
• Listen to music
• Meditate
• Journal or draw
• Reach out to a trusted friend or family member when you need it, especially if you feel overwhelmed, stressed, anxious or depressed
It’s important to take a long-term approach to improving your sleep. It does require effort and lifestyle changes. But just imagine what it would be like to be able to sleep all night! It’s worth the effort. If you’d like some individual support, feel free to contact me.
Sweet Dreams????
