lady_katie wrote:
Hello, I don't know if this would help at all, and it could be the worst suggestion you've heard....but I have AS and I have the same problem that your daughter does, with the racing thoughts at night. The only thing that I have ever found that has helped with them is playing a game in my mind...I don't know what it's called but I've played it while sitting around a camp fire with friends. It goes like this: You say "I'm going to the grocery store and I'm going to buy . . . A - Apples" (you would come up with a grocery item that starts with the letter A). Than you would say "I'm going to the grocery store and I'm going to buy . . . A - Apples and B - Bananas (or whatever)". Than "I'm going to the grocery store and I'm going to buy . . . A - Apples, B - Bananas and C - Carrots (or whatever)". You go through the whole alphabet adding items that start with the next letter, repeating the entire list you've made so far every time until you can't remember an item, than the game is over. It's designed to be a group game (like, you go in a circle and when it's your turn you add the next letter), but I play this by myself in my mind to get the racing thoughts to stop. It's entertaining enough to keep my focus, but boring enough to put me to sleep. Sometimes I get sick of going to the "grocery store" though, so I'll go to the craft store, auto parts store, home improvement store, etc. just to keep it interesting enough to keep my mind from wandering back to the racing thoughts. Honestly, when I focus on playing this game, I'll typically be asleep by the time I get to the letter G - whereas I could otherwise be awake half the night. Again, not sure if this could help, but it sounds like you're interested in hearing anything that people have found to be helpful. Also, I'm not 7 years old, so while a game like this is boring enough to put me to sleep, it might excite a child, I have no idea. Just throwing it out there.
Thanks for this. It's worth a try. I wish I could have thought up this for myself too! Instead I have just spent my life avoiding sleep/bed and laying there fretting as I had no solution. Anything that can avoid my daughter going through this is worth trying.
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*Truth fears no trial*
DX AS & both daughters on the autistic spectrum