muscle tension at night / stimming

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hey so this is a big problem for me and i wonder whether it's smth other autistic people experience ever

i have problems w getting to sleep because my muscles seem to tense up a lot

i wonder if this is because i move around a lot during the day, i pressure-stim and rock and fidget a bunch, whereas in bed i have to be still.

it makes trying to relax impossible because i just feel so tense.

it's worst in the legs but i can feel it in other parts of my body too.

i sometimes stim until i'm in pain to take the edge off.

does anyone experience anything similar?

Yes, it is very frustrating. I had chest pains from about age 13-23 (jr. high through college), then that seemed to turn into muscle tension (once I started work) as you're describing. Stimming helps. I figured it was from the stress of being overstimulated during the day--dealing with noises, work routine (and not my routine), too much social interaction; basically, too little time where I'm allowed to be me or feel like I'm in a safe place. Both periods of pain started with increased social demands.