Autism and Sleep - Why am I always tired? (Excessive Daytime Sleepiness)

[@MagusMirificus]

The solution here is kinda wild to me, because the album I'm working on opens with a song called "Sailing the Bed", which is about doing this exact thing: staying in bed a while after waking up, letting the day come to you rather than immediately chasing after it. It struck me way back when I was inspired to write it that it's a deeply human, freedom-affirming thing to do; most of us wake up in a state of mild panic because we don't think of our time as our own, we act like we rent it from the people who set our responsibilities. But your life is your own, and it should always be your choice to loan your time out for the use of others, and affirming your basic human right of ownership over your day itself is a very centering way to begin it.

[@galespressos]

❤😢😊 This was so well said. It is sad that we act as if we need to borrow or get permission to use for ourself some of our time. It’s our time,

[@Coffeeismylifeblood]

Wow❤

[@ZzenNomad]

Amen to that

[@sayusayme7729]

Wow, going to try this. Thanks

[@missmayflower]

Yes, as a retired person, I’m learning this. I don’t hop out of bed anymore. I just lay there, maybe do stretches and just enjoy not having to rush.

[@misterbulger]

I call it the "forbidden sleep" which is when i have to wake up early to do something but then I just go back to bed. That is by far the best sleep.

[@anniestumpy9918]

I recently had an interesting and unexpected - almost wanna call it - revelation when I had a talk with a psychologist at the employment center. She incidentally was also kind of an expert in autism and we had a little talk about that too. And her explanation why I always feel so exhausted and need a lot of sleep (especially after a day with social interaction) was the sensory filter problems that a lot of autistics have. (For me, amongst other things, this is the auditive aspect). She said that the unfiltered sensory input is taking such a toll on the brain (like running a marathon does on the muscles) that it leads to this exhaustion. I don't know if this is scientifically confirmed but it sure did make a lot of sense to me!

[@needles1975]

hello my name is Stephen S. Rodrigues, MD, Family Doctor 40 years, I finished medical school in 1983, Howard University College of medicine Washington DC learned my lessons well from 100s all bold brave bodacious black marvelous majestic magnanimous miraculous matriarchs natural born Masters of medicine midwifery taught me how to treat the deadliest event in existence sudden-death of pregnancy with megadoses of magnesium tenderness loyalty and compassion. I've been giving this message out continuously for 40 years I'm tired I cannot care more about saving children's lives from their parents then their parents so here's the recipe ... I never considered trying to persuade females that a good night sleep is worth awaiting goal and working for money will accelerate your death from postpartum depression, sleep deprivation, malnutrition, mineral depletion, parasitism cannibalism neuromuscular metastatic cancer failure leading to multi-organs systems shut down sudden death no treatment you and your baby are dead no afterlife just being recycled into the ecosystems just like any other animal. Don't forget this is blue planet, animal planet, predators versus prey, kill to eat be killed and eaten continuously in play. Humans must never kill and eat our own family members like in war Jeffrey Dahmer Doctor Death of Dallas Jack the Ripper or treat mothers like Europeans treat witches hanging by the neck until dead or dunking them in cold water and if they survive proving their oil witch so you have to kill them anyway and all moms needs can be fulfilled with a free guaranteed good night sleep. C'est la vie so Eradicating Americanism is actually naturally biologically of pregnancy 3-year-old common sense simple 3 steps simultaneously 1-2-3 1. put females in charge of the health and well-being of females all learned about pregnancy, egg + sperm -> New life ignited within females fallopian tubes, muscles meat motor locomotive engines generating manpower heat steam 37°C she energy force of life incubating our species existence in every females pelvis ovaries both sexes, guardians of DNA, the embodiment of God. 2. All receive 5 TLCs per day basic survival life supports for free for eternity. 34 TLCs per day will fulfill God's will just takes a little sweat equity muscle power. And all 8 billion of us learn understand and comprehend and self-master DIY Acupuncture. the link explains why. 3. Lots of bicycles and ear protection. kzbin.info/www/bejne/paazkH5ufL9oiZo

[@needles1975]

Autism is due to Americanism. So the solution to autism is to eradicate Americanism. I've been put in jail trying to explain to females that money does not exist so you do not have to work for money. Who am I to sacrifice my life for God's will?? Whatever females design and live by ... that is God's will! kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4HWgHdrrbGMaac

[@misschieflolz1301]

I consider this when I attend anime conventions. While it IS something I enjoy, the sheer amount of stimulation sustained on the brain is ridiculous. I've gone as far as planning as much as I can in advance for 'break times' which involves finding the quietest areas to decompress. It isn't always an option so, you take what you can get. Regardless of this I will be absolutely exhausted for a solid week after a 2 - 3 day con weekend. Similarly to this I'm now in talks with occupational health at work because the rota is playing hell on my sleeping habits and the amount of days working vs not, break/lunchtimes are hindering me at a fundamental level and bringing about anxiety making my performance terrible. They can't use autism since I haven't got my diagnosis yet despite having fought for the past 15 years for it

[@ajkooper]

Thanks for sharing this. Makes sense.

[@ПаніПончик]

For me I'm just so exhausted from everything that I sleep better, like a kid that had a long day at the playground. It's the nights that I'm playing a thousand scenarios in my head or hyperfocusing into the night that makes me exhausted the next day. Even if I go to sleep at a good time I will wake up and think about things.

[@InsideAut]

I'm an autistic person from Germany and I mostly experience a good, continuous sleep without waking up and not be able to sleep again. But my problem is to go to bed in time. I regenerate and get my energy from about 9 hours of sleep per night, so sleeping enough is important, if I want to start as refreshed as possible on the next day. But when I go to bed late these crucial hours are missing and I feel exhausted. For this reason keeping my routines is all the more important, so I can go to bed in time.

[@anniestumpy9918]

Hi Nico! Im watching your channel too, nice to see you here! As long as your sleep is good, just be grateful and don't waste another thought about it. Just consider yourself lucky :) Greetings, a person with horrible sleeping...

[@InsideAut]

@@anniestumpy9918 Oh yes, I'm very grateful for that 😊

[@victoria_m13]

i have exactly the same problem. so now i shut every psycho-activity for two-three hours before going to sleep. on that condition i manage to fall asleep well and sleep without dreams

[@Step_on_a_lego]

Are you familiar with Circadian Rhythm? It sound like you may have figured out what yours is, and how to take care of your body in the way it prefers

[@liamoneill4706]

I spent years railing against the fact im best after a good 9 hours. The extra hour in the morning is vital. It feels like any problem bounces off me rather than enters my body and weighs me down. Im slowly learning that my sleep patterns are the bedrock for everything that follows(pardon the pun).

[@alchemiaofficial1464]

I’m on the spectrum, and my sleep issues tend to come from my sensory issues. I can feel, smell, hear everything. I may be exhausted, but every little thing still keeps me up.

[@OliviaWood14]

I have found that earplugs (and making sure all doors in my flat are closed so I can't hear the fridge as well), a sleep mask and spraying my pillow with some kind of relaxing smell can help with that. (Except for the days on which I can't deal with the feeling of the earplugs....)

[@lindsaysheffield]

My parents run Roomba in the middle of the night so it “won’t bother anyone” …except me, and I don’t matter 🙄 Even with noise-cancelling headphones it’s like Chinese water torture, waiting for it to hit a wall at random intervals…and heaven forbid it gets stuck somewhere and starts talking. They just left for a 5 week vacation and I turned the schedule off…and no one is waking up at 6:30 slamming doors and laughing and whatever else they can do to shatter my nerves.

[@jellybeansi]

I'm not officially diagnosed, but I'm certain I'm on the spectrum. Clonidine, recommended by my psychiatrist, has been a lifesaver for my own hypervigilance and sensitivity when trying to fall asleep. One of its off-label uses revolves around calming the central nervous system, and turning down the "knob" for being overstimulated. Maybe ask a doctor about it?

[@turtleanton6539]

I listen to audiobooks

[@chesspiece4257]

i have a white noise machine that keeps the silence from being too loud when i need to sleep

[@stephenmarsh3986]

I'm sure it has been proved that people can be early birds and others are night owls. It's wired in to each individual. The problem for night owls is that most work means getting up early and so we have to conform with the early birds who seem to dominate in number. I've always had issues with early starts and I'm most productive and creative at night when everyone else has switched off. However, I can't always stay up late into the early hours because of the demands of work or everyone else expecting me to be up and about and doing things. I often wish I lived miles away on my own somewhere, no clocks, no demands, no intrusions. Heaven. Dream on! 🖖

[@dariusparris2698]

I wish there weren’t any clocks in existence. I rather work on my own clock.

[@nancyneyedly4587]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZy9h5V7lMiiiaM This is a great video about night owls and the problem with the very outdated notion that waking up early is some kind of virtue. We are perpetually jet lagged by conforming to early bird schedules. So we must make change, and get rid of this "early bird" notion. Lets normalize being productive when we are productive and stop "bragging" about getting up before the sun is up but going to bed right after dinner. It's an antiquated notion, and it needs to die.

[@ajkooper]

The division between night owls and morning birds is roughly 50-50 and seems to be largely embedded in one's dna. From an evolutionairy standpoint this makes sense as there would be an overlap where there were always people awake in the tribe to keep an eye out for danger. If you really feel you're a night owl it will be hard to conform to a morning bird routine and vice versa. It is however possible that your internal sleep cycle shifts with age.

[@lindsaysheffield]

Same same - I do my best work in the wee hours of the morning when everyone else is asleep…I used to have a job that I had to be there at 7 AM and my sleep disorder (diagnosed with hypersomnia) went into overdrive. I can do it once it twice but not on a daily basis.

[@dazryan3463]

I can so relate to this topic. That extra time after 'waking up' before I get out of bed is like drifting in and out of sleep but really affects how my day goes

[@Rasmus230100]

It’s fun because, I’m the person who needs 9+ hours of sleep every night. I can still function on 7-8 hours, but my mental state is way worse and I get drained of energy way faster further down the day. So to me sleep is key to a happy me :)

[@blackbird9521]

100%

[@sokawai5]

I get 11 hours of sleep. Whether I sleep late or sleep early

[@Dancestar1981]

Executive functioning challenges having to mask all the time stress RSD and autistic burnout no wonder we suffer worse than someone with chronic fatigue syndrome. I’ve had all the tests under the sun to check medically for answers and they all come back normal.

[@tiddlypom2097]

My tests come back not exactly normal, but "subclinical". I've just been told by my new GP that B12 tests are notoriously inaccurate. I have been asking for years to try B12 injections, since I know several people who have found these to be what they needed - and my tested levels are never very good. This is the first GP who has actually agreed it was worth trying, and I've just had my first. 🤞

[@UnicornUniverse333]

Um try having chronic fatigue syndrome, which btw is very grave because it's a lazy AF diagnostic label without diagnosing the actual illness! Try having chronic fatigue syndrome while also being undiagnosed autistic. Chronic fatigue syndrome + autistic burnout. 5 years. Still recovering still not ok. It was all not ok.

[@UnicornUniverse333]

I also had tests come back negative, very dehumanizing experience to be so ill and told there's nothing wrong with you lol. Acupressure mats saved my life! I highly recommend acupressure mats for chronic fatigue and autistic burnout and everything

[@SusanS46]

@@tiddlypom2097 Thanks for this! I've recently been taking 1 sublingual 2500 mcg B12 tablet each morning (my GP had recommended it, not for sleep but because of some recent anemia), and after a week am sleeping far better than I had been; this includes waking up refreshed and able to function better in every respect. Other changes I've made have also helped--most importantly winding down before going to bed and forcing myself to stick to a daily routine--but maybe the additional of B12 has been complementing them! I'm sleeping well enough now that I don't want to go back to assiduously controlling for independent variables.😉

[@Catlily5]

Check into POTS if you are diagnosed with CFS and also have problems with dizziness and shortness of breath. There is a medical test for it and it is more common in people with autism.

[@ShanesSquirrelShack]

I’m autistic and literally just woke up from a nap to watch this. I’m very routine based with when I go to sleep. Even with 7.5-8hr I still get really sleepy for no reason still during the day.

[@misskelevra]

Maybe 7.5-8 hr sleep just isn't enough for you? I sleep between 9-10 hours a night 👍

[@jordangarton2478]

I also just woke from a nap to watch this 😅 I usually get between 6-8 hours but lately I've been needing at *least* another 4 hour nap during the day 😵The other night, I'd slept for 7 hours and had *2* 4-hour naps that day 😬😬 I'm really tired of being this tired. 😭

[@Dustbuster725]

SAME! It’s a relief to know there are other Autistic people that also have idiopathic hypersomnia (you’re excessively tired and we don’t know why so sorry?). I did the same tests and everything. The only difference is I have IH with long sleep time, meaning sleeping 10-11 hours actually feels better to me than 7-9 hours. Awesome video!

[@mynz4464]

I also have IH and am on the spectrum.

[@mynz4464]

I also have IH and am on the spectrum.

[@sirgalah561]

Whats IH?

[@mynz4464]

@@sirgalah561 Idiopathic Hypersomnia. It's similar to narcolepsy somewhat. Basic explanation is you need way more sleep than most ppl do, and so you're always sleep-deprived.

[@charlotta5660]

This is really interesting! I have idiopathic hypersomnia but no autism diagnosis, although I've begun to wonder if maybe I might be autistic.

[@timtreefrog9646]

You are keeping yourself in an alpha state which is similar to meditation for that extra hour. It is very beneficial for stress, it brings a sense of calm, enhances creativity etc. You don’t need to be in full delta or theta (sleep states) to gain benefits. You can actually prolong the beneficial alpha state by moving slowly when you DO have to get up. Also do not look at your phone when you wake up, this slams you straight into beta and then it is game over for beneficial alpha. .

[@missmayflower]

Thanks for the tips.

[@klarafly7197]

And in this in-between state many times I get insights and good ideas.

[@hartleymartin]

Sleep has ALWAYS been a challenge for me. Part of the problem is that it sometimes takes hours laying in bed before I actually fall asleep so I might only get 4 hours of actual sleep before a family member wakes me up and tells me off for sleeping too much and being lazy. If I have more than a couple of nights of bad sleep I end up with migraines that can put me to bed for days at a time.

[@lindsaysheffield]

Gotta love family members who think sleeping at non-traditional times is us being “lazy” - I have diagnosed Sleep disorders and I still just need to “try harder” to sleep at normal times.

[@lisalamphier1410]

I used to have frequent, horrible migraines. I stopped consuming dairy products and I never had another. If I sleep more than six hours a night, I become severely severely depressed. If I take a nap during the day, I wake up unable to function, crying uncontrollably. It takes a couple hours to recover. If I keep my sleep below six hours, I'm great. I average 5 hours a night and have no daytime fatigue. When I was trying to force myself to sleep longer, i was convinced that I had a sleep disorder because I couldn't do it. I would often fall asleep and immediately wake up having a massive panic attack, and then I couldn't sleep at all. Eventually, I came across an article about studies done that showed that some people are sensitive to sleep and need to manage their sleep and sleep less. For years, I thought my problem was lack of sleep, when it was really too much.

[@techagaufururipaws1883]

Wow, that means why I feel so tired when I don't get my extra hour sleep in the morning. Thank you for the video, I'm always worried about sleeping too much, but this is key to understand how my body works. Thank you a lot Paul.

[@bernadettesavage4786]

That’s really interesting about the idea of laying in bed for an extra hour. Coincidentally I recently started putting music on as the first sensory input when I am in that initial semi awake dream state. I put songs on that set my emotions positively for the day and really give me a nice ecstatic energised feeling waking up. It has really improved the outcome of my day.

[@h-aether]

This has been a major issue for me too, thank you for raising it. I think I might either be nocturnal or have a non-24-hour sleep wake cycle. Both mean I am out of alignment with the rest of society (as if being autistic wasn't enough!) but I'm definitely healthier when I put my own needs first. I have no problem sleeping when I need to, but I have had trouble sleeping to a "normal" schedule, and also excessive daytime sleepiness (not so much during nocturnal hours - possibly because of reduced expectations & sensory stimulation). Hadn't realised that about early morning REM sleep (although it might not technically be "morning" for me, I will translate it to mean when I wake up). Might check out that book you mentioned too, thanks!

[@aquababe7]

I'm nocturnal too! I'm just going to sleep how my body wants me to and have my lifestyle follow accordoingly. Most people don't understand and think I just need a routine, but nomatter what I do, I am a hardcore night owl and I'm okay with that.

[@joskeguereza3714]

i have sort of the same problem, if i only listen to my body, then i wake up and go to bed an hour later than the day before, day after day, with the result that my day rotates around the clock in a period of 3-4 weeks. Forcing myself to try to sleep "in time" and wake up with an alarm just leads to being totally exhausted after a few weeks because i end up getting only 3-4 hours per night anymore.

[@frederik0014]

@@joskeguereza3714 Do you get (early morning) sunlight exposure? I had the same kind of issues, but found going for a 10-30 minute (the lower the light intensity the more time you should spend outside) walk outside, right after getting out of bed helps me anchor my day/night rhythm, as it should (according to theory).. Ideally do it again around sunset, but morning is most important.

[@joskeguereza3714]

@@frederik0014 i do but it doesn't seem to have much effect for me.

[@TheCallousDankboy]

I generally wake up between midnight and 4am, whether I got 2 hours of sleep or 4, but never more than 6. Been this way as long as I can remember. Melatonin does nothing and other medications simply make me drowsy for the whole day. I've tried just about everything and nothing seems to help so I've just adapted to the lack of sleep and somehow function this way. I'm constantly tired and I am positive my brain is dopamine deficient as a result.

[@LionessHiker]

I was diagnosed with insomnia, restless leg syndrome, and narcolepsy 15 years ago and just recently learned that I am likely autistic. (On a waIting list to get an appointment for adult autism diagnosis.) I have tested strongly positive for autism on several online tests. I have suffered with depression and ADD since I was a young adult. Just learned that sleep disorders are common with ASD. Wow! I only wish I had known so much sooner. I will be 61 next month. I think I would have not been so harsh on myself. I never understood why I was such a social dunce.

[@Cubs-Den-Reactions]

Grateful you’re learning more about yourself, sorry you lost out on time, but hope you’re able now to learn to work with it. I’m 34 and my last 3-4 months have been very similar with the high self assessments, learning more about myself and that others experience the same things… I hope for both of us, that we use what we’re learning as more information about how to take care of ourselves… good luck fellow struggler… we’re not alone 😢

[@LionessHiker]

@@Cubs-Den-Reactions Blessings to you, I hope the same. I have walked an hour or two intermittently over the past ten years. Started again as I hope to hike the AT. Just saw a study proved that walking 10,000 steps per day can alleviate depression and sleep issues. I am up to 5 miles a day. The depression is lifting and I suspect that sleep will improve over time.

[@claraclean]

This could be my story...

[@LionessHiker]

@@Cubs-Den-Reactions Have you hiked the AT yet? I did get an official diagnosis of Austin’s Spectrum Disorder this last spring. Planning to hike the AT this coming spring!

[@SiobhanDoyle]

This confirms so much for me. I also get migraines that result in me needing extra sleep for a day or two. I've known since I was a teenager that active dreaming was something I needed for my mind to be organised, especially during crunched study or testing periods. And to this day I have zero patience for people who tell you never to snooze haha. The snooze alarm is my best friend and I can feel, in the morning, if I need that extra time to be properly rested or not. If I can't do that I'm less productive, and might need a power nap later in the day just to get through. Working from home has given me a lot more autonomy around my morning sleep. Thanks for the detailed explanations, it really helps to understand.

[@ankaretharmer3362]

I am 75 years old awaiting a diagnosis. I stopped sleeping very suddenly 20 years ago, now I can't sleep without medication. An also awaiting to go to a sleep clinic to find out what's going on. I wonder if it might be my age?

[@Guillaume-uw5oc]

this video made me realise that the only times I really get rested is wen I had a day at the sauna and I am chilling out on a bench after just having showered in cold water after geting out of a specialy intense trip in the sauna

[@ArtsyMegz_On_Etsy]

I am getting more sleep ever since I changed jobs and now have a job delivering groceries, all on my own time! I can start working when I want, take a break when I need one, and my stress levels have gone down a good 70%! I hope that this thing works out for me, because I noticed that my OCD isn't as bad, because I am living a low-stress lifestyle and am finally getting enough sleep and rest in general.

[@kind_of_willow3193]

It's funny that you mentioned this "feeling lazy" thing, because i thought: why do you get up so early in the morning, when you have no regular working time? I'm happy that i'm lazy enough to go to sleep late and wake up late, because that's the best rhythm for me. We probably should not care about beeing considered as lazy, when we like to sleep longer.

[@ombra711]

Sleep apnea messes with my normal sleep, and I'm a night owl, but sleeping more, going to bed much earlier actually helped me get more energy during the day. I can't sleep without playing a lecture or Podcaster file on my phone, my brain chills out and gets bored to let me sleep.

[@MeadeSkeltonMusic]

I have had chronic insomnia for a long time.

[@victorhugotoledocofre1366]

Years ago when I used to work as a linguistics professor, intelectual demand to my brain was so high I used to sleep 9-10 hours a day. Now things have taken a bit of a turn for me and I work as a toilet cleaning janitor, with very little physical demand (and no intelectual demand whatsoever), and I'm sleeping just 3-4 hours a day.

[@javi7636]

The bane of my existence is the 9-to-5 work schedule. I am definitely a night owl and would naturally go to bed around 2am and wake up around 10am, but my job doesn't allow it. I always have to take naps during my lunch break, or naps after I get off work. It's frustrating that it's so necessary, but nothing else has worked.

[@johnmyers8633]

Huh, that early morning REM sleep has often been rather instinctual for me. It's my favourite part of the weekend. Although, before, I thought it was an unhealthy guilty pleasure of mine. When I don't have to rush to go to work, I let myself drift between wakefullness and sleep a could 1-2 hours before I actually get up. While I can't remember the dreams for long after waking up, I get the most interesting dreams, during this time as well.

[@ZeroGravitas]

When I tracked my sleep in detail, a decade ago, I found my REM mostly happen early and regular deep sleep towards the end. Backwards. But then I also have non-24-hour circadian rhythm, since school. And this all merged into gradual onset ME/CFS, later on.

[@silicon212]

I learned in my teens that getting 8 hours of sleep a night was the key. I also know that sleeping more than 30 minutes beyond the 8 hours is a guaranteed migraine attack. I can *function* on 6 hours of sleep in emergency situations, but I still tend toward my 8 hours.

[@puttervids472]

Wow. That’s exactly my timetable. I swear. My wife loves to sleep late on the weekends. And she always complains that I get out of bed well before she will. It’s because I’ll have a headache 100 % if I don’t.

[@silicon212]

@Yuqing Lee You never "get over autism" ... please stop perpetuating this myth.

[@maaderllin]

I saw the announcement for that video at 13:00. My time. It's now 17:25. In all that time, I had to take a nap. I feel this will be extremely relatable.

[@moartems5076]

What heck is "13pm"?

[@maaderllin]

@@moartems5076 I wrote this coming out of my nap. Excuse the clear confusion

[@izzyonyoutuba]

I found this video at around 6:30am and I normally wake up around that time so I though, let's try it. Turns out I could sleep for another 2 hours.. So thanks for promoting me to try sleep a little more 😊

[@Sopherian]

I have insomnia problems but I since a year or so I found a solution. When I go to sleep I have to turn a ventilator and an audiobook in order to fall asleep and stay asleep. If I don't turn on the ventilator I wake up after 2 hours and if I don't turn on the audiobook my mind just keeps going and it keeps me awake. I tried to find a different solution like Brown noise white noise pink noise... But so far it didn't have the same effect as my ventilator.

[@relentlessrhythm2774]

I've been sleeping more lately because of long term burnout. I sometimes feel guilty but I have to remember my fabulous brain is healing.

[@Step_on_a_lego]

You're insights on early morning REM sleep make so much sense. I have a sleep tracker that I wear for similar reasons, I've started to notice what you were describing in that section! I had no idea that there were other people that experience being awake, or even half awake sometimes, and getting more sleep. I made the exact same separation in my head about sleep vs unproductive rest time

[@ksthoughtpalace3042]

Very timely for me, thanks! Sleep has become my enemy again, after having lost the main routine in my life combined with a feeling of loss of purpose or meaning in life. Years ago my sleep problem was being able to Go to sleep. Now, I sleep too much and strangely that takes away a lot of my energy during the day.

[@harperwiccan475]

Am I getting enough sleep? Nope, I’m not. I require multiple naps from burnout or just mental exhaustion. Plus to make matters worse, i have always been a nocturnal night owl, being far more productive at night than during the day so I windup sleeping or taking naps throughout the day. I wake up around 7pm and find myself up til 3 or 4am. I also suffer from RLS (restless leg syndrome), require my room temp to be cold 10 Celsius or lower 🥶, have my pillowcases made of towels (I love the texture of bath towels. I hand stitched and made my own pillowcases using the material), can’t turn my brain off from functioning when I try to sleep, and suffer from GERD (acid reflux) which ruins any amount of sleep I wish to get. I temporarily was on a relaxer called hydroxyzine which did help a bit but I need to talk with my GP about upping my dose.

[@DeannaWalsh]

Try a product called Hyland’s Leg Cramps. They have a daytime version and a PM version but they’re both about the same so I just buy the daytime version because it’s priced better. You can take it at bedtime and during the day as well. It’s very easy on the system in the body. It is not a drug but it actually helps me feel better in a lot of ways, including leg cramps and other circulatory and muscle aches and pains. Again, it is not a drug and it is sold over the counter.

[@cherylyoke4872]

I read once about something called the second sleep, the sleep typically of farmers who get up early tending to animals, milking cows etc then going back to bed and sleeping a very relaxing sleep. I definitely sleep better in the morning and since I’ve retired I get up when I feel like it, sometimes reading for a while sometimes falling back to sleep. It seems my memory has improved. I remember people’s names better.

[@anjaschatz640]

Big Tank You to Paul and especially the people who share in the comments. I find information valuable like gold nuggets! Still on the way of finding what is and what helps in a family with some tragic and many absurd health and mental health issues.

[@missmayflower]

This is what I’ve been doing for the past few months - having the bonus hour in bed in the morning. I never know if I slept or not.

[@Absolumdan]

It's uncanny how much i'm resonating with what youre saying

[@conscienceaginBlackadder]

So getting up slowly is healthy. Big thank you for a source validating that. I have always found that nineteenth century type abruptly getting straight up as soon as I wake, felt too awful to do regularly and.made life feel awful. To take it on a few rare occasions like an early start holiday journey requires not doing it much. Whenever getting up by alarm clock I have always found a need to set it for a time that allows me not to get up for at least another half hour - of course that means resetting the alarm or having a modern repeating one. On days of no obligation to get up I take as long as I feel, and feel better for it, including from slipping back into catch-up sleep if preceding days have been tiring. Doing a tradesman-type of work that does not tie me to classic office hours, so that most days have no demanding get-uo schedule, has felt healthier too. Traditional nineteenth century disciplined attitudes have turned out wrong and harmful about practically everything: work, fitness, war, family life, education - authoritarianschoolingcouk, and unsurprisingly this too. They were wrong about early hours.

[@ПаніПончик]

Scaling back on hobbies helped me. By this I mean I don't do less, just less variety and I also don't agree to do as many free favors for people (which I absolutely love making things that make people happy). I would just think about it all night or work on it all night (sometimes stressful procrastination cramming) and how I'd have to meet up with people and present the items to them, anxious about how happy I'd make them!

[@cowsonzambonis6]

Oh WOW your description of a power nap after a migraine was *spot on* to how I feel! 😮 I’ve been dealing with fatigue for a few years now, and still haven’t figured it out completely. I was getting 7.5 hrs most nights, but I’ve been trying g to get to bed earlier, and then also sleeping in longer. I’m averaging 9.5 hrs and I’ve seen a difference in my energy.

[@arasharfa]

my sleep quality improved drastically when I started supplementing with glycine and hydrolyzed collagen. it has helped normalizing my circadian rhythm and the sleep i get is much more restorative. people with autism often have low glycine. glycine is converted to serotonin and then melatonin.

[@jsfoster100]

I (almost) never set an alarm. Mathew’s book scared the hell out of me and I now have a whoop sleep tracker. Am still tired, I think it is due to residual stress.

[@jilldickson4352]

I am so tired all the time and I believe the only thing I can do is go for a walk when I want to nod off! But I do power nap daily and I can sleep for ten to twelve hours at night. 😢

[@RodrigoAlgorta]

You are so right about this, all my life this happened to me and I know it's mainly because of this and other bad habits and not eating well because its like a big ball, a chain reaction, you feel tired you don't want to cook so you don't eat properly so you get even more tired next day.

[@EweOlive]

I describe that period of time Loading and have learned that I don't like to/sometimes cannot speak or "human."

[@Wolf359inc]

When I was still in the workforce, I often had great trouble getting to sleep. These days, it is just myself and my wife, 24/7. We barely socialise, outside of the odd chat to the neighbours, or essential GP visits. I have no trouble sleeping anymore. When I get tired, I hop into bed (usually sometime between 11:00 pm, and 1:00 am). Once my head hits the pillow, I take three deep breaths, and I usually go to sleep pretty much straight away. I put this down to not having to spend time and energy masking anymore. When I was working, masking was exhausting, and I often found myself going over previous conversations I had had, or running through future conversations I was expecting. For the former, checking to see I had behaved “normally”. For the latter, to try to ensure the same. Not to mention the added stresses of shifting priorities, and an extremely heavy work load, due to short staffing. I don’t do this anymore, as, with just myself and my wife, I don’t need to constantly check myself, or go over what I had, or am going to, say. I have also noticed that I haven’t had a meltdown for several years now. When there is no stress buildup, there is no need to release. I really noticed this during the Covid lockdowns - my wife and I had been pretty much “locked down” for a couple of years by this point, but knowing I wasn’t going to be interacting with others on a daily basis really helped ease my mind. Is this healthy? Probably not. But I feel better than I have for years, and I hope I can maintain this for a few years more… :)

[@joymiddlemas]

I just found you and I'm still in shock! I'm 54 and I'm listening to this as an undiagnosed Autistic, It rang so true on all points to me that I'm just sobbing with realization and understanding. Finally, someone understands what I've lived a lifetime of. I am convinced that the USA is far behind in Autism understanding. So you can imagine my gratitude to you now as I hear your show! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!! You may have saved my life!!! ** I am working with Dr's to get a true diagnosis..no worries ;)

[@jordangarton2478]

I'm so glad you've found the answer you've needed. I was late diagnosed, but at 30, and it just makes an entire lifetime of never-quite-rightness finally make sense! 😭❤❤ There's something so freeing about understanding yourself, and I have given myself so much more compassion since finding out. Quality of life has definitely increased ❤

[@ghenam7281]

Greetings ... Good video. Also, i noticed that lack nutrients, water, breathing and circulation can also lead to being tired chronically and bad sleep habits. ... i try to: sleep well, get up, drink a glass of water with some lemon juice and a pinch of salt to get the electrolytes up, do your bathroom thing, then limber up your body for 15 min. Outside on the sun if possible... Eat, take your supplements, shower, get on with the day...if those essentials are covered, life is manageable.

[@shawnholbrook7278]

I have had poor sleep habits for years. Thanks for the video. I have trouble with laying down and relaxing. I might need to take short naps like I did when I was younger.

[@lindltailor]

I suffer from nearly the same problem as described, and I discovered the same solution on my own. I force myself to stay in bed, and it works (about 30-40%) of the time I wake up super rested and can power through my day. When combined with other tricks such as hard exercise and getting exposed to sunshine early in the mornings, the odds improve from there. I wish it could be 100% but I'll take what I can get!

[@justasomeone7860]

That's really interesting that your sleep tracker showed you got REM sleep while you were awake. Maybe it is similar for me and that's one of the reasons why I tend to feel lying in when I wake is really important for me (I have ME/CFS so rest when I feel I need it is really important, and it can be easy to think I'm just being lazy sometimes when actually I'm really doing what my body needs.

[@cristinagonzalez6591]

I've got ME/CFS too and have trouble sleeping

[@lm86531]

I was misdiagnosed as depressed 10 years ago but recently I've realised that both of my main symptoms (extreme tiredness and tearfulness) are actually due to autism and being overwhelmed. I'll definitely try to give myself more early-morning bed time!

[@karolinaska6836]

I say, some people drink coffee to wake up; I just sleep in. I'm lucky to have the flexibility to do just that- lounge around in the morning and slowly and incrementally get up. First I'm awake. After a while I take out my ear plugs. Later I sit up in bed. Eventually I'm on my feet making my bed and moving on to my bathroom routine. I remember with great anxiety when I didn't have that luxury and I'm most anxious now on days when I have to be somewhere in the morning, because I can't lounge as much as I'd like. One of the best things to happen to me as a result of my late diagnosis (at 43) was being able to give myself permission to seek out whatever accommodations I need to function at my best, without feeling badly about it.

[@patrickbanzon7145]

Bro why is this so spot on >

[@Mraquanetchris]

I can get away with 6 hours of sleep maybe once or twice in a row, but then need to get a full 9 - 10 hours the next day. These two amounts of sleep are my sweet spots. If I have to hit the 6 hours multiple days in a row I start to fall apart. However, If I sleep past 6 hours, then I have to get 9-10. Anything in between messes me up. I just had a job where my schedule had changes to my sleep patterns - closing the store then back in the morning. It was very difficult and thankfully have a more sleep friendly schedule now.

[@Gideon_Judges6]

For a long time I have gotten away with very little sleep. My sleep tracker would indicate about 4-5 hours of sleep. I am 42 now and it seems like very recently it's caught up with me where I am very tired several days a week. I was never formally diagnosed with autism but my son is and some things are lining up. So I'm trying to learn more about it at least for him if not for me too.

[@paularubina3778]

I’m going to indulge in morning dreaming from now on. Thanks for this discussion!

[@davemason2290]

Thanks, really useful. I have had a problem for years of feeling tired all the time. I need to explore this further but very good video

[@sonjabarber9308]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing this idea! It's sleep advice that actually works for me. I enjoy your channel, thank you for all of your work!

[@fullbin1162]

its funny, i actually have hypersomnia and am able to sleep a whole 24 hours. i am EXTREMELY sleepy, my sleep latency was about 2 minutes for naps from my sleep test results. part of it may be untreated mild sleep hypopnea, and having extremely poor sleep quality (like only 20 mins of deep sleep over 9 hours, and only 1 rem cycle) but we will see once i recieve cpap treatment. sleep quality is super super important to restfulness and especially rem sleep. one surprising thing i found out was i was very good at detecting when i was asleep or not, some people dont even realize they were asleep during the nap sessions. i could tell when i got super close to sleep as well. this was surprising because i usually have introception problems, aka difficulty telling whats going on in my body. i guess its because i only really am fully aware of my body when im meditating, which i have lots of practice with and also used during th sleep test since thats usually a technique i use to help me get to sleep. if i just layed there im not sure i would have the same awareness

[@amandaquillen]

I’ve struggled my whole life with sleep and waking up! Never do I feel refreshed when I get out of bed. I’ve always said my best sleep is in the morning. Unfortunately, I have to get up early to get kids ready for school, and I am so cranky by the end of the week. It doesn’t matter when I go to bed… getting up before 7 is hard to do. Another note, my son is also autistic and he was the worst sleeper as a baby. We were both miserably tired as a result. I didn’t know he was autistic at the time, but looking back, there were so many signs.

[@dopaminecloud]

I have difficulty telling apart "being tired" and "being burned out". They have the same physical information.

[@Fall_Spectacular]

I am chronically tired

[@rebeccaelle135]

Thank you…. That one hour of rem is amazing… I get it!

[@ЮлияЁлшина-ю1о]

I can really relate to that. I've always had that feeling of constantly being tired. I've read Matthew Walker's book too, and it's great (incredibly useful, and he loves classic rock, too!) I only feel good after I had this last hour of REM (when you see dreams that you remember). I improved my quality of sleep a lot when I started waking up a generous 2 hours before leaving for work, allowing myself to lie in bed extra "after the alarm". My friend intuitively does the same. I used to see him as "lazy" to be honest. Because you're not doing anything, you're just wasting time in bed! Now I see it makes sense. Neither of us has been diagnosed as autistic though. I thought it was just anxiety and depression.

[@shelteredsparrow2736]

I just realized I have autism. If I try to get up too early I am an emotional mess. I went to a camp where I was to help for a week. The nurse was also one of the leaders of the camp. To set a good example she was insistent that I get up early. I tried but after a couple of days I simply couldn’t stop trying. She then saw that I was right and left me alone. I looked into autism and your circadian rhythm. It says that getting up early can be really difficult for people with autism. I am careful to not let myself sleep in. But I do allow myself to not get up any later than 8:00. I also stay away from the couch so I don’t fall asleep. Having said that not getting up too early has made such a difference

[@Autistic_Tarkov_Guy]

I need to just say that I love you and your videos. I am autistic and my entire life was in regular schooling and lessons and never understood why I was always behind everyone else and why sometimes I would be ahead of everyone else for no apparent reason. Thank you so much for making these videos it has legitimately changed my life ♥️♥️♥️

[@gtptvanbuuren3795]

Hi Paul. I am 63 years old and have found many answers on your videos to questions which I have investigated recently but never asked before because I thought everything was normal and that I just naturally did not understand. Getting good at being awesome. Ta Heaps Bloke......Tim from Tea Tree Gully..

[@Islandswamp]

I was told that I could be on the spectrum by a mental health professional, but I've never been formally diagnosed. Tons and tons of autistic experiences seem just like what I go through. I think that when I was growing up, unless you had major behavioral problems like my autistic cousin , you weren't likely to be tested for autism.

[@Brutal_Warlord]

ok but what's the point of a diagnosis if you don't have any major behavioral issues? The entire idea of the DSM diagnoses is based around identifying and classifying divergent behaviors. If no divergent behavior occurs, no diagnosis can be made.

[@TheDalaiah]

You are me!?! It's weird not being the only one, if it makes sense. But is also good to know that "I'm not making it up" (like I always am accused of). I'm autistic (high functioning autistic). Uh-huh. Thank you

[@LaurenzEdelman]

I recently read the book. I can highly recommend it to anyone. It is more than just an interesting read, it will be a revelation to many. There are so many to really should read this, doctors, teachers, lawmakers, employers, the list goes on.

[@LostRhodes]

Read the book a bit ago (read it a few times) one of the things I thought was interesting was the link between sleeplessness and autism- particularly the link between prenatal sleeplessness and autism in the womb and how there might be a cause and effect relationship there.

[@berenedain8427]

I sometimes sleep for 18 hours like once a month, i have autism and I take tablets to help me sleep. If I don't take tablets I can't get to sleep my brain just doesn't switch off. Things that have helped are doing things like reading a book or listening to a podcast to get to sleep as preparation rather than just trying to will myself to sleep or sitting on my phone. Also, having a lumie lamp has been a great alternative to an alarm, it is a light that gradually turns off/on simulating the sun rise/fall it has made sleep come easily and I wake up gradually as well rather than having alarms blaring at me

[@ChristChickAutistic]

My sound machine is crucial for my sleep. I have a hard time getting to sleep, and the machine really helps.

[@kuljeetkaur5812]

I'm not autistic but dating an Aspergers guy. I personally will take your advise for my self. Very helpful tips.

[@henriqueferreira1748]

It can be bad when you have OCD and waste so much energy over stimming/tics and involuntary/accidental movements and actions. Intrusive thoughts are also annoying, specially if you force yourself to have "corrective thoughts" to fight them back. When you're asleep or simply laying and doing nothng, your brain is still active and does tricks, so the risk of intrusive thoughts is higher. Thinking too much can be annoying because your brain is like a TV that cannot be turned off, you can only change the channel.

[@allisoncurtis4260]

The stimming became really bad for me when I started to play with my hair constantly, I would pull hairs with coarser textures and it got to where my hair was thinning in the front(someone else wouldn't notice but I definitely could. So about a month ago I cut my long hair off and now have hair that is only 2-3 inches long. I'm hoping it will help me break the habit because I really don't want to have bald spots!

[@phoenixanderson3995]

Haven’t seen the whole video yet just wanted to put this out there for anyone who struggles with sleep. Go to an orthodontist and ask them to X-ray your jaw. Sometimes how your jaw is placed can cut off some airflow. You might wake up with headaches, you might wake up in the night needing to take a deep breath, maybe you’ve started sleeping in a certain position to compensate. Obviously not always the case, but not many people know think their jaw could be the reason for their bad sleep so I wanted to put it here

[@clarkesensei4651]

This was interesting. I have always prioritised going to sleep early but I'm going to try going to sleep a little later and waking a little later.

[@MartKart8]

The only times, when I hear people talk about people with sleep issues, all have Attention Deficit, (The spelling looks wrong). Their content is really good. I have no issues with sleeping, and I'm Autistic.

[@Edward135i]

I can tell you from first hand experience I don't sleep very much.

[@MartKart8]

@@Edward135i thanks for the reply. I was worried, I was going to get attacked by some people, saying all Autistic people have sleep issues.

[@Edward135i]

@@MartKart8 I have ADHD and Dyslexia, I'm just interested in learning disabilities. I'd actually never heard of people with Autism having issues with sleeping before. but I can tell you having ADHD makes it very difficult for me to sleep at night, because I spend too much time stimulating my self (playing video games, watching You Tube ect..), or I just can't turn my brain off i'll lay in bed and think for hours.

[@MartKart8]

@@Edward135i Yo Samdy Sam, sometimes colaborates with Paul, Yo Samdy Sam, or better known as Samantha has talked about sleep issues as she has Autism and ADHD. I don't have ADHD. I spend lots of time playing video games and watching KZbin. I've been trying to make a video game based around the ones I love; I've been editing a lot of things I built, I've uploaded a lot to a piece of software called Unreal Engine 4. I tend to watch a lot of Tutorial videos on KZbin for software called Blender and Unreal Engine. I'm often thinking about this, and I can still easily fall asleep.

[@Edward135i]

@@MartKart8 sounds like you spend a lot of time in UE4 that's would make anyone tired 😂

[@Webgobo]

Your stories sound so familiar to me, I had so much pain before I found out about all this stuff by my self.

[@andreabuntpercy]

That morning sleep information.... I fell into that habit when a friend suggested it worked for her. I've been feeling better for it.... now I know why! Thanks Paul, and everyone else confirming that. I know magnesium also helps with my sleep. I always take it an hour before going to bed.

[@Misuzu4213]

I sleep enough (about 8h from the time I fall asleep to my alarm) but still feel not that rested most of the time. However you're talking about the morning "not sleeping" sleep and it's my favourite part of the morning, I always stay in bed a bit if I can even if I'm "not sleeping" and now that you say that REM sleep can happen during this time it makes perfect sense!

[@andrewmorton395]

Yes I understand this I am tired all the time.

[@artbookgaming]

My circadian rhythm is very off from societal expectations, so I struggle to sleep because I'm not in sync with my natural rhythm. It's really difficult for me to go sleep early and wake up early, so if I have to do things in the morning so before 10am, I will be needing 7 alarms in the span of 30 minutes before I need to wake up and won't be able to fall asleep before midnight, so I'm going to get whatever it is ~done~ but the quality will likely be bad and if it's a long day, like I'm studying or socializing from 9am to 3pm, woke up at 8am, by day 5 I will crash and nap for 2 hours the moment I get the chance to even though I was sleeping for 8 hours every night. That is a real life example from me just going to school. If I get to work on my own daily rhythm, I'll gladly sleep from 4am to noon, which is still 8 hours, work and socialize even longer than that 6 hours, I can sustainably do 1pm to 9pm, and then 9pm to 1am is creative power hours where I do arts, write, have fun by myself, and have the ability to get through the most difficult of tasks. Like washing the dishes or cleaning the entire house. And 2am to 4am I wind down with something less active like watching youtube or reading a book in bed.

[@tkc1129]

Insightful video. Maybe that is the difference between when I sleep well and when I don't.

[@moldypotatochip]

I sometimes have sleep paralysis. I sometimes open my eyes during sleep, so my eyes often feel really tired and dry unless I use eyedrops (when it gets bad I start using eye ointment prior to sleeping). I wake up many times during the night. It takes me a while to fall asleep, sometimes I lie awake for long periods of time.

[@DDDarray]

Your channel just popped up in the recommended list, and I noticed something possibly similar to what I experience in sleep. My teeth are crowded, due to having jaws not wide enough to make room. My jaws are also shorter than what they need to be to leave working space for my tongue and breathing space behind. So I sometimes wake having bitten the tongue. I have very mild sleep apnea on a lab sleep study, but I know some nights at home feel much worse than I felt after that lab night. I'm tired almost all the time; used to be all the time before I had an idea what to do. Used to have frequent headaches, now basically none, but the frequent tiredness is still there. I know some people with sleep apnea who don't get symptoms like this, but maybe their brains are less sensitive. I've worn an overnight pulse-oximeter most nights the last couple of years, so in one way totally nerding out on this. It takes a really long time to figure out this sleep stuff, and I hope you eventually find enough pieces.

[@rebeccaelle135]

Types of sleep are critical for us… we got this.😊

[@enfieldjohn101]

I have always been a light sleeper, but until I was six, I had high fevers every night that made me hallucinate and have nightmares. I can still remember seeing shadows moving around and sleeves of my clothes in the closet waving around. To this day, I feel uneasy and cant sleep if the closet door is open. I dont have high fevers anymore, but I get still heatstroke and sinus headaches easily. Now the past four years, I've had hyperparathyroidism. One of the many symptoms is insomnia, so Im back to getting very little sleep again.

[@mxsant]

I am deaf autistic adult person. When I was childhood, I cannot get sleep quickly. When the staff (I stayed in dorm at school for deaf) ordered to go to the bed, I cannot sleep quickly. I just stay awake on the bed for 30 minutes to 3 hours, then I can get sleep with closed my eyes. Recently, I researched on the internet regarding sleep time, I discovered that sleeping difficult is linked to Autism for some people. So, I am one of them.

[@rachelmcnew2101]

I have a great deal of trouble sleeping because of multiple things. I am on the spectrum and have sensory issues, so I do experience this. I also have fainting spells due to a heart defect, as well as severe and painful scoliosis and resulting arthritis, + have a history of being tormented with nightmares...ect. My husband is a store manager and uses multiple repeating alarms for awaking himself every day to get up by 3;00 am for the last 26 of our marriage! Any advice is appreciated! Thanks for sharing such detailed information on your channel.

[@gregoryegan]

Love the channel sharing it with some of my clients

[@annkarin5732]

Thank you Paul. Ann from Norway

[@mylifewithmarmalade4624]

At one point a saw a study that was looking at correlation between migraine and autism and sleep disorders. There was an interesting overlap in slightly low melatonin levels in both people with autism and people with migraine. The authors posited that more research was needed to look at if melatonin release issues (either amount or timing) was either symptomatic of either condition or potentially an aggravation to those conditions. They were positing that possibly with better understanding, careful low dose supplementation of melatonin could help with management of both. I thought that was fascinating. Personally, I have long found melatonin helpful on nights I know I’ve been flirting with overwhelm all day and am feeling like I have a migraine brewing (overwhelm will trigger migraine for me) but I always figured it was because it would help me get to sleep earlier and therefore get more sleep. But perhaps it actually is the melatonin itself that is helping my brain reset and sleep is just what is happening at the same time? No idea, but maybe one day someone will get a large scale well funded research study to start figuring that out.

[@Manifinesser_7]

Joyful being ! The evidence of my friend having Asperger’s is uncanning. Maybe I didn’t handle it the best of ways of telling him that I think he may have Asperger’s. It is terribly frustrating and hurtful to watch him drain the people (including myself) around him after every conversation. He said to our mutual friend he’s willing to go to psychiatrist, so I hope it’s true. I love him dearly and apart of me feels guilty if I reach my witts end, but at the same time I have to protect my serenity and well-being. I’ve been educating myself to best of my abilities, but you may only help those who are willing to help themselves. There is only so much we may do on our part. I honestly don’t even know what to ask because idk what to do anymore