Sleep: Why Yours Might Be Different

If falling asleep feels like trying to shut down a computer with 47 tabs open... you're not alone. Sleep issues are incredibly common in autism.

"My brain doesn't have an off switch. It has a 'let's review every conversation from 2007' switch—neither of which helps at 3 AM." — Autistic adult

Why Sleep Is Harder

The animation above shows the difference. While neurotypical brains close their tabs and shut down, autistic brains keep opening new ones—and sensory issues don't help.

What Poor Sleep Does

Everything gets harder: sensory tolerance drops, meltdown threshold drops, executive function suffers, emotional regulation becomes harder.

What Helps

Make your room a sensory cave:

• Blackout curtains, cover every LED light
• Consistent white noise or silence
• Cool temperature
• Bedding and pajamas that don't bother you

Build a shutdown routine: Same order of activities every night. Dim lights an hour before bed. Your brain needs help transitioning.

Consistent timing: Same bedtime and wake time, including weekends. Hard but effective.

Screen light: Blue light tells your brain it's daytime. Night mode, blue light glasses, or less screens before bed.

When to Seek Help

If sleep is seriously affecting your life, basic strategies aren't helping, or you snore loudly/stop breathing during sleep—consider a sleep specialist.

Your weird sleep schedule doesn't mean you're broken. Your brain runs on a different clock. The goal is working with that, not forcing yourself into a mold that doesn't fit.

Related: Poor sleep feeds into burnout and makes sensory overload worse. See Coping & Energy for the bigger picture.