Self-Care for Autistic People: Sleep

Notes on Self Care for Autistic People by Dr. Megan Anna Neff

Sleep

• Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
• Remove distracting objects from your bedroom
• Decorate your bedroom with soothing and calming objects
• Only use the bedroom for sleep and sex, or screen your bed off from the rest of the room
• Keep the temperature low at night, and eliminate distracting lights and noises
• Don't use screens for one hour before bedtime
• Try breathing exercises, visualizations, or progressive muscle relaxation to relax for sleep
• Set up sensory cues to signal bedtime
• Try wearing an eye mask or using blackout curtains
• Try using a sound machine or app, or wearing earplugs
• Invest in quality, comfortable bedding
• Use a fan for air circulation

Try Cognitive Shuffling

1. Start off by picking a simple word like “door” or “lamp.”
2. Next, break it down by focusing on each letter of that word and thinking of other words that start with that letter. If you choose the word “lamp,” you could think of “lemon,” “ladder,” “laptop,” etc. Once you can’t think of any other “l” words, move onto “a” words, then “m” words, and then “p” words.
3. Keep going until the randomness of this mental exercise gradually makes you lose focus.