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Individuals afflicted with Asperger Syndrome will frequently find themselves having difficulty sleeping. This is a common problem, and no one knows precisely what causes it. However, there is a reasonable theory stating that Aspies are in a constant state of fight or flight. With this being the case, adrenaline is constantly coursing through their systems, which means it requires near exhaustion before an aspie can properly fall asleep. Fortunately, dreaming and depth of sleep are rarely affected.
There have been solutions written about getting to sleep faster. While the best solution is to simply go to bed earlier and focus on relaxation and winding down, this just isn’t always feasible. Most people live busy lives, and going to bed an hour earlier is about as likely to happen as doing two hours of yoga per day. Considering the number of health problems associated with not getting enough sleep, this is definitely a priority. Sometimes the best option is simply to exhaust oneself, and allow sleep to come as the body naturally shuts down.
Some neurotypicals immediately jump to the conclusion that when there’s a problem, there must be a pill. However, many Aspies will reject this type of solution out of hand. For many Aspies, most illnesses shouldn’t be treated constantly through pills, so solutions need to come naturally through workarounds and lifestyle changes. While an Aspie living in a neurotypical world does have to adapt to a significant extent, attempting to enforce a regiment of medication just for something as easy as sleep is like forcing an large dog through a cat door. It’ll just end in a painful mess.
