More thoughts than neurotypicals?

[Aspergers_Aspie]

I have heard from a few people that people with aspergers (maybe due to Hans Asperger, this term could or should be changed) think more than neurotypicals, of course if you have aspergers you can't say what it's like being neurotypical, but I'm wondering if you feel you are always thinking or maybe you feel sometimes you would like a rest from always thinking or thinking a lot?

 

[SDRSpark]

My brain never shuts up. Never ever. I don't have much of an idea at all of what it's like to "rest"...it happens for me occasionally but usually, I'm completely unable to relax. I remember being a young child and telling my mom "I can't sleep, my brain won't shut up!" Of course now as an adult I have bigger issues to lie awake thinking about at night.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

My brain never shuts up. Never ever. I don't have much of an idea at all of what it's like to "rest"...it happens for me occasionally but usually, I'm completely unable to relax. I remember being a young child and telling my mom "I can't sleep, my brain won't shut up!" Of course now as an adult I have bigger issues to lie awake thinking about at night.

I think that whole not being able to sleep because your brain won't shut up,...might be a female thing.

My wife,...good Lord,...takes her hours to get to sleep,...it's like a complete download of all the days events, conversations, and then,...all of tomorrow's plans. Drives me nuts,...just getting off to sleep,...then she wants my opinion on something and wants to talk. OMG! Close your eyes and go to sleep!

Going to sleep,...zero issues. If I am not being bothered,...I am sleeping like the dead in 2 minutes.

As far as my brain never shutting up,...that's definitely me when I am awake. My "inner monologue" is always on, conversations with myself, trying to sort out others communication, mental distractions with my special interests, talking myself through my sensory issues,...whatever. No wonder I am mentally trashed by the end of the day.

 

[SDRSpark]

Going to sleep,...zero issues. If I am not being bothered,...I am sleeping like the dead in 2 minutes.

At this stage of my life I have no problem getting to sleep, usually. It's STAYING asleep that's the issue. I'll crash as soon as my head hits the pillow...then wake up 3 or 4 hours later and lie there awake for an hour stressing about things that happened months, years, or decades ago.

 

[Aspergers_Aspie]

I feel I am mostly 'always thinking'

 

[Neonatal RRT]

At this stage of my life I have no problem getting to sleep, usually. It's STAYING asleep that's the issue. I'll crash as soon as my head hits the pillow...then wake up 3 or 4 hours later and lie there awake for an hour stressing about things that happened months, years, or decades ago.

Ok, that may fall under the well-studied category of autism-related "sleep disturbances". Many autistics have low levels of melatonin,...unclear why,...and respond well to a melatonin supplement before bed time. Chelated magnesium can also be taken to relax the heart, lower blood pressure, and relax the tension in the muscles. L-theanine can be taken as a means of "relaxing" the brain (glutamine blocker) and take it out of that hyperexcitable state. I take all three before bed,...if I don't,...I am up or at least "half-awake" several times a night. It's like a deep, hard sleep for 2-3 hours, then it's these "cat naps" for the rest of the night. I started that regimen above about a year or so ago,...and I feel so much better. My wife says, "If there is a fire in this house,...you're going to burn, because you won't wake up and I can't drag your butt out of bed!"

 

[unperson]

overactive mind, yes, think too much, but is it productive thought or just the whirring of the mind machine. Sometimes I wish my mind would just shut up.

Not being on the same neuronal/mental network as other minds, mine is constantly searching for connection, but is unable to establish one.

 

[SDRSpark]

Ok, that may fall under the well-studied category of autism-related "sleep disturbances". Many autistics have low levels of melatonin,...unclear why,...and respond well to a melatonin supplement before bed time. Chelated magnesium can also be taken to relax the heart, lower blood pressure, and relax the tension in the muscles. L-theanine can be taken as a means of "relaxing" the brain (glutamine blocker) and take it out of that hyperexcitable state. I take all three before bed,...if I don't,...I am up or at least "half-awake" several times a night. It's like a deep, hard sleep for 2-3 hours, then it's these "cat naps" for the rest of the night. I started that regimen above about a year or so ago,...and I feel so much better. My wife says, "If there is a fire in this house,...you're going to burn, because you won't wake up and I can't drag your butt out of bed!"

I take L-theanine, L-tryptophan, magnesium (not chelated, there's a drink that's various types of magnesium blended together that I like) and melatonin (the melatonin I got is 50% immediate and 50% sustained release).

None of this helps much. It helps, but I still have the problem. I didn't always, but when my stress levels go up so do my sleep disturbances.

My sleep hygiene is as close to perfect as it's going to get (I am not giving up TV/my phone before bed as it's part of my routine to unwind and would be disruptive not to do it). It's just one of those things.

 

[Aspergers_Aspie]

I wonder why the GPs I saw about my sleep problems didn't mention 'melatonin'.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

I wonder why the GPs I saw about my sleep problems didn't mention 'melatonin'.

Few physicians know about the finer details of autism management. Most of our resident physicians are given a peripheral introduction to autism. If they want to know more, they have to research this on their own time.

 

[Wolfsage]

I tried to measure it once. Clocked it at 1,650 thoughts per second. Though I have mellowed some.

 

[Judge]

Stands to reason.

I recently told my cousin that while she wants a response in ten words or less, that more often than not I'm going to provide fifty or more words.

My bad.

 

[Aspergers_Aspie]

I get sidetracked while answering a question or while talking about something

 

[Judge]

I get sidetracked while answering a question or while talking about something

Good point. Happens to me a lot. My mind being in "overdrive" sometimes...where I unintentionally get ahead of myself. Where the thought of even a single word can sometimes steer me in the opposite direction. Ugh. Sometimes with really bad results.

 

[Progster]

For me, the problem isn't that I think too much, it's more that I tend to overthink or overanalyse things, especially when a decision needs to be reached, to the point that I'm paralysed and unable to make a decision.

 

[Judge]

For me, the problem isn't that I think too much, it's more that I tend to overthink or overanalyse things, especially when a decision needs to be reached, to the point that I'm paralysed and unable to make a decision.

I often agonize over such things, in particular with making purchases that require a more sophisticated analysis of what I'm thinking of buying. Price, quality, and consumer opinions. A lot of effort that makes little sense if the item in question isn't expensive in the first place. Not to mention occasionally making impulse purchases and regretting them in particular.

Buying things without the Internet to bounce it off on used to be pretty easy in comparison. If I liked it, I bought it. But today...it's too easy to immerse one's self into all kinds of research and consumer comments that could be everything from legitimate to completely bogus. When at times you just want to wring your hands and say, "Forget it!". But you can't, so you inevitably settle for something hoping you didn't make a terrible mistake.

Though I suppose these may be dynamics that Neurotypicals may be equally familiar with. Hard to say...

 

[Progster]

I often agonize over such things, in particular with making purchases that require a more sophisticated analysis of what I'm thinking of buying. Price, quality, and consumer opinions. A lot of effort that makes little sense if the item in question isn't expensive in the first place. Not to mention occasionally making impulse purchases and regretting them in particular.

Buying things without the Internet to bounce it off on used to be pretty easy in comparison. If I liked it, I bought it. But today...it's too easy to immerse one's self into all kinds of research and consumer comments that could be everything from legitimate to completely bogus. When at times you just want to wring your hands and say, "Forget it!". But you can't, so you inevitably settle for something hoping you didn't make a terrible mistake.

Though I suppose these may be dynamics that Neurotypicals may be equally familiar with. Hard to say...

Exactly this! Hence my making a thread asking for ideas for a new webcam the other day. So many to choose from, there are reviews, but they all say different things, and can you trust them anyway? Spent about 4 hours reading and researching different models before I made that thread, and just couldn't choose.

 

[Alexej]

I tried to measure it once. Clocked it at 1,650 thoughts per second. Though I have mellowed some.

How did you measure that?

 

[Ken]

Going to sleep,...zero issues. If I am not being bothered,...I am sleeping like the dead in 2 minutes.

I also have no problem going to sleep, however, that doesn't mean my brain is not still busy. If I am asleep, I am dreaming. Most of my dreams are indistinguishable from real life - vivid down to the slightest detail. Vivid, serious nightmares have plagued me all my life.

Often times I will pause, standing in place in mid course of a task with my mind busy on another subject. Others sometimes think I have fallen asleep standing up with my eyes open.

 

[gaffaglow]

My mind is constantly whirling. I wake up with my mind already going, and I have to do fairly challenging logic puzzles at night to keep my mind focused enough on something mundane to fall asleep.