Why do we find it harder?

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Why do people on the spectrum find it harder to drift of to sleep? I never really understood this?

I don't know.

Anxiety, perhaps?

I've read that 70% of us on the spectrum are salicylate sensitive. Insomnia is a common symptom of salicylate sensitivity. That may be your chemical explanation. I know it was for me.

Probably due to an insatiable desire to learn more about the mysteries of life and the world...we simply can't switch our brains off.

I didn't even realize my inability to drift off to sleep nearly as quickly as most people because my brain won't stop thinking was related to autism. That explains a lot!

Apparently there are abnormalities in melatonin production, which may have a lot to do with it (Souders MC; Mason TBA; Valladares O; Bucan M; Levy SE; Mandell DS; Weaver TE; Pinto-Martin D. Sleep behaviors and sleep quality in children with autism spectrum disorders. SLEEP 2009;32(12):1566-1578.)

There is more here, although much remains speculative.
http://musingsofanaspie.com/2012/11/29/ ... ia-and-me/

I've had sleep problems on and off for my whole life, and it's now been over 2 years since I had a full 8 hours of sleep in one night - it's normally considerably less. This seems to be linked, in a mutually causative fashion, with a growing anxiety problem. I also have the problem that my brain just will not switch off. Maybe I should start watching Hollywood films late at night to disengage my brain before bed.

It's 00:34 local, and I don't expect to be asleep for another 2-3 hours.

when I'm allowed to revert to my natural nocturnal resting time, I fall asleep like a light switch. but when I have to function diurnally, it can take me hours to fall asleep, often just before the alarm bell rings.

But it does wonders for the complexion.....oh wait.....

what exactly does it mean to be "salicylate-sensitive"? I thought salicylates were in aspirin.

I seem to be an exception - I generally have no trouble falling asleep. I do enjoy my sleep. The only time I have broken sleep is when I am very stressed.

I'm not sure either. A quick web search seemed to show a relationship with salicylic acid, which is found in fruits, and my facial cleanser.

Aspirin is a salicylate, but I've done a search on this one, and I'm dubious about a link, For one thing, there doesn't seem to be a link between salicylate sensitivity and insomnia. For another, I haven't turned up a paper on the subject of AS and salicylate sensitivity, just a lot of commentary on parents' web sites in with the stuff on vaccines and woo "therapies".

If someone actually turns up any peer-reviewed research, please post it here.

I have trouble getting myself to go to sleep sometimes, but once my head hits the pillow I'm out pretty quick.
Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and usually go on the internet for a while and then fall back asleep.
But mostly I do not have a problem with insomnia. Maybe when I get older I will, but I hope not.

I frequently find my thoughts churning wildly when I lie down to sleep. Reading fiction helps, unless I'm really very anxious about something (especially something that requires me to get up early) - then there's basically no hope at all...

I can usually go to sleep quickly enough. It's waking up that's hard for me. I usually wake up then go back to sleep a few times each morning before finally waking up and getting up. And I feel like a zombie for about an hour after I get up, even with 8 hours sleep.

I find often I am awoken mid-sleep by a peculiarly guy thing.