Difficulty Getting To Sleep

Post Reply New Topic

Does anyone else have difficulties with getting to sleep at night? I have Asperger's and ADD and I find it nearly impossible to get to sleep before 1am. For some reason, I am always tired throughout the day and then wide awake in the evening. When I lay in bed, I start thinking about all the things I could be doing at the moment and I walk through all the things I will do the next day which just makes me excited.

Is this an Aspie thing or ADD thing? Any suggestions for getting to sleep more easily at night?

Yes.
04:30.
My advice - go to sleep.

I have to take medicine for that or I do not get regular sleep. Falling asleep is very hard.

I take Risperdal for depression and insomnia. I think it helps but I'm not 100% sure.

I usually have a hard time getting to sleep unless I have a rigid schedule, such as getting myself up in the morning for school. Then I end up really worn out at the end of the day and going to sleep is easy.

Any caffeine in my system generally keeps me up. And alcohol just messes with me sometimes, depends on how I am feeling.

Things that help me are getting exercise at least 2 days a week. Getting up at the same time even if I want to and could sleep in. My weighted blanket. Camamile tea. Not eating too close to bed time. Very dark soundproof room. Melatonin and a prescription med triazolam as needed. Obviously not perfect as it is 1 am and I am up.

I have to play some movie on my iPad in bed, so I can go to sleep.

Otherwise, I cannot fall asleep, even if I got up early that day.

I usually don't have too many problems falling asleep. It's staying asleep that's my problem. I normally wake up after just a couple hours of sleep with my brain going full speed. I take benadryl every night to help me stay asleep. Without it I would only get a couple hours of sleep a night. I'm VERY grumpy if I don't get enough sleep.

Think it is an aspie thing - I have always had sleep problems, these days I find playing talking books all night helps, have no idea why! Ones I know almost word for word for preference.

i take sleeping pills until i sleep...pretty much since i was 12ish...

I can not sleep before 12pm unless i have had a busy day but ive been taking 100mg seroquel tablets to help me sleep lately that help a lot.

Before i took meds i always just stayed awake in bed and thought about what i did the days or weeks prior.

A few years ago I had a sleeping problem for about one and a half years. There was no moment when I felt sleepy around that time. The idea of having to try to fall asleep got me stressed. I think I had a pretty unhealthy mental state then - I don't know if it was depression or anxiety. Sleeping pills, antidepressants etc didn't work at all.

Now I'm back to normal. I can sleep pretty much at any time of the day and night.

I might suggest that the OP have a glass of wine at night. It makes me very sleepy though I can easily sleep without having wine. Some people get addicted to alcohol (alcoholism) and drinking wine might not be a good idea for some people.

its an autism spectrum thing.
the LD pyschiatrist of mine has been working on this for years and it took him that long just to prescribe a permenent script of the minimum level of circadin [its the UKs only form of melatonin,its stronger,slow release and only licenced for developmentaly disabled people or those over fifty as both groups lack melatonin],all the little kids next door started off on multiple two mg pills of it whilst mine only prescribed one,it works but it isnt enough.
he is an absolute anti medicater in any form, and its taken this long just to get to the point of being allowed medication for paranoid schizophrenia.

however,he does have some views which am painfuly in agreement with,this is his train of thought....
autistics have sleep difficulties all their life,so its not only a brain issue,its also a firm routine.
therefor taking sleeping pills will never work because the body/mind is still going through the same routine every night that it has done its whole life.
an autist with severe sleeping difficulties can take a sleeping pill,but they will still be awake,going through the same routine, having a mind of thoughts and anxiety keeping them awake, all the pill does is make them feel tired and grumpy it does not take away the reasons why theyre having sleeping difficulties.

forget what he says the answer is as am alway seriously pssed off at this point and storm into bedroom,as the severe sleeping difficulties have a incredible impact on daily routine/quality of life.
it honestly psses off that people who live in the community can walk into a gps and get a script for classic sedatives
when they have only had a weeks worth of insomnia,whereas mine is life long severe sleeping difficulties,and the gp follows a 'best interest' policy because am under the label of limited mental capacity.
took years just to prescribe bloody two mg of circadin and made staff stop all caffeine/sugar etc of mine saying that was causing the problems despite ignoring the staff telling him had gave it up for months once to prove a point that it doesnt affect sleep of mine.

So I was having trouble sleeping when I posted at 04:30am (this morning) and it's now 14:00. For me, I figured out why I wasn't sleeping - I was anxious about a medical appointment today. This happens to me a lot, and the anxiety is a big factor, though I'm not sure exactly how, and I literally am unable to follow my own advice.

Things that have definitely helped me before: sleeping pills containing Melatonin, some OTC anti-histamines, and proper relaxation (easier said than done).

I almost never have trouble falling asleep, but when I am anxious or having panic attacks I will wake up in a very agitated state after only a few hours of sleep and have great difficulty going back to sleep. I really dislike the moment when I am still trying to get back to sleep and I notice the sky has gone from black to deep blue.
Sometimes listening to stories on my iPod helps.

[edited to correct a weird iPad-induced word substitution]