My brain keeps me awake and can't sleep?

Post Reply New Topic

I've got myself in a bad pattern or rut. When I try and go to bed, even if I am really exhausted I find that my mind is still so busy and overworked I cannot sleep. I usually go to bed half past midnight but end up not sleeping until about 3am or later. I can never be one of those people who just gets in bed then sleeps instantly, or sleep on any transport.
My mind is so overworked it dosen't want to stop thinking. At times it can be anxiety which keeps me up about life in general but more often its just the constant thinking which drives me crazy I cannot relax. This in addition to my skin condition keeps me well awake into the early hours I'm getting pretty miserable with this. I don't work so I can sleep in for a few hours to keep rested however.

Is it strange I can't sleep as soon as I get into bed like some people and awake for hours every night? My brain dosen't want to stop working. Any way to stop this? I don't know whether this is more common for people with ASD or not.

I feel for you there. I go through phases of it, but it gets worse if I disrupt my schedule and don't get enough exercise.

I have had phases where I could not fall asleep at night. I am not sleeping well now, but this time it's a medication related thing. Usually it is only a bring won't shut up thing. I found it beneficial for me to take a few hours throughout the day to just go hide, either up in bed or on the couch listening to music and ignoring the world. It gives me a chance to let my thoughts go without interruption. It's like taking time to decompress or process once or twice a day.... I need to do that to be okay. If I do not do that during the day I end up doing it at night at then it takes me hours to fall asleep rather than half an hour or so. I do not know if mine is an autism thing, OCD related, a me thing or what. I also find that if I forget to make little adjustments (such as no laptop half an hour before bed.. the light from this thing seems to have a negative impact on my sleep) I have a harder time getting to sleep. I do best when removing other forms of stimuli before bed. Ideally I like to 'ohm out' on the couch with headphones in for an hour before I want to be asleep. Music on the couch seems to help me, but oddly enough I cannot sleep in bed with music. Not sure if any of this is helpful, but I can sympathize with your plight and wish you well in bonding with sleep.

Yes, I find that I can't sleep if my mind gets stuck in a loop.
Best to get out out bed and do something that changes my thought train.

I wish I had enough deep, profound, philosophical thoughts to keep me awake.

Seriously.....I'm sorry you're going through this--especially the skin condition.

The thinking about things---probably something worthwhile might come of all this thinking. I would embrace this ability, if I were you.

I've had phases like that when I couldn't sleep. I take Melatonin before bed and I have my favourite music playing in the background.

I'm on quite a few meds that should help with sleep. They do little. I've recently started taking magnesium spray and sleep has improved. I had tried magnesium tablets with little effect. I'm assuming it's the spray that's working as it bypasses my stomache. I'm guessing I have problems metabolising magnesium due to stomache issues.

I've had nights like this. I'll be thinking of an idea or algorithm to implement in my current programming project, and I have trouble falling asleep thinking about it. Then I end up going to my computer, coding the darn thing, and then I'm finally tired enough to sleep.

I have phases where I can't sleep, for varying reasons:
- My mind is wide awake and playing music that I heard earlier,
- I get stuck thinking about random scenarios / hypothetical situations for hours instead of sleeping,
- or, I become intensely uncomfortable in every position, and end up crying out of frustration and stripping.

I'd love sleeping pills, but my parents won't allow any near me (suicidal ideation). I don't know what to do. Usually, I end up playing a game until I tire myself out.

I relate so much! All my life i had insomnia due to overthinking but likely i found some ways to help soothe the brain...

1. Excursive during the day; both brain and body
2. White noise or music while sleeping
3. Cut out caffeine 6 hours before sleep
4. Only use your bed for sleep (and sex)
5. Keep your room dark
6. Think of something that relaxes you.

I really couldn't stop my mind from going so when i find im thinking of the universe, when the shoe lace was invented or why my mother hates me i just think about my sonic fan characters and put them in everyday situations. I also watch Django unchained every
Night
Hope this advice helps,

Also, stay away from sleeping pills, you can develop a dependancy and worsen your insomnia

Try lots of things. I also created a dark den around my bed with blankets, it helps with anxiety because im Afraid of the dark

I believe, after you've successfully coded, that you deserve a good sleep.

Yes I get that "racing brain" problem from time to time, and it does keep me awake.

Cutting out caffeine during the evenings seems to help, also a bit of physical exercise is useful.

I try to discipline myself into avoiding too much intense thinking for an hour or two before bed, but it's not always easy, my mind seems to have a mind of its own, and if it wants to ponder stuff intensely, it just does.

Meditation seems to help, as long as the urge to think isn't so great as to overwhelm my efforts. I focus on my breathing and try to think of nothing else but the air going in and out of my nostrils.

I suspect that stress and worry has something to do with it, so I try to keep my stress levels down during the late evenings. Usually that's a matter of coming home early-ish if I'm out, and avoiding worrying thoughts.

It's probably worth doing something artistic before bed. In my case that's music.

It might also help to keep the lighting subdued.

Personally I can't sleep easily if I'm hungry, so I eat a good supper.

I listen to lectures to help me sleep.
Listening to someone else speak helps quiet the voice of my own thoughts inside my head.
It can take a little practice to keep focusing on the speaker, but every time I catch my thoughts starting to wander I refocus my listening.
Over time, I've trained myself to fall asleep quite quickly with this method.
I rarely have trouble sleeping now.
It's also helped with my hearing and listening skills.
Try to choose a calming voice, of course.
Good luck.

Is it possible that you just dont need the full eight hours of sleep that most folks need?

Have you tried to just stay awake and do stuff?

Napoleon only slept four hours a night, and so did Akbar the Great (Emperor of India in the 1500's). Supposedly Trump only sleeps four hours a night.

Some less famous individuals were showcased in documentary I saw who slept even less than that.