Who else...

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sleeps for 24 hours after intense emotional/intellectual engagement?

I didn't know I was on the spectrum until this month, only began to even suspect about 10 years ago. I went on to marry, have children, go to school, work, I now have grandkids. I just did the best I could, most days I lay my head down thinking I was just crazy. I was overwhelmed. But, somehow I made it through.

As I have aged, I have to gear up for any sort of engagement. Even with my family... Then, once it's over my brain shuts down and I can sleep all night and all the next day. That's what happened over the weekend. I don't love everyone, I don't even like most human beings. I can tolerate them if I'm being paid. But, my kids and family I love.
I had my sweet granddaughters this past weekend. I can't tune out with them. I try very hard and am patient and very engaged with them. I want to do this and really challenge my limits. I get out in places I would be loathe to visit were I on my own.

We did this from Friday to Monday. When I returned home from dropping them off, I was like a zombie. Then, I passed out and slept all night and all day.

The same thing happened to me when I took my Neurocognitive testing that resulted in my diagnosis this month. I was like Rip Van Winkle.

Any one else shut down mentally and physically?

I wish.

Nope.
I have simplified my life pretty much all my life.
I'm a reductionist by nature, in this context.

If you have "executive functioning" deficit/disorder, you have done very well, considering the complexity of raising a family and having grandkids.
Being on the spectrum is heavy going at the best of times.
Kudos.

It's great that you can achieve so much, well done!
I don't really get a chance to sleep all day, I've got work and teenage kids, so I have to limit what I do pretty drastically to survive. Just muddling through, really.

I have to sleep a lot after having to be around people and/or too much sensory input. Any where from 12 to 20 hours. Even then I often keep sleeping for around 12 hours a few nights in a row to catch up. I also feel kind of tired and unmotivated to work on anything during the day until I replenish my energy.

I'm the opposite. I'm wired after such an engagement, perhaps because I think of my life as recently as six years ago and see the change in my social opportunities.

Thank you. Planning and rituals make it possible... But, the kids seem to still love me so I'm happy about that.

That's so cool. I'm going to have to go to some kind of therapy now called DBT. Maybe it can help me/

Been there when my kids were young... I hated attending sporting events. It's better with the grands.

Exactly! I can also sleep a ton for the next few days after.

My body's response to most things that are "too much" is to put me to sleep. I've only done a 24hr when I was sick though. Typically it gets spread out over a couple days if I need a larger recharge. I usually need a bit more sleep to properly function anyway. I can go with less but not consistently, I end up crashing.

When I get emotion or information overload, I do shut down, and the best remedy is sleep. I have never slept more than half a day though, and even that is rare.


I can relate.

Thanks everyone who replied. I could do without sleep when I was younger, but now it seems like I just can't get enough, add over stimulation or trying to do NT stuff with the fam and I'm hibernating. When I was working 3 12 hour shifts, I would sleep 40 of the 72 hours I was off.

I often sleep for a long time, sometimes 24 hours, after a long combination of travel (by any means other than walking) and social engagement, especially if I didn't get enough sleep the night before. Intellectual engagement doesn't do this to me; I thrive on intellectual engagement.

As Charlton Heston said:
Soylent Green is people!

Hang on, that isn't what I meant to say.

Pepe said:
Anxiety personified is people!
Avoid people wherever possible to reduce your angst.


https://youtu.be/4UPDUpjkHg0