Not getting enough sleep

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Hello.

For some time now, whenever I have a test soon, I get all worked up before it and can't get enough sleep, either because I can't fall asleep or because I wake up too early.
It's not because I spend the night studying – this happens even if I know the subject by heart.
And most of the time the is no reason to worry, as I almost always make it through. My grades have been good ever since I entered college.

But no matter how many times I tell myself that, I always end up getting all worked up and not sleeping.

I've tried many folk remedies for insomnia (none have worked) and a couple of medications prescribed by my therapist.
The medications, while they work quite well in other circumstances, usually don't on this situation – they often just make me sleepy throughout the day instead of making me actually sleep, so I feel even worse.
Usually, after the test I can sleep soundly, though I've been getting worse at that too.

So my question is, does someone else here experience that?
And if so, how do you manage?

Thanks in advance.

I have memories as far back as when I was 5 laying there in bed wishing I was asleep. The only time I had real good sleep patterns was when I was a runner when I was in my 20's. Try exercise and staying away from caffine, a good workout could tire you out good enough to catch a few zzzz's.

I shut the thoughts out... All the nervousness makes me fall asleep

Having Asperger's means you have some anxiety, lack of sleep in this instance sounds like a result of anxiety, I have experienced the same thing...
I have been put on medication to help anxiety and it makes me VERY sleepy, I can sleep all day now!
maybe talk to your doc or therapist if it could be anxiety and see if medication might help?
Hope I helped

I always have trouble sleeping. That's what coffee is for.

Although seriously, with regards to actually sleeping, try using a different pillow; you might be using one that you don't find comfortable, even if it's a little bit. I've been sleeping a bit better since I switched to a super-firm pillow, so it might help for you to find a pillow that suits you better than your current one.

I don't know if you've tried it already, but taking a melatonin supplement before bed helps me a lot.

I only get four hours of sleep a night, but I always make sure to get eight hours of rest regardless of how much I sleep.

Codine (restricted to the night before exams), can be useful but it depends on how much access you have to it (doctors in New Zealand dish it out like candy.), or maybe it's worth looking into sleeping pills?

I used to have this problem many years ago when I was a student. It still happens now when big events are coming up. Here is the solution I came up with:

I gave up trying to get enough sleep on the big night before the big event (test or whatever). Instead I focused on getting enough sleep in the week before the big event. I wouldn't stay up late. Didn't drink coffee past noon. That way, when the big event was the next day and I had trouble sleeping (no matter what I did that night) I would already have a "bank account" of stored sleep energy so that missing several hours that night wouldn't be too huge a problem.

Too little sleep after a week of too little sleep is a huge problem.

Too little sleep after a week of good sleep is not such a problem.

Exercising is a good idea, but not as effective as (say) one year ago.
I'm doing my best to stay off caffeine during vacations. Don't know if I'll be able to after that.

I'm currently taking sleeping pills, and while they do make me fall asleep, when I'm too worked up I'll wake up too early.
Don't know about codeine or anxiety medication, will have to ask my therapist about that.

The idea of sleeping well the week before sounds good. I'm definitely trying that.

this happens to me too, but only if the exam (or whatever other inportant activity) is planned in the morning.
it has happened a lot that i overslept a morning exam/drivers ed/group meeting/discussion/whatever that i have gotten slightly paranoid of oversleeping; especially since sleep had the week prior and time of going to bed seem to have no predictable effect on when i wake up; even alarm clocks are only marginally effective.
the only surefire way to make sure you do not oversleep; the only one that never fails, is not going to sleep in the first place,
being the paranoid type about oversleeping; either i cannot get to sleep at all the night before an inportant morning session, or i wake up every 30-ish minutes, getting no effective sleep.

this might be what's happening to you too; the only way i see this possibly stopped/prevented is trying to plan the exams at a moment after your 'natural' awakening time; like after lunch to be sure.

Tips:
*If you are not tired, don't lay in bed
*Try to sleep when it is dark and be awake in light
*Along those lines, don't have any lights in your room (aside from the sun)
*Don't eat or drink an hour before bed
*Don't exercise an hour before bed....most of all

*Exercise hard, it will make you tired. I promise. I used to only get 2-5 hours a night, but since I have been running (for a few years now) I get anywhere from 6-8 hours.