When we’re overwhelmed by daily life, it’s no surprise our sleep isn’t much better. We get over-stimulated and struggle to get enough sleep. In today’s blog, I’m going to give some tips on how we can protect that sleep and get what we need.
Tip 1: Routine
Sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it? As autistic people, we love a good routine so we know when we’re doing things. The difficulty is, it can be hard to stick to it. When I talk of routine here, I mean choosing a bedtime. Having the same bedtime both during the week and the weekend are crucial for letting your body recover from the chaos of the day. It means you’re more likely to be recharged. Getting up and going to bed at the same time will help your body relax better into sleep.
You might already have certain routines for heading to bed. Cleaning teeth, having a bath or shower, getting into PJs. These are all giving your body signals it’s time to go to bed. Even if your eyes are drooping earlier than your bedtime, try and stay up until your usual time. It’ll help you to drop off when you do get into that bed.
Tip 2: Lighting
When you do go to bed, it’s a good idea to make sure the conditions regarding lighting work for you. Not everyone is the same and that’s okay. Maybe you prefer a little light, so having a nightlight nearby helps you ease into sleep. Maybe you’re unable to sleep with any kind of lights. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who can’t sleep with light peeking through the sides of the curtains!
As someone who can’t cope with any kind of lights, I use blackout curtains and an eye mask to keep the light out. Eye masks aren’t for everyone. Finding something that works for you to have as much or as little light in your bedroom will be beneficial for getting that sleep in.
Tip 3: Covers
You may prefer not many covers or you can’t fit all the ones you need. Whichever you are, the point is to make the bed comfortable for you. It might be you love the soft, fleecy covers. You might even go in for the weighted blankets to give you that heavy sensation.
I myself use a weighted blanket. If you’re not sure what weight you need, it’s usually somewhere around every 10kg of your weight equals 1kg of weighted blanket. As an example, if you were about 60kg, you’d go for a 6kg weighted blanket. This is just a guide, but it can be useful to ensure you’re not struggling under too much weight.
Tip 4: Noise
Now, there are those of us who prefer a little noise. This could be white noise, the sounds of the ocean or something more relaxing. You may also be someone who needs complete silence. Neither is wrong. It’s what you need that matters.
If you seek out sounds, maybe looking for a speaker or earphones to give you that noise you crave. In reverse, if you can’t cope with any noise, maybe try something like noise cancelling headphones or earphones or ear plugs to block out those noises.
Tip 5: Attire
When we go to bed, there’s a likelihood we may move about in our sleep. From personal experience of moving about a fair amount in bed, I go for looser PJs so I don’t feel constricted in bed as I toss and turn about. I even opt for fluffy PJs in the colder months so I get the temperature right.
Whether you prefer the feel of tight or loose PJs, make sure they fulfil your needs. If you need tighter clothes, go for it. If you need looser clothes, I try and go for maybe a size bigger than my usual, unless it’s a two size like 14-16 or something like that. Then I tend to be able to get away with my usual size.
The whole point of me going through routine, lighting, covers, noise and attire is to show that you can adapt the conditions you need to sleep to meet your needs. Not everyone is the same. And that’s okay. You need to do what’s right and what works for you. I’ve struggled with my own sleep and I hope with this little insight from me helps others find their balance.
For more tips, I’d recommend checking out Dr Megan Neff’s book, Self-Care For Autistic People. I learned a lot from that one!
Happy sleeping!