…sleep disturbance in autism.[16]Variables related to sleep problems in children with autism Poor sleepers among autistics had more ADHD symptoms and more restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) than good sleepers. Sleep fragmentation was correlated with more RRBs.[17]Defining the sleep phenotype in children with autism Sleep problems were the highest predictor of challenging behaviors in autism.[18]Sleep,…
…circadian rhythm, and thus also our sleep/wake cycle. Sleep in Autism It is reported that between 50-80% of autistic children experience sleep disturbances compared to ~30% of neurotypical children.[14]A survey of sleep problems in autism, Asperger’s disorder and typically developing children, J Intellect Disabil Res, Polimeni, Richdale, & Francis, 2005 [15]Sleep Behaviors and Sleep Quality…
In my previous article on autism & sleep problems, I looked at the causes of sleep problems among autistic people. In this article, I will look at solutions. Treatments for sleep problems Autistic people show low levels of melatonin, making them prone to sleep disturbance. As such, they are sensitive to a lack of sleep…
In my previous article on autism & sleep problems, I looked at how common sleep problems are among autistic people. In this article, I will look at the causes. Causes of sleep problems A study from 2017 that looked at sleep problems in autistic children and children with ADHD indicated that the causes of sleep…
…sunlight (2023) | Allison Clark Intuitive which prolongs the time it takes to fall asleep (called sleep onset latency), delays the circadian clock, delays and reduces the amount of REM sleep (restorative sleep implicated in bodily repair and emotional processing),[16]Physiology of sleep (Brinkman, Reddy, & Sharma, 2022) [17]Overnight Therapy? The Role of Sleep in Emotional…
…sub-items of sleep disturbances: DIMS — Disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep SBD — Sleep-breathing disorders DA — Disorders of arousal SWTD — Sleep-wake transition disorders DOES — Disorders of excessive somnolence SHY — Sleep hyperhydrosis Research from 2017 A study from 2017 that looked at sleep problems in autistic children and children with ADHD…
…people, and how this compares to sleep problems in neurotypicals Autism & sleep problems: Causes About what causes sleep problems in autistic people Autism & sleep problems: Effects About the consequences of sleep problems and sleep deprivation in autistic people Autism & sleep problems: Solutions About sleep hygiene and other solutions to sleep problems among…
…rhythms.[2]Evidence that the Lunar Cycle Influences Human Sleep The diagram below shows that the time taken to fall asleep (called sleep onset latency) is longer during full moon.[3]Evidence that the Lunar Cycle Influences Human Sleep Time to fall asleep and lunar phase; color-coded symbols show the different gender and age groups: dark blue for young…
…more: Sleep problems pt. 2 – Causes 3 Stay close to the Moon The lunar cycle modulates human sleep and melatonin rhythms.[5]Evidence that the lunar cycle influences human sleep At full moon, melatonin levels in autistic people are at the lowest point, which leads to more sleep disturbance. So besides not getting more than 4…
…in and passion for such obscure disciplines as, say, type design and font engineering. Nocturnal being You are able to stay up long after Sesame Street has ended. In fact, it seems as if your biological clock is based on 30-hour days rather than 24 hours. This is called circadian sleep desynchronization.[16]Systematic Review of Sleep…
…Getting 2 to 3 hours of sleep per day and, as the deadline approaches, getting no sleep. This strategy would sometimes end in a hallucinogenic delirium. It is insanity to figure out how much you can sleep. Many people end up doing harmful things to keep themselves awake. Natalie: Each time I had a meltdown,…
…stereotypes Agitation Aggression Hyperactivity Distractibility Sleep disorders Self-injury Loss of self-care skills Sleep When you dream, the information of your day goes to your thalamus, and then during dreaming to your frontal lobe. This movement of information facilitates processing of your day, which is important when it comes to processing trauma. People with PTSD wake…
…to each other. When I wasn’t sleeping, my bed pushed under a table that was at the head of both of our beds. My roommate would go to sleep with headphones on. Not those modern tiny headphones, but the old big cans that cover your whole ear. With them on, no one can hear it…
…of a meltdown, a shutdown, and other forms of overwhelm below. The autistic experience of overwhelm My anxiety was through the roof, and there was nothing positive happening anymore. I was perpetually overwhelmed and did not want to experience the day anymore. So I took an anti-anxiety pill and went to sleep at around 4…
…Company so if you are having sleep problems or want to promote better sleep, also have a look at our short series on the topic. Autism & sleep problems series [+] References 1↑ Rumination, distraction, and mindful self-focus in depressed patients (Huffziger & Kuehner, 2009) 2↑ Living “in the zone”: hyperfocus in adult ADHD (Hupfeld,…
…You are hyper-aware of sounds, cross-conversations, and bright lights, and all sounds and conversations become jumbled together at once so that you can not concentrate. 19 You are overwhelmed in large family gatherings and leave abruptly to avoid sensory input overload. 20 You have difficulty sleeping for longer than a couple of hours without medication…
…arise because of one’s hoarding. Once they are made aware of these issues, hoarders may feel shame and embarrassment, making them vulnerable to experiences of anxiety and depression, as well as poor sleep quality.[15]Examining subjective sleep quality in adults with hoarding disorder (Mahnke et al., 2021) In this way, having supportive people in your life…
…and said that their problems became his own. Once the clinic closed for the day he and the volunteer staff would hold meetings far into the morning hours, after which he would go home and sleep for a few hours and get up and do it all again the next day. A year into this…
…great mood. Not agitated, but sad. I don’t recall why exactly now—it probably wasn’t even important. I do remember being disappointed with myself; I slept for 20 hours in total, as I caught up sleep from the day before when I skipped sleep to get more work done, although ironically I slept longer than I…
…autistic people to show suicidal thoughts or behaviors, they don’t necessarily need to be depressed. Sometimes, overwhelm due to pressures in life and having to face too many obstacles can lead to coping mechanisms some might consider sinister. For example, quite a few autistic people report morbid fantasies such as of dying in their sleep…
…we looked up humane ways to kill Alpha. Recommended methods included freezing and “letting it go to sleep” in clove oil. Although the oil as sedative properties, I realized this method is probably more like suffocation than blissfully going to sleep. I was shocked that these methods came recommended as humane. So I came up…
…the autism spectrum; he is more distant and unique than Sherlock. Sleeping problems While working, Holmes seems inexhaustible—not sleeping for days. Between cases, he sometimes falls into a state of deep lethargy. Social differences Holmes is oblivious to the rhythms and courtesies of normal social intercourse—he doesn’t converse so much as lecture. Holmes lacks (apparent)…
…special interests Withdrawing from social and sensory situations that are overwhelming Also ensuring that we are getting enough nourishing sensory stimulation Managing hyperfocus so that it isn’t at the expense of things that we need (like meals and sleep!) Schedule those things that we need, like meals and sleep In general, engaging in self-care activities…
…Internet and online gaming. So much so that it makes participating in daily activities like sleeping, eating, and spending time with family a lot more difficult. Autism, problematic Internet use, & ESW We have a similar relationship with the internet as people with ESW because we also turn to the internet to help us avoid…
…up again. I thought I was finally genuinely awake, but no. I woke up a third time! This time I woke up with sleep paralysis. I couldn’t move or breathe. I panicked by couldn’t do anything. I concentrated strongly on moving my fingers, which I managed to do with a lot of effort. When I…
…loudly or voices in another room that may interfere with sleeping Past Current 33. I have lucky and unlucky numbers EXAMPLES: Worries about common numbers (like thirteen) that may cause you to perform activities a certain number of times or to postpone an action until a certain lucky hour of the day Past Current 34….
…my ability to switch tasks was a lot lower. I guess it helped my concentration because I was basically in hyperfocus all day every day, but this came at the expense of being able to take care of myself like eat, shower, and sleep. Instead, I would work on the same task for hours and…
…have the same breakfast daily—heated Holy Crap chia cereal with apples and cinnamon in cooler weather and chocolate banana smoothies in warmer weather. I tend to get GERD or indigestion when I deviate too far from these choices. Moreover, I shouldn’t eat anytime close to sleeping (at night or before a nap) because it causes…
…Definitions Some words that appear to be the same or similar are defined here to differentiate them. Please read these definitions before taking the test, and refer back here during the test if needed. Tired – Feeling like you want to sleep Physically Exhausted – Not having the energy to do the activities that you…
…a drumbeat—I like it. If it is doing my taxes, I don’t like it. It is context dependent. Differences: This is my preference, whereas for Kendall, he can become so hyper-focused that he can make himself ill from not sleeping or eating once he gets going on something. 15. I tend to talk excessively. Natalie:…
…place to stay that is away from harm) Social support (e.g., can someone help you with chores? managing your schedule? explaining neurotypical norms going on around you? doing tasks that require engaging with others like making phone calls?) Time for special interests Time for sleep, recovery, and rest Go with the flow I realize that…
…calmed down, I read my friend’s message again. He just landed in Toronto (now three hours prior) and was going to the hotel. He was tired and would give me a time later. He brought his young son who was on a certain sleeping schedule, so he couldn’t give me any certainty. I realized there…
…submission. Some of her emotions can be quite intense, but do not tend to be prevalent, and she reports that her emotions tend to be very short-lived, with some lasting but a second. Terror and fear only emerge in her sleep, and she reports experiencing them cognitively rather than producing stress and anxiety. With intensity…
…to sleep in the same bed that he and his ex slept in. Two years later Gerald saw a bed sale and told Sarah to buy them a new bed, as theirs was really old. Sarah asked what he meant, as he indicated two years earlier that the bed was relatively new. Gerald started screaming…
…with 15 ml of Dr Pepper to mask the appearance and change the flavor of the drug. In this disguised form, the patient took the drug readily from his parents. He was then left undisturbed in his bed, and he fell asleep in 20 min. Individualized perioperative plan Research from 2017 indicates that individualized perioperative…
…be lazy in education and would not have been forced to develop the coping strategies I have to use in adult life. Like completely ignoring people that are annoying me. Me: Like me! Gareth: Only when you are eating mashed potato or fish…or watching Jeremy Kyle when I am trying to sleep. Me: Leave my…
…and sleep habits. Read the post below for more statistics on suicide and depression among autistics. Autism & suicidality Autism in the PDM I also appreciate how the PDM-2 talks about the ways in which the social environment impacts autistic people, rather than describing our “failures” in engaging with that environment. Here is a quote…
…psychiatric condition that is caused by abuse and violence. To complicate matters, some signs of psychological trauma resemble symptoms common to autism, such as: Repetitive behaviors. Challenges with social interactions. Being overly sensitive to input from one’s senses, such as sound or touch. Difficulty sleeping. Sudden or large changes in mood (meltdowns). Alexithymia. The reasons…
…still sleeping at that time, but all too often Natalie wakes me with these anxiety-inducing words: “Dale wants to talk to you when you are up.” The nasty thing about that is that I have to get up at some point, and Dale damn well knows it. He is an evil social genius. Once awoken,…
…Becomes an interdimensional supervillainess during sleep onset, which is arguably the best time to do it. My roles Research Natalie and I co-founded Embrace Autism in 2018, with the intent to provide research-based information on autism that could help others—the same way that learning more about autism, our strengths, and working with our challenges has…
…activities Criterion E Two required; Trauma-related arousal and reactivity that began or worsened after the trauma, in the following way(s): Irritability or aggression Hypervigilance Heightened startle reaction Difficulty sleeping Risky or destructive behaviour Difficulty concentrating Conclusion PTSD in autistics is far more common than previously thought. The new DSM-5 criterion A misses people in an…
…asleep every night feeling like the woman I am—or desired to be. And yes, I know womanhood is not about wearing bras, and that most women take their bras off at night—as I do nowadays as well. But I couldn’t wear any gendered clothing publicly, and only sometimes wore them in private, so this was…
…best friend (male) sleeps under his favourite sheet—a pretty yellow sheet with printed flowers. I love that my partner (AMAB) is more feminine than myself. I really love autistic guys—many are sweet and kind and do not engage in all the coarse sexual discourse that can make me feel uncomfortable. Some of us are polyamorous,…
…Peanut Butter Isobel’s Dance The Mother 2: I Held a Jewel in My Fingers Sleepwalking I Was a Wasn’t Wider Than the Sky A Few Seconds of Silence over Breakfast Life/Death/Football Lightbulb Shopping The Zeta Function The Problem with Equations The Violet The Possibility of Pain Sloping Roofs (and Other Ways to Deal with the…
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