Autism

This has been working for me, so here it is:

1. When you’re ready to fall asleep, pick a five to seven letter word (it can be longer if you can keep track of the letters). (e.g. - “Candle”)

2. For each letter, pick an animal. (e.g. - “C is for Cat”)

3. To the best of your ability, try and picture that animal in as much detail as you think is appropriate. (e.g. - “It’s seated but not laying down. It has cinnamon-colored fur, short. Its nose is pink, etc.”

4. Move on to the next letter and do steps 2 & 3 for each letter.

5. If you finish a word, pick another word, and repeat the same process.

Apparently this mimics the random-ish thought pattern that precedes sleep, and supposedly signals to your brain that the environment is safe enough to sleep.

I forget where I picked this up. This was just one of those things where you go, “Oh - that sounds interesting. I’ll guess I’ll give it a shot if I happen to remember it when I’m trying to fall asleep.” It wasn’t something that I ever really expected to work for me.

My partner and I have recently started a new routine. We take an evening shower, then no electronics or tv until we get into bed usually about an hour later. We also stopped eating 3 hours before bed.

We are barely a week in, but it has made a huge difference in our sleep already! I’ve been sleeping better and more relaxed before bed, which makes sleeping easier.

As for actually falling asleep, I count backwards from 100,000. It really helps quiet me down and let things go. I rarely get past 99,950 :)

HTH!

Edit: words are hard

Weighted blanket, makes me relax even when I'm anxious.

I basically cannot sleep most of the time without music playing. The key is that it needs to be familiar, and just barely audible. It gives my mind something to focus on aside from racing thoughts/anxiety/etc.

This is what I do… find a comfortable position, then start relaxing all of your muscles.

Start with your toes .. given them a wiggle and relax them. Slowly move up your body into your torso… then down your arms, and finally your neck and head.

I’m usually out before I get to my arms.

I do math problems that require just enough concentration to keep me distracted from my running thoughts. You can start with counting or visualizing counting floors on an elevator. If that doesn't work, then you can try counting backwards. Then you can try counting by different multiples, or coming up with factors of random numbers. Or thinking about ways to come up with random numbers, since any number you think of is inherently non-random.

It just depends on where your sweet spot is, of something that requires your full concentration, but that you can still do in your head.

I guess it's called meditation?

Controlled breathing and then a series of controlled muscle 'work and release'. By the time I get through stretching everything head-to-toe I'm mostly down.

I'm often asleep within 5 mins.

For a podcast consistently in that Goldilocks zone, I recommend Sleep with Me

I've been listening at bedtime for over a year and it's one of the only thing that consistently helps me sleep. It's not for everyone, but if it works for you it's amazing.

every single possible source of blue light is covered. sleep meds, cannabis, Futurama audio.

Usually, I just smoke cannabis until my body goes "TIMBEEEEERRR!" ;-P

Seriously, though, routine plays a big role. I tend to lay down/wake-up at around the same time every day. About an hour before I go to bed, I put on a comfort TV show & brush my teeth. At this point, notifications are being silenced on my phone until the next morning, so less incentives to pick it up. While I'm watching the show, I intermittently close my eyes for a few minutes as a signal to my brain about the direction we're heading, helps keep the peanut gallery in my head from getting chatty right as I'm laying down.

White noise while I sleep is required, I need something constant that covers-up the incidental noises. Otherwise, I pop awake when someone runs the faucet or what-have-you.

That's what I've figured out works for me, YMMV.

I used heavy trance when I had trouble when I was younger. I used night sounds like rain and thunder for a couple of years. Now my partner watches Minecraft videos while heading off to sleep and I cuddle them and fall asleep with them.

That said, other tools are exercise, less caffeine, Ritalin (so I am not overtired and stressed), less sugar, and better heat management.

lemon balm tea & chamomile tea are magical. weed and podcasts are huge helps with the constant night ruminating