One thing that a lot of Neurodivergent people struggle with, especially those with ADHD and/or Autism, is sleep. Some reasons might include:
1. They have a sleep disorder or circadian rhythm disorder. This can be anything from insomnia to sleep apnea to delayed sleep phase syndrome. And contrary to certain beliefs, this doesn’t just go away when we grow up. In fact, I’d say it’s worse than ever for me now in my 30’s.
Unfortunately, the world we live in isn’t set up for someone who sleeps in or sleeps during the day and is awake at night. Depending on where you live, stores and other places aren’t open during the hours you might be ready to tackle errands. Doctors offices and government offices are only open from 8am-5pm (at least where I live in the United States of America), and if you normally sleep during those hours it can be a struggle calling to set up an appointment, let alone waking up to get to said appointment.
And, if you have something like Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome, it can be detrimental to your health to change your body’s sleep rhythm to accommodate the world we live in. Many people with DSPS talk about how much happier they are sleeping when their body naturally wants to sleep, and how much healthier they are as well. Whereas when they weren’t on a sleep schedule their body liked, they often woke up groggy, slept in (often to the detriment of jobs, relationships, etc), constantly had to fight to sleep at the time they wanted to sleep, and relied on sleep medication or melatonin supplements just to sleep every night just to name a few hurdles.
2. They struggle with turning their brains off enough to sleep.
This is a big one for ADHD-ers especially. Our hyperactivity is often not just in our physical bodies, but also our brains. Our brains just won’t shut up. I’m constantly thinking about some new project or something I did ten years ago that still mortifies me for some reason. This prevents me from being able to sleep, until I’m so tired that my brain just shuts off.
3. They get distracted and hyperfocus on something, and forget to sleep. (I’m guilty of this one way too often).
Often when I have a project to work on (like this blog) I will hyperfocus and forget everything else. This can be to the detriment of my hygiene, getting nutrients into my body, and even sleep. Sometimes I’ll fight my sleepiness and it’ll be hours before my body produces enough melatonin to make me feel sleepy again. It’s something I fight almost daily.
There are other reasons, but those are a few of the biggest reasons. So, what can I do about my sleep?
There is, of course, lots of advice out there about how to practice good sleep hygiene. However, it’s a struggle and everyone is different. Often, it’s a trial and error game. And what works now may not work tomorrow, or it may work for this season of life but not the next, and vice versa.
For me, right now, I generally scroll Facebook and play brain games on my phone (like crossword puzzles, solitaire, etc) until my brain shuts off. More than once in the last week, I’ve woken up to find my phone on the floor next to my bed because I fell asleep playing a game and my phone slipped out of my hand. I’ve tried reading and sometimes it works, but I have to be careful about what I read because if it’s too boring I’ll find something else, and if it’s too interesting I’ll fight my sleep just to finish the book. And if it’s part of a series I’m probably going to be up most of the night. (That’s how I’ve ended up pulling an all-nighter a few times in the last few months).
So, how do you get your sleep? What is your bedtime routine? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments below! 🥰
More resources here:
The Neurodivergent Homemaker 