Dispraxia and insomnia

[Auron]

I was actually quite relieved to discover that people with dispraxia sometimes experience insomnia for… no apparent reason.
It just happens.

I have definitely had stress and anxiety in the past, and I have definitely had trouble sleeping with that. But—and this is the important bit—I have also had insomnia when really, there was nothing much the matter.

The problem is, before I learned intermittent insomnia was a known issue with dispraxia I would go to bed, have insomnia, then have this whole self-examination spiral.

Insomnia?
I must be stressed.
Am I stressed? Am I having a stressful week?
I don’t think I’m stressed…
Oh my god, I must be so stressed that I don’t realise how stressed I am! It must be really bad!
I wonder what caused it!? etc.


Now I just get up, have a snack, watch something or read/write/listen to something and try sleep again in a few hours times.
I should have trusted myself from the get go, cause it is very different having sleep difficulties from anxiety, stress or depression compared to just vanilla, biological, no-reason insomnia. What’s more, knowing the difference really helps not escalate a frustrating experience into something more damaging.

[Tom fod]

I think we neurodivergent folk find it difficult to switch into sleep mode as we aren't as good at turning off what we're thinking so that we can relax and enter sleep mode.

You could try mindfulness or affirmations like 'My mind is clear'. Sleep hygiene may also help so having a routine avoiding, caffiene after a certain time, not exposing ourselves to blue light emitted by electronic devices etc.

[Auron]

Oh I basically just avoid caffeine almost completely. If it’s after mid day; no coffee, if it’s after six; no tea.

[Timbee]

That weird, patternless insomnia that shows up even when things are calm, it’s like your body forgot to send the sleep signal. I found out through my clinic that it’s sometimes tied to the way our nervous system responds to minor imbalances, not necessarily big emotional triggers.

There’s a treatment I’m on now with medical cannabis, prescribed and it’s been great at calming the background noise without knocking me out completely. It just helps regulate the rhythm, especially on nights when there’s no clear reason to be wide awake

[Tom fod]

I totally get the struggle of trying to figure out why the insomnia monster decided to pay a visit. The mind starts doing its detective work, and suddenly, you're on a stress investigation that may or may not have any basis in reality!

On a lighter note, have you tried any cool sleep hacks or rituals to tackle those random insomnia moments? I recently stumbled upon [url removed by Admin], and they have some interesting stuff that might add a fun twist to your bedtime routine. Who knows, maybe a cool new gadget or accessory could be the secret weapon against those sleepless nights!

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[Jabbytall]

I can relate to unpredictable insomnia. Sometimes, it feels like my brain just forgets how to sleep. I've found that reducing caffeine after midday and avoiding screens before bed helps. You can use mindfulness techniques that help you learn how to sleep fast in 5 minutes. Practicing mindfulness techniques, like repeating affirmations such as "My mind is clear," can be beneficial. It's reassuring to know that others experience this, too.