Autism and Sleep | 5 Common Challenges and Practical Remedies
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- This video highlights 5 common autistic sleep challenges followed by practical remedies to help support you on your journey for deeper, less-disturbed sleep. 💤
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⏰ TIMESTAMPS
Click on any of the timestamps below to jump to that particular section of the video.
(1:33) Difficulty with transitions
(2:43) Autistic Inertia and Demand Avoidance
(4:39) Co-existing conditions
(5:22) Gastrointestinal issues
(6:48) Sensory overwhelm
(8:41) Sleeping with other people
(11:32) Delayed processing/trouble turning off your mind
(13:51) Paradoxical reactions
(15:23) Sleep remedies
(22:25) My FAVORITE sleep accessory!
DISCLAIMER: Taylor Heaton is not a licensed psychologist or specialist healthcare professional. Her services do not replace the care of psychologists or other healthcare professionals. Please note that Taylor can’t take any responsibility for the results of your actions, nor any harm or damage you suffer as a result of the use, or non-use of the information available through her website, TH-cam Channel, or social media accounts. Please use judgment and conduct due diligence before taking any action or implementing any plan or practice suggested or recommended by Taylor Heaton or Mom on the Spectrum. Please note that Taylor doesn't make any guarantees about the results of the information you may apply from her website, TH-cam channel, and/or social media accounts. Taylor shares educational and informational resources that are intended to help you succeed in navigating life as an autistic adult. You nevertheless need to know that your outcome will be the result of your own efforts, your particular situation, and innumerable other circumstances beyond Taylor's knowledge and control. Taylor is an Amazon affiliate and may receive commissions on qualifying purchases from affiliate links. Taylor is a Flare affiliate and may receive commissions on qualifying purchases from Flare links.
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Two suggestions:
1. When you lie down to go to sleep, have your mind made up that simply lying there with your eyes closed is almost as good as being asleep. Have your mind made up that it almost doesn't matter if you fall asleep or not, because it feels good just to rest with your eyes closed.
(This will make it much easier to fall asleep.)
2. Have your mind made up that once you crawl into bed, you will not make eye contact with any clock until your morning alarm goes off.
Thanks for sharing this 💓 I also try to just take in the feeling of my bed through all of my senses. And tell myself it doesn't matter if I'm sleeping, I can actually relax and be safe right here in this moment with all of my comfy things around me.
@@MomontheSpectrum Yes!
The number one thing that prevents you from falling asleep is the fear of not being able to fall asleep. What I described-- and what you described-- is how you eliminate that fear.
Dogs and cats have zero difficultly falling asleep. The reason is that they have no fear of being unable to fall asleep.
yes! the clock thing! i can never resist looking at the clock/fitbit when i wake up @ night (last night it was like 4 times. 1am, 3am, 5am, 8am... and then i said screw it, i *guess* i'm awake now. but i normally tell myself *do not look @ the time, it never helps anything* 🫠
In Winter I have no concept of when it's time to get up and I know I might have wakened too early and just need to go back to bed, so I have to look. This has been a real problem just this year. I am getting older
Wow smart those sound like some good rules
I keep wondering if my parents have known this whole time and chose not to tell me, even well into my 30s?? As a kid, I was like, why do I have to lay here in the dark for x hours and try to turn off my brain when I'm not tired yet? And how am I supposed to turn off my brain when moonlight shows behind the extra sheets pinned over my dark curtains, and the air conditioning sounds like a tornado, and I can't stop picturing what Satan might look like. I woke up my parents nearly every night because I kept hearing a tv on, even though it wasn't. Or because I became increasingly upset that I wouldn't be rested enough for school the next day and I couldn't cope with missing anything in school. I didn't know...but the more I learn, the more I question how much they've known.
ALSO my parents eventually gave me sleepy pills (something over the counter like Unisom) and they did NOT help.
Careful not to judge others based on only your perspective. Yes it can happen, and only you can keep or change your own opinion, but intentional malice is exceedingly rare.
It's possible that your parents were uninformed, or were overwhelmed, or even convinced themselves that you were normal because admitting a child is not normal can lead to societal blame on the parents.
@@3SeasonsUSA Drugs are not a permanent solution. Your body eventually becomes immune to them and they stop working. If you need them now, then use them but you must also have a plan when to stop.
@@MikeOfNotts These are homeopathic. I used to use Moon Drops, but these have Belladonna in minute amounts. It might have had Melatonin as well. Melatonin affects some people's memory. Calms Forte is wonderful, been using it for about 4 years, no ill affects. I am sure the parents of the child I am concerned about will struggle with just what you said. There is no drug that is the final answer, especially for children. Switch meds from time to time?
My parents always thought I was a bit odd. They knew I had some problems, but they didn't know where to look for help. And my issues were never quite big enough to pursue it. Wasn't untill I hit burnout at 30 yo that we acknowledged something had to happen. Got my diagnosis 2 years later.
I don't blame my parents. And back then, I probably wouldn't even have gotten the diagnosis anyways. They weren't as good at diagnosing it in girls back then.
No use looking back. Try to change things with the knowledge you have now
A common reason I find it hard to go to bed is that I find the prospect of everything I have to do each day so overwhelming (even though I don't work so all I have to do are basic household/survival tasks) and in the evening after dinner is when it's finally all done and I can actually relax, that I don't want to transition to the next day because then I have to do it all over again. I suffer with depression and the mood/energy I have upon waking up is pretty variable, so when I'm enjoying my evening activity and feeling pretty good, it's really hard to bring that to an end prematurely because I take so long to get my mood stable and spend so much of my day feeling irritable and stressed out that that peace feels really precious. So instead I often end up procrastinating going to bed until I AM irritable again so that I'm not losing anything, and then it's hard to get up at a decent time because I need a lot of sleep to function and my sleep routine can just never settle into a healthy pattern. I'm sure these kind of sleep troubles are experienced by a lot of people, not just autistic, but it's such a constant internal battle it can be really demoralizing.
Wow I really appreciate how you put this cycle into words. This is very similar to what I experience too but I haven't had the words to put these thoughts together.
Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
Exactly. And even worse. I did have a shift job, so I have been taught not to respect the clock. "Last night" lasted until 8 am this "morning" which happened at about 12:30 pm. I'm now struggling with the idea that I might at least go ahead and change into night gown and brush my teeth so I'm prepared for bed when I feel drowsy. But writing this is so much more fun. Normally I succeed in getting into be about 1-2-3 in the morning, sleeping to 10-11-12. I now have plans on how I will rebuild my bed environment to make it more attractive, so I want to go there.
Same. Except I do have a job. Been partially sick for almost 2 years due to burnout, and am now about to lose that job. The whole having to jobhunt while being exhausted and overstimulated, and still trying to perform at work, makes it so much harder to go to bed. I do not want to start the next day at all.
And when I do go to bed, everything is too much: the feel of the pillowcase on me, my hair, the sound of my partner sleeping.
If only the cartoon mallet to knock someone out worked in real life...
This 100% Thank you so much for sharing - it's so validating. I'll get so frustrated with myself that I'm eating into tomorrow's energies and positive mood by staying up late, but I'm just trying to squeeze every last drop out of the peaceful, no-pressure, relaxation time that the evenings bring because, as you say, it's so precious 😢
Me during the intro: "Oh. But I don't have any sleep issues. Maybe I'm not actually Autistic???"
Also me: Literally breaks down crying when you say the most common issue is transitioning into bedtime routines. I feel so validated. I have been so down on myself lately because I keep getting to bed late and getting to work late because I just can't start my bedtime routine on time. Thank you so much for this video!!!
You’re so welcome! I know, I’ve also written off so many issues in my life until I found the autistic community and have been able to make sense of SO many challenges.
I struggle with that too, big time!
Me too. I didn't understand why I was being so resistant to the idea of going to bed even though I really am quite tired
@@heedmydemands me too. I told myself I was acting like a petulant child for not getting to bed on time
@@thedawnpatrol7139 lately I've been doing worse because I'm watching a very exciting show and I get to the end of the episode and I'm like I have to find out what happens next and will sometimes do it again too lol
Transitions...that makes sense. Not only for sleep, but for just doing things throughout the day. It takes me three hours from the time I get up, to be ready to go out the door, and all I have to do is make breakfast, feed the cat, dress, and leave (I shower the night before). But it's like I freeze and the minutes tick by as I sit there, unable to hoist myself up to go onto the next thing.
I feel like I’ve exhausted EVERYTHING I possibly can to have the best “sleep hygiene” for myself, however since stumbling on this idea that my insomnia (and a plethora of other bizarre/unexplained and impossible to treat symptoms) could all be related and potentially linked to a missed autism diagnosis….just KNOWING there are actually other people out here with these same experiences, is a huge relief. Not that I wish these struggles on anyone, but I have felt so alone and crazy, and almost wanting to “check out” of life. Not end it, but basically given up on even trying because there are road blocks to everything for me.
I felt cursed…now that I’m learning there are other people out here with these same life experiences, gives me some new perspective and feelings. I can’t describe them, but I can say it’s positive
After years of being diagnosed as OCD, highly sensitive, ADHD, possibly bipolar...my new therapist diagnosed me as on the spectrum. Everything makes sense now! What you said about challenges with transitions has blown my mind. I've always struggled with that but didn't know why. As someone who struggled to feel and act "normal" for 48 years, I deeply appreciate voices like yours.
Thanks so much Tina and congrats on your dx. That changed my life so much! I hope it continues to bring you clarity and self compassion!
Hey! Me too. And once I was cycled off many of my high-dose meds for bipolar disorder my brain started to focus and some of my OCD was easier to manage. Being misdiagnosed for 48 years is both painful to look back at, but a life-changer for the future.
It’s such a relief to finally be diagnosed accurately! 🌿💚🌿
Same here - at 60! But I'm loving this new discovery and connecting the dots of years long "weirdness".
I used this doc herbs for my son and now my son is completely free, his speaking and behavior is ok. His herbs is 100% working on ASD. I met Dr Oyalo on channel and I’m happy to share my experience about it
I love that you don’t add music or film outdoors. I find myself distracted with unnecessary noises in videos.
I’m undiagnosed, but I’m hot-faced crying right now, because you just gave me so much validation. Every point. Thank you. I don’t mean to sound poetic, but I feel saved. Thank you so much. 😭😭😭❤️
I used this doc herbs for my son and now my son is completely free, his speaking and behavior is ok. His herbs is 100% working on ASD. I met Dr Oyalo on channel and I’m happy to share my experience about it
So glad I got the best treatment for my autistic son who is only 4 years old I've been using Dr Oyalo Herbal medicine and it has been really helpful,💯 his speech has improved completely
It is REALLY HARD being an autistic parent to autistic children because EVERYBODY has sleep disturbances and they never line up with each other. If I have a lot of trouble getting to sleep and don't get there till after midnight, and then my son wakes up ready to go at 3am, I'm in for a BAD DAY the next day.
Everybody! My husband is the only one who gets any sleep around here.
Yes! I take a while to fall asleep, and then almost as soon as I close my eyes, my son comes in to sleep with me. (Also my cats decide they hate each other and start fighting!)
@@MomontheSpectrum Yeah, cats can be so noisy at night. I'm not even sure what that's all about 😸
@@sueannevangalen5186 This is really been a problem when I sleep over at my daughter's home. They have 3 cats. It's getting easier, if I use white noise. The neighborhood is the real problem, if there is street racing, fireworks or someone drives into the complex with music blaring, car alarm, etc. Before Covid-19 lock-downs, things used to be quieter.
@Mom on the Spectrum ....nooooo! Triggered! Our cats (litter mates, for cryin’ our loud) have been coming and going on whether they hate each other, and last week was a bit of an eruption. We had gates up around the house most of last year. 😾
For many, many years, before I had an ASD diagnosis, I called my sleep problem "sleep inertia": if I'm awake, I tend to stay awake, and if I'm asleep, I tend to stay asleep. This was eventually diagnosed as Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder, which is a circadian rhythm disorder. That was also before the ASD diagnosis came along. Not sure of the relationship between those 2.
Ooooh I've never heard of this, ty for the info. This is me to a t... gonna look into it more.
Man, it sure is nice to know why the heck I always just sit in my car for a long time before I do anything. I've always called it "glitching out" haha. It makes sense now.
Glitching out is a great phrase for it!
it absolutely feels like glitching out.
I'm going to try this rather than rushing into places. I will sing some songs in the car.
My kids and I laughed when she takes about sitting in the car. 😂 That’s the #1 reason they sometimes don’t want to go with me to the store.
I always wondered why my partners hated waiting for me and wondered what I was doing. I am preparing for whatever has just come and whatever is coming next I think. Becoming a mother has shortened the time I spend doing it because kids don't always have the capacity to wait! 😊
hahaha, I always thought that the fairy tale of "The Princess and the Pea" was about an autistic woman 😆
Hahaha great point!! Never thought of this
That's definitely me, sadly
I always related to that story since childhood. I’m just learning, at 75 years old, that all these weird things about me is probably Autism. Better late than never, I guess.
The tiniest crumb can feel like a razor on my skin. I always related to that particular princess, the only one, actually. 😂
@@marycooney303Exactly! I will vacuum my bed.
I have a much better night if I spend about half an hour rocking in the rocker-glider before going to bed. I just seem to need it. RE: reading at bedtime... I can read fiction at bedtime but not non-fiction. Non-fiction gets my mind whirling for some reason while fiction calms me right down. Does anyone else find that? Also, I am SO GLAD my husband and I aren't the only couple who sleep with separate blankets. We are each so high maintenance about what we need in blankets that it's just better if we each have our own. It's really hard to buy sheets, though. What we need is a queen size fitted sheet plus two twin size flat sheets. I always end up using the flat sheets from my oldest son's sets (he doesn't like the texture of them). My sheets have airplanes and dinosaurs on them 🤣
That does sound like quite a predicament with the sheet situation but I do love the dinosaurs!
I'm the reverse. I can't read fiction or I get hooked and I am up all night.
@@MomontheSpectrum 🤣
@@esm1817 Oh, that's so interesting 🤔
I thought I was the only person that procrastinated bedtime even though I was completely exhausted and had work the next day. That makes sense. I used to work nights and got used to sleeping with earplugs, eye mask, and blackout curtains. I can’t sleep without all that and I also have a CPAP and it’s taken years to find the perfect mask.
I’ve been wanting to try the Manta mask for a while. Good excuse to use your link :)
I hope you love it as much as I do! 💤 😴
I couldn't adjust to CPAP. I would lie awake for the two hours I was supposed to wear it--and then try and fall asleep. The place I got CPAP didn't really allow me to try different masks. I wonder if that would have helped.
Finally someone else that needs to hear something to be able to sleep (a "comfort show on tv"). For me, it has to be a subject that interests me, so my mind doesn't race between various interests, and the voice needs to be calming. Without that, I have a very hard time falling asleep with my mind still trying to solve problems or process situations.
I usually can't fall asleep to a show but Ancient Aliens is one that I can absolutely sleep to. No loud transitions and the voices are all similar and soothing in tone.
I 1000% have to trick myself into the bare essentials of my bed time routines- flossing & taking off makeup while watching my shows- or it NEVER happens. Then I can focus all my energy on just trying to get into bed & going to sleep! Not being able to do the majority of maintenance most people do at night has had a bad effect in my health too. Not to mention difficulty with falling asleep once I get into bed. This whole issue is such a huge problem for me!! (Adhd & autistic)
Holy shit, she is talking about ME. It blowes my mind. I wish, I had been aware of all this decades before...
Hi! I’m glad you’re here. Thanks for your comment.
Thanks for the explanation on delayed processing/trouble turning off your mind at night! I tried to describe this when I went for an autism diagnosis. I so often go through conversations (or even presentations) in my head and indeed change how I reacted or what I said. Or say anything at all when I wasn't able to join a conversation earlier. Sometimes these conversations are from months or even years ago. I just can't help it, but it somehow feels like good practice to me haha.
Sadly, the woman who did my assessment kept asking follow-up questions like: "So you're anxious about what you said?" "You worry about what other people thought?" things like that! I tried to explain SO hard that I wasn't worrying about the memories. They just pop-up, I think about them, adjust it. It goes on autopilot and it feels more like what I can do in the future, instead of being super anxious about is. But it really felt like she didn't want to take a no for an answer and she kept pushing it towards anxiety.
Hmm yes it does kind of sound like she had an idea in her mind of what she wanted it to be. I’m glad the delayed processing concept was helpful to you. Total game changer for me as well! Thanks for your comment.
The first psychiatrist I went to for my ADHD fixated on the fact that I said I used to be depressed and anxious in the past, though I believe it was connected to my ADHD in a way as well. He kept going back to depression & anxiety and it was just not the vibes.
If possible I'd always recommend looking into different people if someone doesn't click with you. My current psychiatrist took 2 sessions with me and diagnosed me with ADHD, and is currently working with me on an ASD diagnosis because he believes I deserve to know if I have it or not, and understands that the two sometimes go hand in hand.
It's exhausting that it's so normal to have to go through multiple doctors to find someone who will genuinely listen to you, and I wish it wasn't so, but it's the best thing one can do for themselves despite it being extremely draining at times.
"Ruminating" is one way we process experiences. I notice that I recall unpleasant moments that occurred when I am in either the same place or a similar place that the moment first occurred. Ex: a traffic light or intersection where the other driver was a jerk. I replay and rewind and rewrite my responses "for next time." I also noticed something I didn't know was A Thing with autistism, the "self soothing" habit of softly sighing or humming with or without melody. I may recall the anxiety that I had in that moment, and I may feel the emotions again. I'd connect it to "processing" but not necessarily to an anxiety disorder.
I relate so much to this. I replay conversations analyzing the whole thing but NOT worrying. It does seem helpful, like practicing. I will also imagine and practice for conversations coming up. 😆
I used this doc herbs for my son and now my son is completely free, his speaking and behavior is ok. His herbs is 100% working on ASD. I met Dr Oyalo on channel and I’m happy to share my experience about it
Body doubling!! It’s amazing there’s a term for that. When you were talking about autistic inertia it occurred to me that that used to be such a problem for me, but not since I’ve been married-it’s SO MUCH EASIER getting ready for bed with someone. But-if I’m ever in the middle of a task and he fully goes to bed before me, I’m doomed. I’ll even think, “oh no he’s almost in bed, I better hurry and catch up to him or I’ll be up until 2.”
That mask looked amazing. I’ve slept for years with a buff as an eye mask. Even before I knew I was autistic, I identified that the gentle pressure it placed on my eyes is as important as the black out effect. I can’t sleep without it.
Journaling: I made a template in the day one app that allows me to summarize my day easily and thoroughly. It starts with “quick notes” where I list what I read, studied, cleaned, exercise, errands. Then I have the following headings, where I just make quick notes of anything notable: conversations, physical, emotional, mind’s preoccupation, prayer, gratitude. I usually fill it out in ten minutes or less and it’s been so helpful. I feel so relaxed after doing it, and it helps me be recognize how emotions play out in my body, how conversations (or lack of conversations for days on end) impact my emotions-it’s just increased my general self awareness.
Would you be willing to make that template available publicly? Is that sharable? Highly interested in daily Journaling prompts like this! 👍
I used this doc herbs for my son and now my son is completely free, his speaking and behavior is ok. His herbs is 100% working on ASD. I met Dr Oyalo on channel and I’m happy to share my experience about it
I agree with that "if he fully goes to bed before me". For me the treshold is "if he falls asleep before me" - if my partner is still awake and waiting for cuddles, I try to rush to make it!
Wow. The hyper-awareness of little things (damn red light on some electronic item just STARING at me!!! lol) and the textures/sounds/etc. needed to get sleep 'right' or it's impossible is my life 100%!
Thanks for this (and the dozen of other videos I've watched of yours in the last few days since my doc suggested looking into a ASD diagnosis) ... as an adult who's been 'weird' and awkward all my life, the discovery that people saying "Heather's always been quirky" (accompanied by THAT look, if you know what I mean) is possibly because of ASD has been such a relief.
I really appreciate how you explain ideas and that there are lots of suggestions for handling issues that are adaptable for our specific experience. Thx again!
All this time I thought I was just an irresponsible person who couldn't get to sleep on time. I never thought about bedtime as having a difficult time with transitions and it is so validating! I use body doubling all the time with tasks!! I never even knew that it was a thing, I just always knew if I could get my husband to "help me" that I would be able to do the task, even if it was a task I could do by myself.
When I was younger I had very specific bedtime routines, but after I started living with my husband I had to adapt, and it went poorly. My way to deal with bedtime is to just keep going until I get so tired I pass out (not healthy, I know). I'm so excited to start trying some of these to see if they help! Thank you so much!
You’re so welcome! And re: body doubling, isn’t it interesting that sometimes our bodies just instinctively know what we need?
I used this doc herbs for my son and now my son is completely free, his speaking and behavior is ok. His herbs is 100% working on ASD. I met Dr Oyalo on channel and I’m happy to share my experience about it
So glad I got the best treatment for my autistic son who is only 4 years old I've been using Dr Oyalo Herbal medicine and it has been really helpful,💯 his speech has improved completely
Had the most unexpected reaction to your explanation of body doubling, I completely teared up because I felt so validated by that and everything else you’ve discussed. I’ve suspected that I’m autistic for a while (I’m currently in the process of seeking a diagnosis) but it’s just such an incredible feeling to hear my experiences and struggles mirrored by others. Thank you so much for providing information like this, it’s invaluable to people like me!
I used this doc herbs for my son and now my son is completely free, his speaking and behavior is ok. His herbs is 100% working on ASD. I met Dr Oyalo on channel and I’m happy to share my experience about it
So glad I got the best treatment for my autistic son who is only 4 years old I've been using Dr Oyalo Herbal medicine and it has been really helpful,💯 his speech has improved completely
Never knew I was autistic, found out 2 days ago. I have exhausted myself having coped for all my years, being unaware, and undiagnosed. Fitting for autism awareness month. Feel like I can rest in the knowing and thrive now. I masked less today, really to conserve my energy and embody my true self. It’s a great feeling to know that I finally found out what my deal is. I can forgive myself and others. Understanding mostly how poor I am at maintaining relationships and how difficult it can be to be my friend.
I used this doc herbs for my son and now my son is completely free, his speaking and behavior is ok. His herbs is 100% working on ASD. I met Dr Oyalo on channel and I’m happy to share my experience about it
I have CPTSD, but relate in many ways. Taking magnesium at night is super helpful to help me relax and relax my body if I'm struggling with restless legs. I trigger a lot with anxiety at night, so I use my skills to calm myself down. My husband wakes me up with snoring and kicking. I can struggle with getting back to sleep. If I can't, I will sleep downstairs. I also have super vivid dreams or nightmares & that can wake me up and disturb me. If so, I'll use my skills again.
I absolutely love Triple calm magnesium on Amazon!!!
Have you checked your iron levels? Not just hemoglobin but ferritin levels. There's solid research about the connection between restless legs and deficient ferritin levels - you may need to get it a high as above 70 for it to ease. (Around here the average ferritin is just around 40-50!)
Wow I don't know if I'm autistic, but I can relate to 90% of everything mentioned in this video, especially with transitions and sleep resistance. This video was in my youtube line-up, and since I stay up way too late all the time, I thought I'd check it out. Great info! I'm realizing that my bedtime routine is both exhausting and energizing - just showering, brushing teeth, putting on PJs, but I often wish I could just jump into my bed and sleep. So, duh, I probably need to get my routine started earlier! Also, I have learned that when I'm on a car-camping trip (alone), it's easier to get to sleep earlier and wake up earlier because there's no artificial light and no internet so no screen time. Being in natural light for 4-5 days helps re-set hormones and other brain chemicals. And when at home, I try to remember to dim my lights after sunset, and keep off screens or use blue-blocker glasses/programs on my devices. Too much blue light at night makes your brain think the sun is rising again and messes with your hormones. More sunlight during the daytime helps me sleep better at night too. Crazy complicated bodies we have!
I like how you phrased it - “exhausting and energizing.” Yep
@@MomontheSpectrum I like this comment. I can't tell you how often I have gotten sleepy while in my easy chair, only to wake up when I got up to start bedtime routine.
I used this doc herbs for my son and now my son is completely free, his speaking and behavior is ok. His herbs is 100% working on ASD. I met Dr Oyalo on channel and I’m happy to share my experience about it
@@bolinhong2598interested to hear what herbs he’s using!
So glad I got the best treatment for my autistic son who is only 4 years old I've been using Dr Oyalo Herbal medicine and it has been really helpful,💯 his speech has improved completely
oh boy, the amount of times I've cried from the overwhelm of the TV being on below my room when I'm trying to sleep. I wish my family was more understanding and let me have a quiet environment at night
I could ask someone to body double, but I don't think my dog or cats will cooperate. But it is a great idea for people who don't live alone
Some Discord servers for autistic people have voice channel specifically for body doubling.
Reading out the comments and giving mentions is a great way to engage your subscribers. I find it really interesting to see the techniques you use to manage your channel as well as appreciate the info you share about autism. The correlation with GI issues and sleep disturbances with autism is a really great point. Get well soon Belfry (hope I got the name right) 😻
Thanks for the feedback!
Oh and his name is Beltre. It’s SO weird I know. Our daughter named him when she was 3, after her favorite baseball player at the time who she now cares nothing about!
@@MomontheSpectrum Cute 😻
I used this doc herbs for my son and now my son is completely free, his speaking and behavior is ok. His herbs is 100% working on ASD. I met Dr Oyalo on channel and I’m happy to share my experience about it
So glad I got the best treatment for my autistic son who is only 4 years old I've been using Dr Oyalo Herbal medicine and it has been really helpful,💯 his speech has improved completely
I've had great success with rain sounds. I have adhd as well so I allow about an hour with my phone to just feel tired, while playing the rain sounds playlist. I also have tinnitus so this background noise helps stop that from being noticeable.
Thanks for sharing your tips with us!
Yes! I have a Nest sound machine that also works for my autistic child
My sleep issues go back as far as I can remember. My mother always had strict bedtimes for my brothers and I, which didn't vary ever, so in the summer I often had to go to bed when it was still light out. I'd lie there and listen to everyone else watching TV, then my brothers went to bed, then my parents watched the news, and finally they went to bed and the house was quiet and I was alone in the dark. To cope, I made up stories that were usually wrapped around me having adventures with my favorite characters in books or TV shows. I'd sort of dissociate into these fantasy stories, and then the stories merged into dreams. Sometimes. Other times it just got my mind all wound up if the stories were too exciting, and I'd have to stop the story and think of something else. Now, as an adult, it's hard to give myself a strict bedtime even when I need to. It's that transition problem, plus some ADHD time blindness. I need to be in bed by 9:00 because I have to get up early for work? Okay, sure, it's 8:30, I can keep doing what I'm doing. And now it's 9:00 and I should have been getting ready for bed, but I'm still okay, I'll just watch this one three-minute video and now it's 10:30. Again.
thanks for sharing your experience here
Yes. 🤦🏻♀️ Every night I say, “how is it already 2? It was just 12:30 a min ago”.
I had such similar childhood experiences! I had some pretty fantastical recurring storylines. I also remember that when I was very young (4-6?), I often used to cry myself to sleep. My mom heard me one night, tried to comfort me, and asked me why I was crying, and I couldn’t tell her why.
I do yoga and deep breathing for about an hour before beds. Melatonin gummies too.
Restless leg is the biggest challenge for me. I am twitching all night. As such, I have been taking Ambien nightly for years now (if you know anything about Ambien, that is not normal). It's the only thing that gives me any relief from RLS.
Thank you for mentioning RLS. I have never been able to find much information or studies about RLS and autism, but I knew it had to be common among autistics.
I was honestly surprised to hear so much about it from the community while I was researching. Very interesting to me, and I wouldn't be surprised at all if it's connected to overstimulation of the nervous system. So sorry you struggle with this. Sounds miserable! My dad has RLS too.
RLS is horrible. My cat wouldn't even sleep with me. I take Mirapex which helps tremendously
Dr Berg on TH-cam has something to say that might help. I think our digestive system tends to prevent absorption of certain nutrients. I don't have RLS, but I recall he used to
@@3SeasonsUSA I've wondered about that. I've always thought I had no real digestive issues, but I...process things quickly, and I've thought food must be moving through too fast for optimal nutrient absorption. I'm quite sure it's related to my overactive nervous system. And of course restless leg is one of the long list of things I get (in this case, on and off), that hint at but are not determinative of being on the spectrum. It has the bad taste to show up on some night when my cat decides to sleep with me, and I'm trying to keep the darned thing still. (And yes, my father too.)
My RLS was never that bad, but I started using magnesium supplements before bed and this is going to sounds nuts, but I started electrically grounding myself at night. I know it sounds nuts, but I read somewhere it can help you sleep better, so I gave it a try. Got some cheap aluminum tape, put it on the bud (under the sheets) and plugged it in to the ground ($15). It was like a week or two later before I realized that my RLS was mostly gone, the wife noticed it too. Went on a longer vacation (2 weeks), didn't think about it, and by the time I got home things were worse again.
Thank you so much for rebalancing the sound and eliminating the brightly colored transitions! It is so much easier to focus without background and transitional music. Thank you! thank you! thank you!
Glad it was helpful! It’s something I’ve been working towards for a while and I’m still learning. Always open to feedback.
ahaha... Watching this while I've been procrastinating on going to bed for a couple of hours now. I feel called out. Alright alright I'll go to bed.
Hahaha. You can do this! One step at a time.
This video is so relevant for me right now. I am trying to make some positive changes to my routine, but sleep struggles have been tripping me up. I can’t fall asleep, I can’t stay asleep, it’s a whole mess. I’m going to have to take a look at the sleep masks! Also, the breaking things into tiny steps really helps me.
So glad it is helpful! Thanks for your comment. And I hope you love the sleep mask as much as I do! It’s a part of my routine that almost instantly calms me.
I’m with you on the falling asleep and staying asleep issue. The mask with Bluetooth sounds like a great idea, especially with the idea of using white noise.
Oh my goodness, the paradoxical reactions thing was so crazy to hear! I have that happen with Benadryl. Sometimes instead of making me sleepy, it makes me really keyed up. It can feel like anxiety or panic, or can cause restless leg. That’s interesting that it’s common in asd
Yes! Isn't it wild? When my psychologist told me that I was like WHAT?!?! Why is no one talking about this?
Hmm… I have the opposite with Benadryl - I’m too sensitive to it! I take less than half the children’s dose (I’m not small, either). The adult dose would definitely be an overdose for me.
I'm hypersensitive to sound so earplugs have been so helpful. My son is struggling to fall asleep ever since the holidays. We've used melatonin in the past but I don't want to rely on it. He's also hypersensitive to sound but too young for earplugs. Hypermobility causes me pain in my hips and getting comfortable is hard. It's tough so thanks for tackling the topic! 💞
I got really sick with a respiratory virus over the holidays and my earplugs started to irritate my ears so bad they hurt too much to leave in…I’m hoping they’re healed up now so I can try again tonight. 😢 I love my earplugs.
Oh I didn’t even finish reading that you have hypermobility too. I have undiagnosed Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. My oldest daughter is in the process of getting diagnosed. I wonder if hypersensitivity to sound is related.
@@laurenhebert4245 i hope you feel better!
@@laurenhebert4245 interesting idea about the connection! 🤔
Hyper mobility does sound very difficult to deal with at night!
Years and years ago I was given a “mild sedative” in the hospital had a panic attack. It was like it suppressed whatever I was using to handle the situation and left me exposed.
And journaling winds me up. So does conversation.
Same with journaling! It helps and hinders. It helps process, but then can kick my brain into high gear.
Ohhh! Glad for the warning. I forgot that about myself. It brings up too many memories. I have heard that journaling in the morning is also great, before you are too much awake and your subconscious is telling you things, before coffee.
Same here on both accounts. Anti-anxiety medication causing anxiety 🙄
Ohh tears in my eyes.. I feel so seen.
I think a lot of these issues contribute to poor self esteem as we can get so down on ourselves for not managing to get to bed and sleep like apparently the rest of the world does so easily and expects us to do just as easily.. I've had issues with it for as long as I can remember and have beaten myself up about it for just as long..
I think the transitions one is massive and also the sensory and delayed processing. And also that night time is more sensory friendly with very little light and sound and demands compared to the daytime, so the ND mind is perhaps more comfortable and at ease and better able to think and be awake at night.
Thank you for this really important video and your wonderful channel 🦋♾💖
Absolutely! Great points. Thanks for sharing and glad the video helped you feel seen.
Holy moly. I’ve suspected for a while that I’m autistic. In the 80s, when I was going through school as a young person, people just weren’t diagnosed, particularly girls. I’m such an expert masker that I don’t even know who I am. But… wow. I had no idea my issues with severe restless leg syndrome, sleep problems, and gastrointestinal issues were related to autism. And I have exactly the same reaction to things, like melatonin, that are supposed to me make sleepy… they just make my mind race. I’m so glad I discovered your channel. ❤
Thank you for this. Feel seen and understand now that I can be kinder to myself when I experience autistic inertia around bedtime. I get so frustrated with myself! Also, massive fan of the eyemask, earplugs, white noise and electric bed sheet on cool over here! Have recently started sleeping separately to my husband and it has been an absolutely game changer for both sleep and intimacy. Highly recommend.
Oh great suggestion! I appreciate you sharing it here. Thanks Mischa.
I agree, after years of marriage and suffering the snoring issue. Also, when they move around, turn over, get up to the bathroom.
I feel bad because I'm pretty sure I'm terribly annoying to sleep with lol. I go to the bathroom like a million times and do toss and turn a bit too. Sometimes I apologize but my husband doesn't even notice lol. It certainly is hard sometimes to get a good rest with someone else in the bed
I used this doc herbs for my son and now my son is completely free, his speaking and behavior is ok. His herbs is 100% working on ASD. I met Dr Oyalo on channel and I’m happy to share my experience about it
So glad I got the best treatment for my autistic son who is only 4 years old I've been using Dr Oyalo Herbal medicine and it has been really helpful,💯 his speech has improved completely
I recently got a weighted eye mask. I don't know what I would do without it! I also have to listen to "sound" to sleep. 4-7hz works really well for me. I also really enjoy 110hz, I can feel the vibrations in the sound throughout my body, which feels sort of like a special kind of stim.
I love a fan on my face. My husband and I have a tempurpedic split king bed that we purchased almost a year ago, and it made a HUGE difference. I can't share covers with him. We can snuggle, (not too much - it makes it harder to fall asleep), but then he is literally on his bed, and I have my bed. The vibration function helps. And being able to move it into a position other than flat is helpful. But the transition to get into bed is extremely difficult. Thank you for this video! ❤
You're welcome! And thank you for sharing your tips as well! These are very helpful.
Hi Taylor, thanks for this. I've learnt how important it is to move. I get stuck and find making food or going for a walk impossible so rely on a lot of help from my partner. It means I can go days without leaving the house and I find getting myself to do yoga, even though I enjoy it, can be mostly impossible.
I feel the same about yoga. I LOVE it! It makes me feel so much better! But can I get started? Can I even start with 10 minutes a day? It's so difficult even though I know I will feel so much better; during and afterwards.
I looove being in the garden and have so much to do out there but get stuck inside some days and get so upset when I realize I never made it out there.
I used this doc herbs for my son and now my son is completely free, his speaking and behavior is ok. His herbs is 100% working on ASD. I met Dr Oyalo on channel and I’m happy to share my experience about it
Sound is a huge issue for me and in videos, the presenter's voice is crucial. Taylor, your voice fits me to a T😊thank you!
Oh my gosh...YES!!! I rarely sleep. My mind goes on and on. I'm laying on the couch now (where I often sleep) and watching these videos as I have to wind down my brain. I often fall asleep on the couch and then go to bed. The process of brushing teeth and removing clothes and any wrinkle/sand/fuzzy literally ANYTHING on my sheets stop me from sleeping. I am so exhausted when we travel as it isn't my routine or space or whatever. The night time is my calm down/alone time as my husband gets up super early and often times I'm going to bed once he gets up at 3:30 am. I too once I'm up, I'm up; no matter how much sleep I've gotten.
I can't sleep without reading BUT never anything new. I have to carefully choose a book i have read before. The rhythm of the storylines i have enjoyed before really helps distract that part of my mind that otherwise will be seeking out stimulation. If i read a new book, i never get sleepy enough. I stay up until the book is fi ished and then i still need to quiet my mind before i can sleep.
i was diagnosed at 37 i am now 46. i find that i fight sleep in a similar way to babies and young children.
Omg, I’m so glad you mentioned the paradoxical reactions. I realized that taking the time to get ready for bed always gets me WIRED instead of sleepy. I thought I was crazy lol 🫣 I think I will have to come up with a strategy to get into bed ASAP the moment I’m tired, while still maintaining a physical/mental hygiene routine! Soooo much appreciation for the videos you’ve made, absolutely a game changer for solving myself
I remember getting sick as a young adult and using Nyquil for the first time. About an hour after taking it and going to bed I woke up with the bed spins, wide awake and nauseous. I tried it again years later with the same result. Never again. 16:30 Hi kitty!
Same here. Makes my insomnia so much worse and gives me restless legs as well.
I am very sensitive to most meds and I tend to have more side effects than others do.
I am new to autism for myself and the transition inertia just hit a nail on the head so hard... 🤯 - how did I not see it??!
I tend to skip some of the bedtime routine and just go to bed... and that's because I suffer with chromic pain - it's more important to me to find a comfortable position, and get the right sensory levels than perform any self care. Thankfully for me my husband's presence is comforting!
I used this doc herbs for my son and now my son is completely free, his speaking and behavior is ok. His herbs is 100% working on ASD. I met Dr Oyalo on channel and I’m happy to share my experience about it
I am on the road to self diagnosis and the first three points I didn't really feel like they applied to me but then I looked back in time. And it just blew me away.
When I was in 6th grade I would get up an hour earlier than needed to read a book.
For a long time I had to be in bed by 9:30 pm. As in start brushing my teeth at 9:15 to 9:20pm and it would work out. Then it settled down, however I just knew that I needed 8 hours of sleep or more.
Heavy blankets: Was visiting my grandma over New Year's and I just couldn't sleep that well and tried out my mum's blanket when she left earlier. Got out of that bed after approximately one hour and just went to the okay setup that I had. The next night I slept in the bed with my heavier blankets and it worked out better. At home I use two blankets, one of them yak wool which I'll get off me during sleep.
I recently moved out from my parents and at first it was difficult to get to sleep because of the different noise levels, and the light of the oven that I can't turn off. What has helped me fall asleep over the past few years is to have a scenario - with a few variations and it is absolutely unrealistic - that I play every night. Keeps my mind off all the embarassing things from the past 10 years that my brain would otherwise put on repeat for me.
Same I also play szenarios in my head before bed time they can even be relativly realistic for a while I really struggled with MaDD so its kind of a leftover from that. And I cant ever sleep without my blanket I have a really heavy one and a thin summer one and it's always a struggle to transition to the summer blanket even though I know Ill sweat to death otherwise. What also really helped is a retainer I never had braces but I do have bruxism so it's a protection for my teeth but it helps so much biting down and releasing or just kinda dragging my teeth over it I just cant sleep without it now and I don't get Killer neckpain anymore.
Although setting a time to go to sleep is just impossible for me I work in a 3 shift system so my sleep time changes all the time as long as Im putting my retainer in Im good to though If I also brush my teeth before Ill call it a win.
Just now listening crumbs und some sheet fabrics are big no no though same as another person in the same bed or a to hot room temp. But my bed is my space even during the day at least when Im at home it's hard to relax and wind down in any other space (sometimes the Couch if it's right atm)
i took melatonin for two months and it didn't make me sleepy a single day. in the middle of it i randomly listened to a podcast episode where the host said he slept through a like 7.5 earthquake with a smaller dose of melatonin than i was taking. i felt so so so frustrated because i had read so many instances of autistic people's insomnia being magically cured with melatonin, and for two weeks i was actualle hyperactive at night right after taking it. so glad it's being researched, i'm gonna look more into it because it sounds fascinating, even though it's an exhausting thing to experience
yes i have been so frustrated about it, too, because I know some people who take it and pass out with a deep night of sleep. I've never had that experience with it.
This video explains so much. I already had an inkling, but I'm only just realising I might be autistic (after 50 years), so this is really validating.
I'm going to experiment with lavender oil. I bought a necklace with an diffuser hanger, so I can surround myself with this soothing smell all night.
I am also discovering this after 50! Everything is making so much sense about myself!
I am 48, and I've been wondering since my daughter was diagnosed at age 7 (she's 15 now). My son (13) also has Autism. And I wonder about my husband too!
@@MoodyAby I am not diagnosed but am pretty sure I am I also think my highly strung Daughter and anti social son are plus my husband! I think we gravitate towards one another. I have just after 68 years found a true female friend who I suspect is also on the spectrum. My whole immediate family constantly misunderstands one another and my daughter thinks we are toxic. I now realize we are just different and most very likely on the spectrum. I have restless legs, can’t stop talking, have “special” interests bad sleep patterns, non stop mind noise and ear worm music in my head plus tinnitus for over 40 years! And they all wonder why I am stressed.
I would say I have rather mild autism but also ad/hd, depression, addiction issues, gastrointestinal issues, insomnia, racing thoughts, extreme empathy at times, needing to be alone, hard to go to bed fall asleep and equally hard to get out of bed and wake up, nervousness, social anxiety, having a “favourite song” I listen to for hours, social issues and a lot more, oh especially cptsd.
It pretty humorous- to some degree most people struggle with these issues to varying degrees. I think most humans struggle with masked trauma and there are endless symptoms.
Love this channel btw.
😮I definitely struggle going to bed in a timely manner. And I hang out in the car before going in the car, and like wearing my earbuds as ear protection.
I recently learned that I'm autistic and find your videos helpful! I didn't know why I absolutely can't sleep with a friend in the same room... it's because I'm constantly thinking and aware of the sounds. I never get a peaceful night at those moments.
I also experienced paradoxal effects on medications. My psychiater at that time didn't know why, but I got 2 different anti depression medication and reacted and became every time depressed. I even tried a third medication but got some effects that only a small group of persons get.Know that I know about my autism and see your videos, I get to understand these situations, so thank you for that! :)
(Sorry if my English is bad, i'm from Belgium and don't usually write in English)
For me it’s getting up and going in the morning but I’ve also always been very aware of not wanting to go to bed either. I just can’t make the transition to bed even although I love my bed and as I’ve said, I find it difficult getting up in the morning. This video has hit it on the head. It’s all about transitioning! Wow 😮. Thanks.
You’re welcome! Thanks for your comment.
First, thank you for all your wonderful help! You've changed my life.
I have a suggestion to add. Believe it or not, rocking in a rocking chair can release all the day's anxiety and prevent racing thoughts, etc.
Something to do with the Vagus Nerve, I read somewhere.
Also can prevent a full on meltdown, in my case. It is socially acceptable to boot, whereas just rocking without a chair is not.
This is great info! Thanks for sharing.
My mom told me last year that I was diagnosed with Autism. I'm 27 and I've had challenges with my mental health my entire life. I was in special education classes as a kid. (Idk if people call them that anymore so I'm sorry if that's offensive) but when I was in there no one told me why I switched from my old class. So I didn't think anything of it I just thought I was stupid because other kids always said I was in a class for stupid kids. And I dropped out of school by the time I was 14 and to this day have never returned. I wish I knew earlier so I could've learned how to help myself and tried to seek a therapist sooner. I could have avoided so much pain. I have been loving watching these videos and feeling extremely validated and less lonely in the world. So thanks for the content.
I relate to EVERY one of these sleep issues, plus I also have Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder which now I'm wondering if that's just a result of having all of these other issues!? Interesting!
I’m sure now that I’m neuro divergent. It’s all starting to make sense. I’ve always struggled with the basics of life and thought it was purely CPTSD but maybe not…..I need to run this past a doctor. I’ve been wanting to do that for months but haven’t made a move yet, the procrastination is huge & so frustrating. I do know that I’ll get there eventually though, I know that much about myself.
I need to get one of those masks for my husband. He needs total darkness and I like light and the TV. Maybe I won't end up on the sofa so much!
I hope you love it as much as I do!
5:33 Oh hey, here's me sitting on my couch watching this at 2:30am so absolutely completely exhausted and sleepy but can't go to bed because lying down won't allow the burps to vent out 🙃
Rhodiola is a supplement that is supposed to help energize people and help them be more productive. For myself, it helps the brain turn off the "extra activity" so I can focus on sleeping.
I’ve struggled to sleep all my life. I don’t do well with sleep medication. I discovered a rocking bed is very soothing for me. I have a custom hammock type bed that gently sways all night.
oh my g**! I've been strulelin soooo hard to being able to sleep for as long as I can remember. The part about médication and paradoxal effects of certain drugs is so so true for me! I'm in the dignosis process at the moment an I really didn't know until now that it is in deed a thing for an autistic person to have such issues with medication. Talking from experience: I was prescribed a "serotonin based antidepressant" and I had the WORST paradoxal effect (my psychiatrist actually used that particular word !) possible, left me nearly traumatised! thanks for your video, very enlightening!
Thank you so much for this super-relatable video.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you, help me see I'm not the only one, How can I live 58 years without anyone , seeing I'm this way all my life. Reading wakes me up.
Ok so I’m not the only one struggling to sleep 😀. Last night was the worst sleep I’ve had in a long time (thanks to our “wonderful friends” stress and anxiety) I was in my phone trying not to think about stuff I’ve got going on in my life until 1:30am then maybe 10 minutes later started to feel that unsettled mind not stopping anxious feeling come back so was on my phone again till 3:30am. Then woke up from a weird dream at 5:30am ish then woke up at 7:20am from the rest of my family getting ready to go out, though thankfully fell asleep again almost immediately, then woke up at 10:30am busting and had to get up. Then of cause was feeling a little light headed trying to go to the toilet. Slept for another 10 minutes before having to go to the toilet again and finally deciding just to be awake. Sorry, apparently I needed to have a little rant.
Totally fine to rant here!
I’m too tired to rant, so I will rant vicariously through you. Thanks! 🤓
(Please excuse my stupid sleep-deprived humor 😅)
@@Ann963 all good, glad I could help 🤓.
Hyland’s Restful Legs, which can be ordered on Amazon has been a game changer for my restless legs. I have tried sooo many prescription medications for RLS and nothing worked for me, but THIS did it. Magic
Also, what’s hard if you are on the spectrum and depressed and ADD is you actually need stimulants to be awake and not be depressed and be alert but then I swear the stimulus do something where they make it harder for you to sleep whether it’s Wellview trend or Adderall and also I need tea or coffee throughout the day just to keep with it it’s a weird thing having several of the things going on at once like the ADD and autism
WOW body doubling reallllly hit. I have always found bed time routines so hard but whenever I have a partner they script and I follow and it’s so easy.
This was a great video, thank you!
You’re welcome!
Anyone else procrastinating going to sleep by watching this video? Almost 2am here for me :p
☺️
I can relate to having trouble transitioning to bedtime. I actually get depressed about going to bed because I dread the bigger problem: waking up multiple times during the night and having to wait for sleep to return is torture. I've finally resigned to be ok with lying there awake in the dark, because somehow it is restful enough to allow me to function through the day. I used to get up grumpy (not sleepy) because I hadn't slept enough, but accepting that fact makes it easier to get up at sunrise.
I can definitely relate to the idea that I want the whole house to be completely quiet. So basically everybody else in the house must go to sleep for me to have the calm feeling that I want to go to bed. But I do go to bed at 10pm because if I don't i will be too tired to get up in time to send my daughter off to school. Unfortunately my husband stays up later so I can hear him and there's some light, not that he's loud or anything but I do really notice the noises when I'm trying to go to sleep. I would say that I mostly sleep alright but I would just prefer to be the last one to go to sleep because of the quietness and relaxing atmosphere. I don't know if I'm making sense
Always was like this. Totally relate. They idea of asking for help, "Buddy system" is a new concept. Wonder if he would consider helping. You'd be lucky, but don't count on it. They have their ways, don't they? and their reasons, stuff THEY are dealing with
@@3SeasonsUSA yes I actually did mention to him already about it. The main thing is if he would somehow encourage me to brush my teeth and then I would b into the routine and not have a problem I think. I don't know why he stays up so much, I wish he would see himself as having to get up in the morning with the kids too or sometimes instead of me would b nice.
@@heedmydemands Yep, that would be nice! I was not ever able to solve this problem, entirely. About the only time he got up earlier with the children, was on Mother's day, usually. Lately, I am telling myself to be honest that my bedtime routine takes longer than I had been admitting, while watching a movie. I break up the movie between two evenings, if I am motivated on this. I am surprised at how much easier it is to get all my desired tasks, even lotion on hands, becomes if I give myself time. Give yourself that gift one time and see how it makes you feel. It might even put you in the "mood" he wants, [or just gifting yourself with time to read in bed-whatever, LOL]
@@3SeasonsUSA yeah I guess there are things that would b maybe nice to add to the routine and sometimes I have to do it like put on hand lotion, my hands will get really dry in the winter and crack and bleed, it sucks. Also some things r part of the routine that I don't see as being part of it like putting the dishes on the table away so the table's not full of dirty dishes when I get up
@@heedmydemands reading this as my dishes sit in the sink while I rest my tummy😁 I am watching Mel Robbins channel. She gives some great pointers about procrastination. It's actually not a "lazy" thing with creative types and anyone stressed out by today's crazy paced society. Whether she said it or I came up with it, I have had to, more recently taken projects in small chunks of time. 5 minutes here and there, 'til finally I am on a roll. Good luck with your whole family!🙂 May the Force, Source or angels be with you all
The "everything has to be right" part went to a whole next level once I started sleeping with a free willed cat that I need on my face.
Yes to all of this!! Can't shut off my brain at all. Also, Benadryl and over the counter sleep meds definitely have the opposite effect. They give me extremely restless legs (much more than normal) and have always done so since I was a child.
And a quick follow up to this. Does your weighted sleep mask work well if you are a side sleeper?
Yes. I am a side sleeper. It does not fall off. It is adjustable with a wide velcro strap.
With restless legs, it's related to lack of dopamine - something we're all familiar with in the neurodivergent community. I only have an ADHD diagnosis, and generally I won't take my stimulants after 7pm. But I take the smalllllllest possible dose just before bed and it really helps my RSD.
RSD or RLS?
@@wildmoonchild8210 rls, doh. Inability to track what I'm saying from the start of the sentence to the end... typical ADHD. Sadly does nothing for RSD.
@@CorinnePritchard lol understandable
@Lucas Milito ew no.
Also iron deficiency. When I was diagnosed with RLS, my ferritin was 18. My doctor said that RLS is common when ferritin is under 50, and for most people, it goes away from 50-75.
About turning your mind off with delayed processing: there was a period when I wrote my diary in bed (no partner back then). I often fell asleep while writing! It definitely helped, also as I planned to write, I didn't have to feel "tired enough" to go bed, so it helped with the transition somehow.
My personal experiences with a few things over the years. No, I'm not a doctor or a medical professional:
1) restless leg - I take extra magnesium; it happens rarely now.
2) never closing movie theater in the mind:
- lemon balm tincture or tea with Gotu Kola tincture in the morning to lessen anxiety during the day and at bedtime to close the big movie theaters in the front to only have a late-night show in a small theater in the back. ❤❤✌🏻
So normal people don’t have fifty requirements satisfied to get to sleep? Sleep mask, feet rubbing together, no socks, earplugs in, laying toward husband scratching his back with my Chuck E. Cheese stuffie between my arms and a pillow between my legs, one leg kicked out of the blanket, and my husband cannot be also going to sleep or I have to get over a mini-panic attack for literally no reason other than it’s not what I’m used to…that’s weird? Sounds so much weirder when I type it out.
😂yeah that’s not everyone
10:23 My mum always needs the TV to fall asleep. On the other hand, I _can't_ fall asleep when there's noise, especially human voices. Was always a royal pain in the backside on family holidays as a kid when everyone shared a room as I was somehow expected to fall asleep in an unfamiliar place when I wasn't tired and the TV was playing. I was just supposed to deal with it though as parents' preferences came first
Is Bluetooth healthy for people? All this wifi and extra electricity is not good for me.
The transition from sleep to getting dressed is SO hard for me. I usually put everything including my toothbrush beside my bed does help.
My husband always gets a bit frustrated because I am really really bad at making my kids do their bedtime routine and go to bed. That’s what I thought of when you mentioned sleep issues.
Had an evaluation for disability and the note:
“In ACCCA (2017), it was reported by the counsellor that the participant suffered from inflamed gums, changes in his vision related to age, acid reflux, back problems, skin irritation and IBS which XXXXX attributes to his psychological symptoms.”
And they did absolutely nothing with this. I have to figure out and get testing for ADHD/ASD. So many years feeling gaslit by the medical system. It was five more years and I was deep into ASD burnout and had lost all my friends before I could get an answer
The paradoxical medication that happens to me is non-drowsy Dramamine knocks me out for 8 hours (can’t wake for anything). Certain antihistamines act like a paralytic agent.
Interesting
Makes me want to get some Dramamine and see if it will knock me out too! Antihistamines give me CRAZY dreams and out me in this hyper haze where I am stuck in between asleep and fully awake. Like my brain is just swirling and can’t stop.
@@rachelmitchell2144 Antihistamine makes my body unmovable except my eyes. Just be careful with any medication. If the Dramamine acts like it does with me, you can be in danger because you can’t really do anything in case of emergency. In my case, on an airplane.
@@monikastuckey8737 Yikes! Didn’t think of that. Just grasping at straws in desperation. I used to suffer from sleep paralysis a lot! Sounds a bit like that, though I don’t recall the paralysis in conjunction with antihistamines. They usually just make me sort of drowsy for an hour and then I’m wired most of the rest of the night.
I have to have the tv on as well. It is also a 'comfort show'. I think it helps my mind relax, because if that tv isn't on, my mind will NOT shut off!
OH MY GOSH!!! I was just thinking about this last night wondering why I HATE getting myself ready for bed so much that I hate washing my face, brushing my teeth and going to the bathroom. BUT, I never allow myself to not wash & brush, but I believe that’s why I avoid and stall bedtime. The bedtime-routine-aversion that I just discovered I have is now being addressed here and made to feel not crazy. I have worn an eye mask and earplugs for years and there’s something about having the certain amount of pressure on my eyes. I have specific needs like light cotton PJ’s, nothing binding, a flat pillow between my legs, pushed into my stomach to support my back, and a certain level pressed in on my head pillow. I live in HI so fans are common but it does have to be on to keep my body temp fluctuations. I now take progesterone (was lacking severely) and one antihistamine every night to help get myself into a deeper sleep
I’m 67, self-diagnosed this far, but I now have an appt with my PCP to be referred for a diagnosis.
Before I started having to take medication for nerve pain I always struggled to get into bed even as a child. Now it's like if I don't get into bed I fall asleep on my feet rushing to try and finish clearing up the kitchen last thing at night.
I have to sleep in a dark room. I'm so light sensitive. I have to have my glass of water by my bed, I have to have my phone on charge and my headphones for my sleep story, my hand cream and lip balm, and my bed wedge as I have gastritis.
I’ve struggled with sleep challenges all my life and it seems like medications are just a bandaid on the bigger issue or they straight up don’t work for me. It’s a challenge but this video gave me some great tips and made me feel so validated and heard. ❤thank you
You’re welcome. Thanks for your comment Jazz.
I'm one of those who needs a fan, even when it's cold. But sometimes i can't stand the noise, so i'll put some other noise like a white noise podcast with thunderstorm sounds
I have what people have called a "biome" in my room, which it's hard not to feel shame when people say that because I can't sleep at night normally. Weirdly, I have the ability to take a nap in most public places because of having daytime sleepiness, but actually winding down to sleep at night is harder. If I have part of a song stuck in my head, like a singe lyric, it'll be stuck on repeat in my head, even when I wake up. It's really annoying! Also, I've noticed that coffee gives me a migraine effect, and alcohol (when I could drink it) puts me to sleep.
When I drink alcohol, it usually helps me go to sleep, but then I almost always 100% of the time wake up in the middle of the night and can't go back to sleep
@@MomontheSpectrum Same. If I drink two hours before bedtime, as recommended, I am wide awake at bedtime. I don't drink wine anymore. Unable to process it due to fatty liver, or something.
My sister has narcolepsy, and I was surprised to learn how much of the narcolepsy experience and treatments overlap with ADHD! I definitely don’t have narcolepsy myself, but I do have ADHD and I am autistic, with extra anxiety on top. The brain fog is so frustrating! Half asleep 24 hours a day, too lethargic to be alert, too wired to be tired and sleep. So, not to say you definitely do or don’t have narcolepsy, but it might be useful to explore just in case. Understanding how my adhd medication is used when treating narcolepsy helps me optimize when and how I take it to get the best results.
I always sleep with my sleep headband on which connects to Bluetooth. I usually listen to sleep music from Soothing Relaxation and Calmed by Nature TH-cam channels at night. It also does a great job of being noise cancelling so I don't hear loud noises when my family gets up for the day.
I love doing yoga with Kassandra's yoga videos. I need to find more time to do yoga !
yoga is the best! Thanks for the new suggestion
I got so tired of not getting in bed by a reasonable time (to get enough sleep when waking up early) that I got a couple of smart light bulbs and a smart plug for my TV, and programmed them all to shut off at a certain time. Suddenly sitting in the dark does help get me to go to bed… now if only I could shut off my phone screen as well, lol. It’s difficult because I also sleep to ASMR videos on TH-cam, and I usually don’t have one all ready to go before I go to bed.
I also love @yogawithadriene, btw! She has a practice for every situation.
This weighted sleep mask and the cooling eye cups sounds flippin' amazing!
OMG the transitioning is new to me but so spot on! I always take like half an hour to just get to my bed from the other room
Yes! I know. Once I learned about the difficult of transitions for autistic people it made a huge impact in my life. Now I just kind of laugh at myself when I’m stuck sometimes and just think ok here I go again. 😂
Listening to a TH-cam channel called Meditative Mind works for me. I can't do binaural beats. There are many things on that channel to choose from. I also used it as an OT working with kids who had sensory issues. They would even request certain selections.
Thanks for sharing!
Paradoxical reactions! I’ve never heard of this before this video but it makes so much sense.
I love audiobooks they do help me sleep, but it has to be specific books. I have a couple books that I listen to on repeat (my stim reads) for sleep). And then I have books that will absolutely keep me awake no matter how tired I am, I’m too interested and so the sleepy feeling just doesn’t come.
I have similar for meditation. I have a sleep meditation that’s meant to knock me out. It’ll help me sleep when I can’t sleep if I get everything else absolutely correct within a certain time period, otherwise it leaves me absolutely wired.
Caffeine helps me sleep, in fact I’ll drink it only when I’ve been having a hard time sleeping or have a migraine and even occasionally in the middle of the night and it helps me sleep/relax. It doesn’t wake me up unfortunately.
This is seriously one of my favorite channels is existence. I find myself laughing in agreement with the introduction of each bullet point, like “finally, it all makes sense!” Thank you so much for taking the time to create quality content with genuinely helpful information that’s easy to understand, digest, and apply. You really are making a difference and I, for one, really appreciate the work you’re doing. Cheers!
P.S. the joy you have talking about the eye masks is infectious and I WILL be ordering soon.