Hi Lightbulb. I've had problems with my sleep as long as I've known - my Mum too.
I think the first thing you need to do is to identify what kind of sleep problem is having the worst impact on you, and then to try and identify what's causing the problem. So called 'primary insomnia' does exists - where the insomnia is a condition in its own right. But for the vast majority of people, it is just one component of a wider problem.
By way of example, here are two, very different sleep patterns that I've been know to experience, and some thoughts about what I think causes them, and how I try to manage them better...
Inability to get to sleep.
This is the most disruptive for me - finally nodding off at 4am is not good if I have a regular day of work or play ahead of me! There are two reasons that I get this kind problem, I think...
1) Not enough "me" time. When I need to recharge my social batteries, I need to stim and immerse myself in my special interests for a bit. I can't stand interruptions or noise when I'm doing this, so when I'm particularly burned out, I get temped to stay up late for the peace and quiet of the night-time. I try to substitute going out into nature as a relaxation as often as I can, and play soft music on headphones more, so that I can get the same "battery re-charge" but without needing the night-time to get the necessary isolation from humanity!
2) Plain old stress and anxiety. Most people get this at some point in their lives, but autistic people often have a lot of additional anxieties - trying to compensate for our social or sensory differences all the time, for example. If you are being kept awake because your worries just won't stop going round and round in your head, then consider asking your doctor or counsellor about treatment for anxiety. It took me a while to find a combination of counselling and medication that worked for me, but it has proved to be worth it - the insomnia is not gone completely, but it had been reduced a great deal.
Oversleeping
If you oversleep, don't discount that you might simply be physically exhausted. For starters, if you also have sleepless nights, you'll build up a 'sleep deficit' very quickly, and so find yourself needing to 'catch up' on the weekends etc. Ironically, sorting out insomnia also can help to sort out the desperate need for a lie in.
But I find it can also be caused by burning out. It often means that I've spent too much time interacting with the outside world, and not enough time winding down and recharging my batteries. Even social or work events that are enjoyable at the time can tire autistic people out much more than they would other people. It's important to be honest with yourself about what you are able to cope with - most of my friend's social calendars would leave me totally drained after just a few days, so I try not to feel any pressure to "keep up" with everyone else.
I have accepted that I simply need a different work/play/rest balance than most of my peers. It takes experience, and often some experimenting, to find the right balance - but I think that improvements in sleeping are easier if you consider it as one part of the jigsaw, rather than a problem to be tackled in isolation.
Of course, what I've written is not every possible sleep problem - just the ones I know well. There are also folks who fall asleep too easily and can't be woken, and yet others get to sleep OK, but wake up several times a night. So let us know what particular sleep problems you have - you'll probably find someone here that's had the same things.
_________________
When you are fighting an invisible monster, first throw a bucket of paint over it.
26 Feb 2016, 9:34 am
