Sleepless Nights - The Struggle of Autism and Sleep
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- Опубліковано 4 чер 2024
- Hi! I'm Orion Kelly and I'm Autistic. On this video I explore the topic of sleeping difficulties and autism. Plus, I share my personal lived experiences as an #actuallyautistic person. #orionkelly #autism #asd #autismsigns #whatautismfeelslike
⏱ Index:
00:00 - Welcome
00:50 - Sleep & autism
01:20 - Examples
11:58 - NEW research findings
15:45 - Strategies
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ABOUT ORION:
Orion Kelly is an #ActuallyAutistic vlogger (UA-camr), podcaster, radio host, actor, keynote speaker and Autistic advocate based in Australia. Orion is all about helping you increase your understanding, acceptance and appreciation of Autistic people.
#AutisticVoices #ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #Autism #OrionKelly #ThatAutisticGuy #ASD
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My husband and I share a bed for intimate encounters but we each sleep alone in separate rooms. It made a huge difference in our marriage when we both were getting better sleep.
I can't sleep if someone is with 100 feet other then the same room
that's gonna be my future xd
if i ever get a husband this will be us lol. my bed stays mine and your bed stays yours, also when i have to sleep in a hotel with my sister where there are only double beds i cant rest properly
@@selma.lovescatsId just be grateful if I had a wife in general 😂
the lines that got me hooked "up tp 80% of autistic people struggle with sleep" and "one common issue is the difficulty falling asleep". OH MY GOSH! Absalutly yes I hardly EVER just go to sleep at night
I’ve been a night owl my entire life (50 now) with bouts of seasons of insomnia. Right at the start of every summer my circadian rhythm does a complete flip flop. Luckily I work for myself so I can control my schedule in that regard.
I would love a video touching on the gut-brain connection for us neurodivergent folk. We’ve studied it in my nursing school very briefly but it looks like a fascinating topic.
There was a University of Cambridge study I am reminded of by your request. If I remember correctly I was informed of this guy neuron oddity by Professor Edward Dutton the Jolly Heretic on his channel. Anywho, the study was on cheese eaten just before bed and dreams. The stinkier the cheese the more vivid and psychedelic the dreams. There was one which was the stinkiest that made all participants have the EXACT same theme to their dreams: pets in space! The theory is that the fungus in the cheese is making the subjects’ gut neurons trip like on mushrooms, albeit, only while the bigger bundle of neurons in their nuggets is in an unconscious state.
There's a book called Gut by Giulia Enders that is really interesting on this subject.
Autonomic Nervous System triad of Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Postural Tachycardia Syndrome, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (EDS/POTS/MCAS triad going down in Autism
At 61 years of age, i finally asked my doctor yesterday for some kind of psychological evaluation. I told her that I thought I was autistic. Today I received a call from my local social services and I will be receiving help very soon. Thanks for all the great videos, Orion.
Good luck. I got diagnosed as an adult and my mother got diagnosed after me in her 60s. She said it helped a lot with giving herself compassion with her limitations "I wasn't stupid and lazy after all"
Just got my diagnosis at 56.
❤
I definitely relate to Circadian Rhythm Delay and it's really annoying how quickly I can slip into it, particularly at weekends. I have all these plans to do stuff but Come Friday Night I can't get to sleep until about 4/5am then don't wake up until Midday and I'm so groggy I have difficulty being fully awake until at least 2 pm then that's most of the day gone! Come Sunday night I have to force going to bed early because of work the next day. Mondays are a real struggle because of lack of sleep! Then I get angry with myself for having another wasted weekend. I have tried going to bed early on a Friday to get up the next day as if it was a work day but it doesn't seem to work. My brain knows it's not a work day so will either wake me up in the middle of the night or keep me asleep through all alarms until midday again! Because it knows it's not a workday and I don't have to get up even if I want to. Grrr!
Have to chime in here as I am a late diagnosed autistic (diagnosed at 44 after partner was working with autistics and realised my issues where similar). For sleeping when young I had lots of nightmares / night terrors and similar issues. I got into the habit of always reading a book (fantasy / sci fi usually) as I lay in bed and setting myself 'within' that world for dreaming as I went to sleep. I still do it now and it really helps put the daily stresses out my head before I go to bed. If I don't do this I just tend to lay there worrying at best.
Just a way of deprogramming my head out of its daily worries.
Thank you Orion Kelly, as you have noted even more things that I knew where different but buried and am still discovering are linked to my neurology.
I did the same thing 🤓. I had graphic nightmares growing up and finally tried to start “controlling” my dreams. Often, I’d have to die (be murdered) before I could wake up (knowing I was having a nightmare while in the nightmare but couldn’t do anything about it).
I am high functioning Asperger's as an adult woman and ALL of these resonate for me. I also hate being touched by most people and dont feel safe in the same bed with anyone but my mate. I grew up without any touch or hugs whatsoever from parents or loved ones. I am now a cynical goth misanthrope with a sharp tongue who spends almost all my time alone.
I need the alone time to recharge form the occasional social stuff. I felt very misanthropic this past weekend. Smirk to self and think at least I'm good at something (being autistic!).
Lol I relate to the “cynical goth misanthrope with a sharp tongue” characterization at an atomic level
I have Asperger and ADD, and I am uncomfortable with strangers touching me. But not with people I know, and I love hugs from loved ones. My mother always made me feel at ease even though she did not have a clue that I was on the spectrum (it wasn't that well known then) I was diagnosed at age 50 and I am 52 now. I taught myself to mask even though I didn't know why I was doing it, that thought occurred to me much much later in life.
@@paulmichaelfreedman8334 can relate fully with this comment
Dear Nocturnal. I feel your pain. You are NOT what you describe. Like many of us, years of misunderstanding, cruelty and bullying can make us lose our way and not be the person God intended. Jesus loves you and made you in His image. Whatever our additional challenges, we are beautiful, unique people that ought to value ourselves and our abilities and talents, despite the neurotypical world telling us we're defective. We need to give and receive love live every human on this earth. I know you can do this Nocturnal. Please don't write yourself off!
Here watching this at 4am after only getting 2 hrs of sleep over the past 3 days 🙃
“Co-sleeping” SUPER resonates with me!!! I hate it a ton!!! ESPECIALLY if the other person snores, hogs the covers, or moves around a bunch during the night, smh.
Thank you!!!
I was sleep deprived for the entire 15 years of my first marriage because my husband insisted that I sleep in the same bed. I was single for 7 years between marriages and I made it clear up front that I will have my own bedroom before I agreed to get married again. We did try to sleep together a few nights, but he quickly realized why it was in both of our best interest to have our own bedrooms. We've been married over 18 years now and have slept in the same bed probably less than 10 times.
I've only become aware of being on autism spectrum about 15 years ago (self-diagnosed). But only after discovering channels like yours a few months ago have I FINALLY begun to understand and appreciate myself! THANKS!!!
I saw about a dozen psychiatrist over about 10 years and none of them ever suggested autism. Their many drugs wrecked my health and turned me into an obese, homebound rapid cycling bipolar with HORRIBLE mixed episodes, that led to several suicide attempts, so I stopped going to them about 10 years ago. For the past 7 years I have focused on diet, sleep. education and exercise and have slowly regained my health and happiness.
I'm glad to hear of someone else treating their mental health in a more manual way and having success. I've had horrible results with prescriptions, but thankfully am slowly making good progress doing some of the things you mentioned, very encouraged by your comment😊
@@courtney9212 The last two psychiatrist that I saw were actually very receptive to alternative treatments and actually helped me with a few coping techniques. But sadly, insurance will only cover them if they are prescribing drugs.
I do still have a few prescribed pills left to take if I become dangerously sleep-deprived. After taking a quality CBD oil 6 weeks straight over 3 years ago, I haven't needed any pills. I haven't even needed CBD oil in over 2 years.
I also have chickens and goats to care for now that provide me with social rhythm. Without them needing me, there are days that I would not be able to get out of bed. 20 years ago, I wouldn't even commit to caring for a single houseplant. :)
(((HUG)))
If you haven't looked into it, maybe do a look into the keto space for diet. It completely cured my gut issues I suffered from. It also aids my restfulness and all other aspects of my life when I eat mostly for nutrition, honestly mostly meats for collagen, fatty acids like DHA & EPA, and plenty of protein for strong bones and muscles and tissue regeneration.
A weighted blanket is a game changer. Get one with cool bamboo material and it's so comfy, even in summer!
Hey, I always make the joke that sleeping like a baby is waking up every two or three hours looking for some milk. Nice one!
When I first told my psychiatrist I thought I was autistic, he looked really confused. I worked on an inpatient unit with him for 2 years, and I must mask really well. Well, this video just confirmed it further. Now I’m realizing I must be AuDHD because I’ve failed to take any notes on all the videos I’ve watched 😅🤦♂️
I had the worst sleeping habits in the world and could never fix it. I drove for uber for a couple years during the pandemic and only slept and woke up naturally the whole time. Afterwards, i feel like my whole bioclock is reset, and i can't even go without sleep like I used to if I tried. I think a lot of these problems stem from the hyper-structured lives we live not allowing for long-term systems like the circadian rythm to reassert themselves biologically.
3:28 The bit about getting some sunlight in your eyes when you go somewhere new is not a useless tip it’s actually scientifically proven that getting daylight first thing in the morning resets your circadian rhythm gives you more energy and can help your overall sleep. It’s actually a brilliant idea to suggest doing that during travel especially when going overseas because the shock to the system that is to move through one time zone is bad enough when you go through several it can really mess up your whole system.
it goes beyond getting light first thing!! i recommend watching the huberman lab podcasts if this is of interest to anyone reading… that is where i learned THIS:
-view sunlight upon waking, for at least 10-20 minutes while facing the direction of the sunrise (without looking directly at the sun obviously)
-viewing the sunset in the same fashion with the same 10-20 minute time minimum; then reduce visible light afterwards. avoid overhead lights, dim screens, avoid screens around an hour before bed.
-if you function on a third shift/night owl routine, viewing the sunset upon waking and then the sunrise before sleeping will help better regulate your circadian clock in your body to adjust.
-if it’s dark when you wake up, fill the room with as much light as you can
-if you cannot get outside first thing upon waking, let in as much NATURAL light as possible.
other cool sleep tips i learned on his podcast that help me with “bedtime” routine, as well as things that helped me stop burning myself out:
-cooling your body down helps you fall asleep bc our temperature drops at night. a hot shower before bed, lowering temperature in the room can help.
-your body then needs to warm up when you wake up… so do the opposite. i like to sit in front of a space heater in the AM during the winter bc it makes it easier to get up and get ready. also heat pads.
-sticking to the same wake up time to the best of your ability to keep from disrupting sleep cycles
- sticking to a routine best you can; start winding down at the same time every evening, and avoid intense emotions and activities after that time.
-actively laying down and relaxing whether you think you’re tired or not.
- staying in bed and resting if you wake up and cannot fall back asleep instead of getting up and trying to “be productive” until a certain time in the morning hours
-if you need to sleep with a tv,keep the screen dim and volume low; lights very dim if you need light
-things like ASMR, soft music, white noise at a low level if you need sound
-avoiding certain media at night especially… horror, action, thriller, etc. if you have nightmares.
-keeping your bed/room as sensory friendly and cozy as possible however that looks for you
-using memory foam things or squishables if you have chronic pain/eds/hypermobility
-sleepy teas or smoke blends… i use cannabis and prefer herbs since most meds never help and those that do, doctors now refuse to prescribe. passionflower and skullcap are the two that i like best. it will be stronger if you make it as a tea.
i have autism, adhd, and lots of trauma… so i spent so much of my life not knowing how to wind down/relax therefore pushing myself and spending many years in sleep deprivation which only made it harder to function… some of the above has really helped me start prioritizing sleep hygiene and better taking care of my neurodivergent brain. 🫶🏻
I found myself autistic at the age of 29, after a severe dissociation crisis. I wish you could record a video talking about the difficulty of laughing, understanding silly things. I really spend 99% of my time reading, studying, practicing yoga, I can't let my mind free. And I can't laugh about almost anything, first because I don't understand and also because I don't see the fun. Everything that holds my attention is about history, something philosophical, I have to be learning all the time. It makes my social interaction difficult
This has been a highly educational video for me, seeing issues I experience are indeed linked to autism. There are so many of these issues that I experience but didn't know could be linked to autism. Some of these sleep disorders I had heard of previously, but not linked to autism, others were new to me. So I learned a lot in this video. Thanks, Orion!
It's such an eye opener (non pun intended) that after so many years of not knowing the reason for constant struggle of sleeping and waking identified. Not that it's easily resolvable. But still a relief to have that knowledge.
I'm always anxious and worrying. Over sensitive to noise, light, textural comfort. Usually end up sitting next to partner while they sleep or leaving and going downstairs at night so I don't disturb them while I can't sleep.
You're spot on with everything 👌 even comfort zones and night terrors. Just came back from partner's family holiday, struggled so much. A whole week of even more disregulated sleep than usual. Now making up for lost sleep, trying to get used to home agen.
I wanna see an Orion Kelly autism and adhd documentary/docuseries. 😊
You convey things so nicely I can't find words for it atm. But it'd be awesome to have more ways to get knowledge out there.
Awkward humour love it 😅😂
Sleep - has been the biggest issue in my life. I struggled with bedwetting (every night) into my adult years (finally diagnosed with enuresis nocturnal, got meds) Growing up there wasn't internet or any real info into about the 'you'll grow out of it, just bedwetting' issue, nowadays it is called a sleep disorder. It took a huge toll on my self confidence and more. For me, another issue is that I'm a night owl and my mind will not stop when life becomes quiet around me. And once I do fall asleep, I CAN NOT wake up, and it doesn't matter how many hours I slept, or didn't sleep, whether it is 5 am or 7 am or 10 am or 11 am - waking up is true hell!!!! I should've gone for a sleep study but I also know I won't be able to sleep during that 'strange bed - they are watching me - there are things stuck to me - sleep test anyways.
I was thinking to do that too but no way I'm going to sleep in a strange bed with certainly lot of lights, bip and noises around with stuff stuck on me. It's too creepy as h
I'm not sure lots of people do it cause honestly it's pretty ironical when those people look for reducing their anxiety and stuff
yes exactly this!! im not really talking about the bedwetting thing but my mind just wont shut off in the evening. when i wake up i am usually tired and cant stand up
@@selma.lovescats Sorry to hear that waking up is so difficult for you too, and how your mind won't stop running overtime in the evenings. Let's hope we both find a miracle solution and can simply sleep and wake up like the majority does. ❤😴
Home sleep studies are available, that's what I did. You tape something on your chest, wear a watch and something on your finger and use an app on your phone. Everything came in the box, my doctor showed me how to download and use the app. I was able to sleep in my own bed with my "strange" sleep schedule and then you just throw everything out you don't even have to return anything! Way easier than doing it in a strange place at a designated time, I'd ask your doctor about it!
@@egodeathalone Oh wow, that's the first I heard of that, and such a logical solution as well. I sadly doubt that we have it available here in Turkey, but I'll definitely search for it. Thanks for sharing!
Good interesting point with the 'noise-machine' assisting young ones to sleep.
For me the night is so quiet 'in a good sense, soo peaceful, all other humans dead asleep, the world is quiet and a beautiful time to be awake sleeping from 4-5am to midday or so.
'Night terrors' definitely. Wake up covered in sweat.
As a self Diagnosed Autistic Adult I can relate to this so much I also have Sleep Apnea which makes my sleep cycle awful
I suspect I'm autistic (on a waiting list for official diagnosis) and I'm watching this at 4:30am having not slept. Thanks for all the advice at the end! I really need help.
Yes! I struggle with sleep sometimes. I can sleep in my own bed but I can’t sleep if it’s too bright, too cold, too hot, I have to pee, someone is in the bed, my feet are cold then I run into trouble. I have trouble sleeping in other beds and if another person is in bed with me I get wired and can’t sleep because I want to chat. I can share a bed with my dogs-even if he puts his head on my leg. The only time I sleep soundly without waking is right before my period and I’m exhausted. I will take THC gummies before bed to help relax me, and I’ll try to read before bed (watching to with subtitles also works).
Perfect timing - This was the first thing I saw when I went on UA-cam during the wee hours of this morning because I couldn’t sleep lol
💙 Thank a lot. I have many of theses, and also Sleep Paralysis sometimes.
Meditation before sleeping, and healing frequencies (Hz)/mediation music help a lot. I also let them in background during the day.
I feel/senses the energies, and therefore I the feelings of others, and if their energy/frequency is good or bad, and their suffering, even through the videos. 💙😢🫂 I hear and sometimes sense the vibrations in the walls, windows, floor, or even objects, when the vehicles pass (cars, motorcycles, scooters), the trucks don't bother me as much. I feel like a very vulnerable animal.
Even if I have Asperger, Giftedness (more than 130 or 140 IQ) and maybe ADHD, the suffering is the same or even more depending of the person. We all need support, compassion, kindness and a lot of calm, we need more love. I think Asperger/Autism level 1 need as much support than the other levels of Autism.
The force is strong with you.....Partial OBE-CPTSD...its what cats use too.... I'm about to move back home. I will save this and take notes to see if something helps me there. Karra says i need to reinvent myself...and finding proper rest is a part of that reinvention. If i find things that work...i'll let you know.
"We all need support, compassion, kindness and a lot of calm, we need more love" I didn't even see that part....i did feel it tho. reaching out across the ethers are ya?
That's really interesting. I'm struggling to sleep since ever.
I was at a hospital because of a depression and they gave that medicine called Mirtazapin. That helps me pretty well with that sleeping issue.
Sadly my last night was horrible because of various nightmares.
I got put on Mirtazapin. It helped with the sleep issues but was definitely not beneficial for anything else for me personally (I won't share any further details because I don't want to put you off if it's working well for you). I stopped taking it nearly a year ago and I'm still working on my recovery.
As a person with autism, it has always been hard for me to sleep. I absolutely love sleeping but is so hard to be fast asleep, and it is also hard to wake up in the morning due to not being able to sleep through the night. I have tried listening to sounds or relaxing music to get me to sleep, it has worked a couple of times but it doesn't always work. Thank you for making this video :)
My partner is actually planning on buying us a bunk bed this coming year because I had an open conversation with him about my sensory issues. He has no problem with it and I was shocked. I expected a negative reaction. So very excited for the future 😊
Oh my gosh, I have had a hard time sleeping my whole life. My mind will not calm down. I also look at pictures of people cuddling and wish I could fall asleep like that, but I can't. We eventually have to stop cuddling so I can get comfortable and fall asleep. My youngest child has a very hard time falling asleep without me or her dad in bed, but when we are there, she's out like a light. My older two are less into co-sleeping, but do need melatonin to fall asleep, or else their minds just race all night.
I resonate so much with everything you say about autism. I was diagnosed less than a year ago, and I'm a little frustrated that my doctor almost didn't agree that I was. I keep thinking, "lady, let me tell you about all these little things!"
So I just discovered I'm autistic this month! When I have trouble sleeping, I've discovered that THC helps a lot 💚
Do you know what it takes to get high from weed?
I SPINE!
Kinda a joke but literally…God made us with an endocanaboidal system that has neurons whos sole function is to wait for weed chemicals to enter your system and get you high. Not only humans obviously but all the way up to the Class of creature “Vertebrae” which means God made the brains of Fish and Dogs and Birds and Cool Cats and and and and ALL have a part that is only there to receive input from Mary Jane. “And God said…it is good.” Sharks cannot get high because they have only a spinal column and not the essential vertebrae. Their brains simply cannot get high. Good thing too because I don’t wanna know what a shark with the munchies acts like!
Aloha!!!
For me, I get groggy the next day. Can’t do it if I work or run the next morning. Otherwise, I’m sure it helps. If they could make a drug without next day grogginess, that would be great
@@JDMimeTHEFIRST Talk with your doctor about different dosages for your🌿medicine. That ought help avoid the fuzzies.
@@JDMimeTHEFIRSTAgree with the above commenter - there are so many different types and hybrids and doses that affect everyone differently. Just like any other medication, it takes a bit of trial and error to find what works. I've been struggling with sleeping for almost 40 years and been on more medications than I have fingers and 🌿 is the only thing that works with the helpful side effect of it reduces anxiety and helps my eating too
Delta 8 gummies are good sometimes, but nothing is foolproof with insomnia.
All this explains so much for me!
My sleep rythem is off, i have light and touch sensetivity, so no lighta in the room, and my duvet and pillow and all sheets have to be comfortable, so no wrinkles!
I have extreme night terrors, i suffered from night terrors for 2 years straight..
I snore, and grind my teeth in sleep.
I was told once that i answered when asked and had open eyes when i was a sleep, idk why, but it stopped and havent happend again since i was a kid and teen 🤔
I co-sleep well with people, i like having someone in the room with me..
My sister selpt in the same bed with her son because he could just not sleep alone for a couple of years ❤
I don't like to be touched. I like to be alone. And i have trouble sleeping. When i remember every bad thing others said snd did to me. And feel bad for what i said even if it was to stand up for myself
Interesting! My father and I have both always had VERY dry skin. We'd struggle to maintain hydration despite drinking lots and lots of water. (If we ever got dehydrated, water alone wouldn't be enough to rehydrate us; we'd NEED something a little sweet and salty to rehydrate. We NEED temperate climates, not desert or tropics either.) The dryness was so bad that washing with water would exacerbate the dryness. Skin would crack and be slow to heal. When I was waiting tables in college, the sanitizing spray for the tables irritated my skin so chunks would slough off. Going to a dermatologist helped but never cleared it up completely. It was seeing a nutritionist who did her best and, not clearing up my skin completely, dove further into the research and found particular length fatty acid chains she suspected was the issue. I ended up supplementing with borage seed oil and flax seed oil (flax seed alone was not sufficient) to heal my skin. I was averse to fats texturally but have always found since then, hitting various fats heavier improved a myriad of little health indicators.
So much of the rest resonated with me too... maybe 80% of the things you mentioned were direct experiences of mine and my children too. It makes me glad that autism is genetic because autistic adults can be more compassionate, empathetic, and supportive of autistic babies and children than neurotyps who can view us as fussy, inconvenient, or non-compliant.
Edit because autocorrect made gibberish of meaning.
Thanks for mentioning that, I've always said God gave me just enough autism so I could relate to my son.
red meat, a lot it...has helped me greatly. i love cows and stuff. sadly..its the one thing keeping me healthy these days.
Great Scott Marty! Beef intramuscular fat consists on average of: 50% saturated fatty acids. However, about 30% is stearic acid or C18:0 - a longer chain saturated fatty acid which does not increase plasma low-density lipoprotein (or bad cholesterol) level.
it's 4 a.m. for me lol
OMG dude you just answered a question I had for 30 years, when my son's first signs of something going on with him at 18 months were night terrors, we had no idea what brought it on, and it was 1992 so nobody knew much about autism back then! Suddenly he had a few months of constant night terrors, w even bundled him up and took him to the hospital once we were so concerned about them - they told us to just try and wake him by putting a cold cloth on his face - after that he began having terrible tantrums and delayed speech, and the early signs of autism but had no idea what it was, nor did any doctor in our small town! he is a happy autistic 31 year old now, but I always wondered what was going on with those night terrors, so long ago, thanks for filling in that puzzle piece for me!
Hi Orion, thank you, as usual your videos articulate our lives which until recently were experienced in isolation and often ostracism. My son wouldn't, couldn't sleep, I was hauled over the coals for poor parenting, not providing a conducive bedtime routine, not listening to all the "expert" mum's out there. His sleepless nights meant my sleepless nights because he would not settle without me present. Finally with an expert social worker and psychiatrist he was prescribed melatonin, a substance naturally secreted by the body which regulates our body clocks. On the whole it helps, there are still some problems but far less. It probably wouldn't work for everybody but it works for him
I’m sorry for all you & your son are going through. We had similar experiences. As an RN, and a particularly child centered advocacy parent, it has been so isolating & disappointing to face, aka mostly fight, responses from other parents (even autism parents), the medical community, & therapist “experts” all the years just to get the support my son needs.
Thanks for sharing about melatonin. It helped my son for awhile. We’ve tried many interventions & sleep study w no real solutions.
Bottom line- trust your mom instincts & know you’re not alone. Adults on the spectrum were the most help & guidance for us. Thank heavens for Orion & others who work to share!
@@onyxwear I too am an RN, it was heartbreaking to face opposition and disbelief from within the profession, because the information and education was not available, not sure in these times of right wing predominance whether we will be moving forward
Watching this at 7 in the morning, after a couple hours total of bits of sleep.
Yeah, now that I think about it, I never liked to try and sleep. I would lay there in the dark, with my music on, and lipsincing to almost an entire album lol! I remember being 11 and lipsincing to the song "Saturday Night" by Wigfield! 😅 Ah, those were the 90's ☺️. I also totally relate to waking up feeling disoriented if I sleep at someone else's house. I will wake up, look around, feel startled (having no idea whete I am or how I got there). It is quite the time, I tell ya!
Helloooo again from California! 🙋🏻♀️🌻
It’s 1:22am for me 🤓
I don’t struggle with sleep, as if it won’t come and take me over (thank the Lord!)… I simply won’t go get in bed and let it. 🙃
I’ve been a “night owl” with a preference for rising late my whole life.
“Sleep hygiene” is a sore subject with me. It doesn’t help that my early-bird husband doesn’t “get” me and basically wants me to go to bed early like he does.
(Shall we talk about PDA now? 😅)
I fall asleep fine. Two hours later, I’m awake. Stir and repeat ALL NIGHT LONG! Sheesh!
Ah yes, the perfect video at nearly 3am and I am ready for sleep.
I am usually awake when your videos are released because I'm still awake at 2am (another Californian here too).
Restless legs is my biggest obstacle to good sleep. And it feels very validating to hear that is a problem for so many others. I have been taking Ambien for decades now because it is the only thing that helps (which if you know it is not common). Strangely it no longer has a sedative effect on me, but it does calm my legs for most of the night. But by morning, my legs are twitching again.
My restless legs drive me nuts and are a major problem for me throughout the night. The only remedy I have come across is to constantly move my legs at a ridiculous speed to try and just wear myself out. Eventually this does happen, though it is tiring. I’m often awake at 2am. Lately I just go with it and read or research and study anything interesting that challenges me enough to distract me and make me happy .
Have you tried foam rolling your legs at night? It can work wonders to relax them, although I don't know how related restless legs are to relaxation.
Sleep is one of my biggest struggles. I'm constantly exhausted. I did wake up screaming last night, I have pretty regular night terrors. I struggle to sleep alone, that's the one thing I don't relate to! I've tried everything under the sun, even had sleep studies done and the conclusion is, just sleep as much as you can. Thanks, helpful.
😢
Awe, I am sorry that you are experiencing night terrors. I have only had a few brief ones before, and that was terrifying enough! I have issues with staying asleep, especially the week leading up to my time of month. I will stay up super late (I love being awake when everybody else is asleep, because I don't have to worry about anyone texting or calling me out of the blue. And then I will still wake up by 11 or noon. And half of the time, when night time approaches, I usually don't have any interest in laying still and closing my eyes . . . doing nothing (so boring)). Would rather paint or watch UA-cam ☺️.
@@joycebrewer4150 I’ve been given exactly the same conclusion
Praying or reading?
do you feel things around you?
Watching this at 5 am 🥲 I stay awake until my body absolutely cannot go on and pass out from exhaustion. I’ve found that daydreaming before bed really helps to distract from my anxiety about falling asleep.
I hardly ever get more than 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep and often I am awake 80% of the night. This repeats until I crash and recover (then I do 8-9 solid hours), then the cycle starts over. Mostly it's the train of thoughts racing thru my head, but it can also be because I feel warm, or just plain uncomfortable. And after a few hours I get up and spend some time listening soft music or whatever, and go back to bed. This happens at least once a night, often more.
That said, once asleep I go into coma mode - probably because of the chronic lack of sleep. So that really sucks when there's only 75 minutes before the alarm clock goes off.
I wear an eye mask, headphones, and tape my mouth shut to sleep. My partner says I look like Tommy. I also need pillows on both sides of me, as well as under my head, and I need the dog in there, too. I have a very hard time getting my body situated correctly; it's never quite right, and then there's the temperature. In the summer I literally have a full body ice pack that I lie upon. Yes to the restless leg sometimes, too.
Urg yes sleep is hard but getting awake when I am supposed to is hard as well. What I have found is thinking of dreaming as creating. I take stories and characters I like and then just visualize. I change the story and eventually I get so invested in the story that it transitions into a dream without me noticing.
None of ur tips r useless, u have made a positive impact on my life, 1 I thank God for. Peace
here bc I am currently struggling with sleep 😅
i was waiting for this particular episode. never gave a lot of thought into how messed up stuff's been in terms of sleep habits- nearly 12 years worth of sleeping during the day. this may or may not have ticked a lot of people off when i started to doze off during the day.
.... welp, too far down the rabbit hole, so i might as well do a bit more studying on this stuff.
Yeah, I had to lie in bed with my autistic son until he was quite old to help him get to sleep. Recognise many of the other sleep issues too.
For 50 years I was diagnosed with clinical depression and anxiety. I thought these perceptual changes were part of a mental illness. Now I'm finally finding answers although almost too late.
You're not too late my dear. My mother was diagnosed aged 62, a few years after I got my adult diagnosis. It's been a revelation to her and definitely not too late x
Great timing
I’m on the autistic spectrum & I’ve dealt with sleeping issues, so I can somewhat relate.
Bahaha it's 1:20 am for me, perfect timing for this upload!
I can’t sleep when it’s quit. Without some kind of music I like in background I won’t sleep for hours. As kid I got a stereo system as a Xmas present. Today only the amp still works but that’s fine. When I go to sleep I connect my laptop with the amp, start some music, hit the “Sleep” button on the stereo and go to bed. My routine for about 30 years🤷🏼♂️
I like having predictible music, as in I've heard it many times before. And if I can I'll play a playlist of tv- shows or films, and fall asleep to that. I am not only autistic, I've also got ADHD. When travelling I always bring a pillow case that's been slept on for months, so it smells of me, and a plushy that feels nice, and also smells of me. It makes me feel safe.
I set the radio by my bed to be on for a hour on low to help me fall asleep but not be on all night. I usually have a pillow over my head to keep out light & sound. I do like to cuddle with one of my pets or a stuff animal too.
Thank you so much for sharing this. The number one thing that sends me into a meltdown is people messing with my sleep. It is so hard for me to fall asleep and stay asleep, that unnecessary (or even necessary) sleep interruptions send me over the edge. I have restless legs, night terrors, bruxism, and snoring. I cannot sleep if my partner is touching me. And, absolutely no pets can be on my bed. I sleep restlessly, because temperature changes or binding blankets wake me up, as well. I wake if I have pressure points, so I prop up body parts with pillows. It's a logistical nightmare for myself and others. Adding another person in the bed compounds the issue, and I end up chronically sleep-deprived and crabby, as a result. I have to use a noise machine, sometimes silicone ear-plugs, and/or a contoured eye mask. No blue light allowed, and the room needs to be completely dark- no tv, computer, or phone lights. I do have a "bed time", a routine, and I do not eat within two hours of bed time. Separate rooms with my partner would be ideal for me. And, of course I alternate sleep aids: CBN, Benedryl, Melatonin, St. John's wart, or Nyquil. I used to have an Ambien prescription; but, it is addictive, and I was prone to sleep-walking, so I quit taking it. Final fun fact: I rarely dream. If I dream, the dreams are symbolic; but, overall, I can only remember a handful of dreams over the course of my entire life.
progressive muscular relaxation & ear massage (so weird as it can sound) help also a lot, as well as drinking no coffee after noon
By the time I was five, I started my bedtimes with stories in my mind ... often for hours before sleep sets in. I know I was very young because I named the main character after a television character in a show that ended when I was five. To this day, I still do the stories. Also, if I get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, I'm up for the duration. I can only co-sleep with a cat, not a person.
Nice one Orion. My tip would be get plenty of exercise if you are able and have the time. I walk miles every day which helps me switch off. This does mean I neglect household chores unfortunately (an excuse for ADHD!). I have the restless leg thing, like ants as you say. Also a sudden jolt (spasm) which starts in my right leg (and shoots though my body). One thing I read was we have less REM sleep, however I dream from shutting my eyes until I wake, or so it seems. I do the magnesium and fish oil (hulled hemp seeds on your breakfast cereal if you can get them). Feed that big brain, as Tony Attwood said not always a good thing to have.
I find counting a string of numbers helps me lock my brain down, allowing me to fall asleep.
Simply counting 1-2-3-4 doesn't occupy the brain enough & I still end up ruminating.
The trick is to find a balance between 1-2-3-4, and the Fibonacci sequence, that allows you to fall asleep, while still locking the brain down, and not allowing it to ruminate (ruin-the-night ;-)
( I'm a Dyslexic AuDHD )
Right on cue, I had yet another wild night, groundhog day type of stupid dream AND I had to get up and get some xanax to knock me out at 4am. My autistic ass just want to have a decent night that makes me feel well rested in the morning.
Thank God for audio books. I lay awake for hours u til morning before xD audio books were my savety.
Autistic people need 'me time'. I have a grandchild who takes a lot of time to herself, watching videos an playing games on an iPad, though she is also very sociable, but no way can anyone take away her solo time. And I recognise the same from my childhood. It meant that if I was unable to avoid intense social interaction during the day, I would get my 'me time' at night, which was probably the beginning of my extreme late bird behaviour. I kept being told to get to sleep, but I NEEDED that time to mentally unwind and process what happened during the day. I could not live without it. And I wonder if THIS is what drives autistic people to be awake at night. The fact that it is the only time during the day when they have total freedom from the stress of social pressure, making it absolutely precious, prime time for activities of the mind, inevitably at the expense of sleep, BUT, ONLY because we were not allowed to sleep in, in the morning, but had to force ourselves out of bed with all the NT folks who are firing on all cylinders at 5 am, spend an hour slogging it out in the gym, get to work at 7 am, impressing their bosses, so getting all the promotions, but petering out by 4 pm, when they disappear, leaving all the autistic employees in peace, so that the real work can get done. And because of leaving early, NOT realising that the autistic people WERE getting their work done then, after the phones stopped ringing, and the endless calls to pointless meetings had ceased. As an autistic person, working in a noisy office with incessant interruptions in a morning preceded by a useless night's sleep was like wandering into the very bowels of hell. Some mornings I lapsed into hallucinations sitting at my desk, waking up when my keyboard beeped due to having had a finger on a key when I nodded off. For many people this may be a big exaggeration, but I bet there are some who will attest to this kind of scenario.
I had trouble falling asleep when I was young. By my teen years, I found that if I just created a book or movie in my head, it was much easier. In other words, I daydreamed a story and kept my mind on writing the story until I fell asleep. still works for me but no one else seems to have found it effective. You may have to keep it boring.
This video is one heck of an eye opener for me. Never knew my sleeping problems stem from my autism. Thank you for all the information in this video.
I was maybe three when I had someone sleep over, and noted that apparently other children could fall asleep much faster than I did. I don't know how long it really took me back then; I remember thinking 20 minutes, but I think that was very optimistic. Sleep has certainly been lifelong issue. Before my ADHD (and autism) dx, I was actually prescribed Clonidine, which is sometimes used as a non-stimulant ADHD med, but was prescribed here for "night terrors." I put that in quotes because my version is mostly waking up between 2 and 4am, and having my amygdala go off and tell me that whatever I am thinking about is a total disaster and I am doomed. It helped a bit with that, but the consistent result was that for the first time in my six-decade life, I can usually fall asleep fairly quickly.
I still wake up many or most nights, though with less doom; the 1-2 hour periods of thinking (sometimes catastrophizing, sometimes figuring things out for real) are a bit shorter than they were. I think this probably has a lot to do with how quickly I change brain wave states: going from sleeping to waking/thinking (theta waves to beta waves) is a much faster change than going in the other direction. I seem to need to go through a pattern of arousal and processing before my brain decides I'm ready to go back to sleep.
The sleeping with someone thing interested me. When I started dating my now wife, my strongest early impulse was not so much sex as literally sleeping together. We stopped in our 50s due to my snoring, and it later struck me that this has been a contributor to my declining ability to connect emotionally (never an easy thing for me). It has something to do with proximity without the feeling of obligation to perform socially, I think. Feeling safe being next to someone without feeling unsafe because I will goof up interactions I am called upon to perform.
My version of restless leg relates to sensory issues. I no longer sleep with a sheet, and I like to have a blanket sort of wrap around me rather than being flat and neat like a made bed; with the latter I feel like I am stuffed in an envelope, and it can make my feet become pointed, rather than perpendicular to my ankles as when I am standing. This tends to pull on tendons and kick off restless leg. Finally, I can't really sleep on my back, because I need the pillow touching my face. That one I've been aware of since I was a child.
Thanks again for another brilliant video. I have had sleep issues all my life, it’s diff a part of being Autistic. Getting of to sleep, staying asleep waking up to early, the restless legs are the worst, and the night terrors they are awful I wake in a really state, not any fun at all. The next morning it’s so hard to function. This helpful video thanks
I would like a video about what happens when you as an autist (and I am autistic) go to work, school &c. and things go wrong in your co-existence with others there, which they usually do for me.
Same sleep issues are common to hyper neurocognitivity and display in Giftedness and ADHD. For night terrors, I was taught lucid dream techniques to recognize when I was in a dream, such as in dream, looking at ones hands (mind cannot create the details) or attempts to focus on faces (again, detail cannot be created)...same thing works for trying to focus on the dream environment details. When you can recognize it is a dream, you can build skill at controlling and creating the dream or even waking from the dream. Co-sleeping has been a real problem and I have never figured out why it occurs in me and and did not actually think others would show the same trait and it fascinates me that it's across the hyper connected nervous systems. Much of the more difficult traits I have are not causing me problems after I researched body systems and nutrition and changed my diet. If you really get into the data, the common belief of nutrition is wrong especially around fat, protein, sugar and calcium. The panic and the burnout is far less, near nonexistent with diet change as it automatically changed my sleep to something I no longer had to think about ( happened in combination with increased physical activity). Anyway, the intensity of me also adjusted for more balance as well. Special interest of mine and it has given me useful tools.
What changes did you make to your diet that worked for you?
@@frolickinglions I changed to simple meals with just a few staple foods as the majority of what I eat. Mostly either, potatoes, rice or pasta ... cereal for breakfast. No oil, it sludges the blood and cuts oxygen down 20% fo 10-12 hrs after ingestion..cuts immune system function by same amount too. The fat level the body needs is more than met in veg and grain, so anything above that damages the body, including high fat whole foods. The biggest immediate difference was having my meals roughly 80% carbohydrates, it made it easier for me to sleep and it cut down anxiety... basically it eventually became rare. Protein requirements are far lower than advertised, no need for supplements or anything high in protein provided you eat veg and grains. I also found that food additives distressed me, by just batching fast simple meal bases and adding spice and seasoning myself, it took away agitation. For meals, batch rice by using a commercial size rice cooker and stuff it all into microwave containers of one serving size and stack in my freezer. Microwave 2.5 minutes and make a simple veg dish for a topping and my whole meal process is only a few minutes long. Potatoes are my fail safe meal , all nutritional requirements in tubers, so I pop them in the microwave whole and 6 minutes later I have a last minute, whoops I forgot to feed myself meal done with limited effort or thought. If you try cutting milk, high fat , high protein foods, and eating simple foods like potatoes as a staple, little will power is needed for trying to sleep or limit anxiety. It was so good for me it was like a magical transformation. Problem is I forget to eat or drink water sometimes , even do not recognize body needs such.. I miss the alerts most people have to take care of themselves properly, but that's more manageable because I use visual cues I learned from tips from ADHD people. Saves me from myself in a way and is outsourcing things I am not so good at.
I have a lot of these sleep issues, but luckily having autism and ADHD while struggling to maintain a life usually leaves me so completely drained inside and out by the end of the day that I just pass out and get every ounce of sleep I possibly can 😂😂😂
(When I get a few days off, they start coming back 🤪)
I’m autistic and also have a hard time sleeping but what really makes it 100x worse (twice a year) is daylight savings time. It can take me months to adjust to the time change-then it’s changed again! People around me can’t understand why I have such a problem with it and I don’t know how to explain it to them.
Me too. I wish I could go back in time and strangle Benjamín Franklin before he invents daylight savings time!
Gosh I HATE it also. It throws me off so bad.
Re: Sunlight to re-set sleep rythm - you're bang on. There are literally daylight sensors in your eyes, even independent to rods and cones, which are involved in cicardian rythm regulation.... Also: re waking up at 2am : humans in Europe slept twice a day in winter inc a period of several hours up at 1am etc for centuries.
This has really helped me understand better because as an autistic person myself, I am literally awake all night long most nights and even if I do get to sleep, I have such a ludicrously vivid imagination that I just cannot switch off, 9 times out of 10 I tend to lucid dream which is the weirdest experience but it more or less happens all the time for me and it isn't something that I feel I can control.
The cause of deprived sleep for me is thinking too much, especially at night, let alone worrying about things, also eating certain foods before bedtime especially if it involves spicy foods, alcohol or anything with caffeine.
I have found epsom salt baths, magnesium spray, and low-frequency singing bowls help with sleep. There is a UA-cam channel of black screen singing bowl videos that are great. The sound is steady, not screeching or piercing.
My biggest issue with sleep relates to demand avoidance, if I feel like I need to sleep then I’m going to have an impossible time trying to sleep, especially if I skip my bedtime routine to try and save time
I found I do immensely better on a Carnivore diet that last study completely explained why. When I say better I mean a clearer mind more control of my racing thoughts etc also better weight control. Sugar aggravates condition like puts me on the verge of a mental breakdown I literally feel insane at times.
I also learned a lot in this video, I have practically all of those issues for sleep. And now I understand more about myself, it's hard to get my husband to understand all these issues. Thank you Orion 😄
My "routine" is constantly ignoring what time it is, and going to bed super late. Being so intense in everything I do, whether it be watching Tv, internet shopping or working on a project, I have NO SWITCH OFF BUTTON.
Fortunately, as a sports addict I will usually fall asleep in one minute. But it really doesn't cut it......
As for sleeping with somebody... let's say I can't even sleep in the same room....
Hz music & white noise has helped me tremendously to quiet the mind while sleeping. Haven't had night terrors in a few years❤️ Ty!
The horror for me, until I retired, was lying in bed all night, finally starting to fall into sleep around 7 am, just in time for my alarm clock to go off. I am an extreme late bird. It did not occur to me, however, that this might relate to my autism. I wonder if this has been researched and if there are any statistics on it. And it matters. I read somewhere that half of all computer programmers did their best work after midnight. I don't know if that is really true, but it certainly agreed with my behaviour pattern. And here's a reason why: At that time it is quiet enough to hear a pin drop. All NT people are fast asleep. No interruptions. No time limit. So the stress level goes down and imagination is at its peak and its prime creativity time.
Many many years back, I used to have to sleep under the bed when I tried to sleep beside my girlfriend of the time. This May has been the worst "Werewolf Week/ Month" I have had in years. I am currently riding the wave of insomnia. My brain and body relationship seems like and aggressive kid, playing in a burnt out, rusty car in a quarry, pretending to be at war (pretending).
I had been in good rythm with the world lately, but maybe over did myself with finally finding and starting to go to an Autism group just up the road.
Thank you for this and thank you for reminding me about the sunlight importance. I learnt from listening to Andrew Huberman that the Sunlight/ UV on the eyes restting the brain needs to be (ideally) in the first hour you wake and to catch the last hour before sundown. Sun is just coming up, so gonna take a walk on the coast.
Breathing wise, it seems that two sharp breaths in and a slow release - maybe this is why children do that breathing type when they are calming down from crying?
Anyhew, thank you for this and keeping me company.
G'night and good morning
Im not diagnosed or anything but thats like exactly why i have issues falling asleep. My brain just races. I have to actively think about not thinking and basically force myself to fall asleep. Sounds actually help like thunder and rain. Or a fan or something running.
I also struggle to fall back asleep if i wake up.
Idk maybe im "high functioning" or whatever 🤷♀️
Also, as a child, I was so scared to alone for Sooo many years…like through the age of 8, maybe…once my parents Forced me to get used to it (for their intimacy and space needs).
Yep, I have night terrors, a lot. I calm myself by making a drink of hot milk and either read or look at something on my iPad that calms me. Often I feel like studying or researching. That way I feel like I’ve made good use of my time and I’m happy. The restless leg problem is something I’ve experienced since childhood, drives me crazy, I just jig my legs at a fierce speed until I’m exhausted, eventually works. It’s really the pits when it hit my arms at the same time, that’s when I give up and start walking around the house . When it comes to sleep, if I’m finding it impossible, I listen to music and audio books. My breathing can be a big problem, sometimes I can’t regulate it, it’s as if I have to really work at how I’m breathing in and out, it can actually hurt because of how intense it becomes. I’ve had trouble explaining this to my doctor, even made jokes about how I have to think to breath . People think I’m crazy so I keep that to myself these days. It can take days of working on it to try and regulate my breathing, I’m so relieved when I sort it.
Another spot on video! 🎉 you describe things so perfectly. I have to be on top of my water. I know they are connected and just drop the ball.
If I lie down and then think about something that requires some problem solving, or worse, some design effort, I’m done. Sleep is not happening.
I’ve also noticed that the aches in my legs start at around 11:30. If I have not fallen asleep by this time, I will be up past 1 am.
A few nights in a row of poor sleep and my ability to manage sensory overload and routine disruption goes in the toilet.
Looking at ways to calm your nervous system can really help, especially if your sleeping problems are connected to anxiety or stress. And the different divisions, such as the parasympathetic nervous system, among others.
i have all kinds of sleep disorders and sleep disturbance. insomnia, night mares, night terrors... extremely emotional dreams. waking up frightened or crying. when i was a kid i had a hatman nightmare. i didnt know hatman nightmares were a thing and that was the scariest nightmare ever. i woke up physically shaking cuz i was so terrified. the worst i struggle mostly is when i lay in bed and start relaxing then all of a sudden im bothered by feelings of itchiness, as if im allergic to sleep lol. my skin starts getting itchy all over the place, sometimes i feel like my skin is dry all of a sudden and i use lotion. and my hair bothers me. its up too tight or up too loose. hair on my face is super intense on my skin. fur from my dog poking me through my shirt. then my clothing gets all twisted and bunched up. im constantly shift around trying to get comfortable. noises and smells get more intense. i do get randomly thirsty and need a drink with me every night even if i dont have any of it. the itchiness though! like i cannot figure out what is causing that and it drives me crazy. then cuz im moving around so much in the blankets i get all hot and bothered but not in the good way lol so then im annoyed and irritated and obv thats not good for sleep.
ive tried natural/herbal sleep aids which help occasionally. usually the first time i try a natural sleep aid is the most helpful but then my body grows tolerance wicked fast and it stops working.
i do get a script for hydroxyzine which is an antihistamine prescribed for sleep aid/anxiety. i take it pretty often. i need 100mg now before i feel sleepy and it takes like 2 hours to kick in. sometimes i take it just to help the itchiness. basically for me to sleep i need to pass out ASAP, i need to fall asleep before my body knows what we're doing lol. ive been getting sleep paralysis more recently in the last few years. and ive heard sleeping on your back is a trigger for sleep paralysis and so far that seems to be true for me, it happens only when ive fallen asleep on my back. and the first time i experienced sleep paralysis is was SUPER SCARY. cuz there was like an alien monster figure reaching out trying to touch me.
whatever is happening in my life though sleep has always been a struggle since my teenage years. and my dad says when i was a baby any little noise would wake me up. so i've always been a sensitive sleeper, and feeling like i need a nap quite frequently. even tho i usually try not to nap. but ive accidentally fallen asleep around dinner time just probably from overwhelm cuz i tend to ignore my fatigue and then it comes at the WORST time cuz sleeping at dinner times means i wont sleep again until at least 2am. I love sleep but sometimes feel like sleep hates me lol
My husband was diagnosed with autism as a child, and now at 67, he has lost four back mollar teeth from grinding. We also haven’t shared a bed sleeping at night in almost 30 years. My ASD five year old granddaughter needs me, her grandma or her Daddy to sleep with her in the bed. It takes until midnight to get my ASD five year old granddaughter to sleep at night. We use white noise for her and me and her Daddy. My sister was undiagnosed autistic, and she had a lot of night terrors.
WE the People of the O.K. Community love OUR rococo garbed guy. Thanks for all you are and do, Orion. ALOHA AD ASTRA!!!
Hi Orion and everyone. I have Aspergers (Autism) and I have a strong connection to animals. I prefer to be with and around animals. Thank you Orion for the awesome content. I have been watching your videos and everything you said is exactly what I experience.
I've only realised I'm autistic at 26. I now know why I used to have BAD night terrors when I was a kid, sleepwalking all over the house. How did my parents not see the signs 😮💨
Melatonin and Magnesium (especially Magnesium Glycinate) has helped.
My son had to take melanin when he was a baby because he wouldn't sleep at all. He was 1 year old and he still wouldn't sleep like a normal baby. When we got his first checkup the nurse told us, oh the baby should be sleeping around 16 hours per day, and me and my husband laughed in her face because our son would sleep 8 maybe 10 hours a day if lucky. Sleepless night for almost an entire first year until his pediatrician gave us the hormone to help him. He still struggles immensely with sleep and he's 9, doesn't take the hormone any more and when he has growth spikes he sleeps for 6 hours at best.
I highly suspect that I have autism, and while I wait for my first appointment for an assessment, I enjoy watching your videos, and other autism-related channels on YT. :) In this one, I got two things explained:
1. I couldn't fall asleep yesterday because I used the wrong pillow. My regular pillow was on the drying rack after I did laundry ealier, so I replaced it with another one. With the wrong pillow, which was too flat, I had a few hours of very light sleeping where I couldn't relax fully, and in the meantime, my regular pillow had dried. I switched pillows and fell asleep instantly. Which means: I'm hyper sensitive to textures when going to sleep. And overall. But that's another story.
2. That thing you said about circadian rhythm really made sense. I went outside for a short walk, maybe 20 minutes, and got some sunlight on my face. Now I'm much sleepier compared to the same time yesterday.
Good night, and thanks for sharing.
Thanks Orion for helping everyone understand how autistic people operate differently. I'm 52 and about 4 months into my personal discovery. It's really messed with my head and you have been an important person in helping guide me through this crazy, life changing, difficult, I-feel-foolish-for-not-knowing-til-now revelation. When I watch a video on a specific topic, like this one on sleeplessness, that I understand neurotypical people experience as well, I immediately want to know some facts that show how it's different for the neurodiverse. You said about 80% of ND but didn't offer context by sharing the NT % right after. I found out it's roughly 30%. I couldn't watch anything after you said 80% until I knew. I think it's helpful to always define how different. Thanks!
Try to be kind to yourself. Realising you're autistic, especially realising as an adult, is a lot to get your head around. Take your time and be kind to yourself.