Were those shutdowns?

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Since being formally diagnosed with level 1 ASD about a month or so ago, I have been thinking back a lot. One of these thoughts was about how when I was stressed as a kid I would just involuntarily sleep sometimes. It was a big problem with studying and test-taking in particular. I fell asleep in the middle of my college entrance exams the first time I took them. I fell asleep on my advanced placement exams as well. This was a major factor in my poor academic performance, and could even happen when I was studying for an important exam. I got in the habbit of studying well in advance of exams to prevent such a situation.

It wasn't only during exams though. It was also common when I felt trapped in very loud environments. I think two of four "spirit days" I attended in high school involved me sleeping in the bleachers or along a back wall somewhere. Once I got in trouble for it, I think they were worried someone would step on me or something. Another time was in the middle of a birthday party full of shrill screaming little girls. I requested fewer people attend subsequent parties.

In all of those cases I didn't plan to go to sleep. It just sneaked up on me. At some point things like this became less common though so I guess I didn't think about it possibly being related to autism.

I guess my question to all of you is this: Do you experience shutdowns? -if so, are they like this or are they different?

Shutdowns almost feel like fainting but different. Hard to describe. Not a pleasant feeling.
Panic sets in as well if shutting down in an inappropiate place.

https://youtu.be/1CNY6BbtgS8

Why that video? It had no information about shutdowns in it, just one very brief mention of meltdowns. I can relate to the sensory parts though.

Did you see the virtual e,perience near the end?

I will say that there are a few types of shutdowns and not a lot of research has been put into them, but what you get seems more towards a sleep issue? Narcalepsy? (Is that the right word?)

Yeah, that was to simulate sensory overload. Like I said, I relate to that part. I have sensory issues too. People react differently to that though and a person's reaction can differ in different contexts too. Sometimes people melt down. Sometimes people run away. Sometimes people shut down.

It seems like you are suggesting that my sensory issues are not the same as yours, I guess because I didn't describe them, but based on this video and your description, I think they are similar. -sort of anyway. I prefer being outside, unlike the kid who was bothered by the birds and trees and everything. Nature sounds don't bother me. I hear them, but I like to focus on them. Chaotic sounds made by cars and people make me tense though. I actually can't take my blood pressure in the grocery store or pharmacy health stations they have, because being there makes my blood pressure spike.

I saw a sleep expert. They didn't think I had narcolepsy. I don't remember on what basis though. It was a long time ago. For what it's worth, I've never been one to fall asleep randomly though. The one common factor is some manner of stress. For instance, I like to drive by myself so I take myself and my pets for really long road trips sometimes. Never once have I fallen asleep behind the wheel of a car (thank goodness). In fact, I can outlast most people I know in terms of driving endurance. It's only stress sleeping that I've had an issue with.

I understood that there were different kinds of narcalepsy? Maybe wrong as I only know a little.

Shutdown -> internal explosion

Meltdown -> external explosion

Today I experienced a shutdown.

Not saying to the origional poster that they are not similar to shutdowns at all and not saying for definate that they are not as the exact same triggers are present, but the body reacts in sleep instead which is why I found somewhere online a few days ago actually before I read this thread about there being more than one type of narcalepsy BUT the triggers are the same. Well worth looking into this.
There are also many types of shutdown as well where some just need time out to wait to recover so they can focus again. Others like me it hits very physically. It also hits mentally but the way it plays out in a physical way with the way I get it, means I went for years looking for a physical reason (And so did doctors) without realizing the real cause. If I had known I would have saved myself years of full on shutdowns and would have instead managed them better. Could not prevent partial shutdowns as they kreep up, but when sensing a partial one, I can try to remove myself from the trigger or triggers that caused it.

I do not experience this but I think I know what is happening.

When I was a child, I died. I weighed less than 20 pounds and the bull weighed over 1000 pounds. It was like being attacked by a dinosaur. I did not remember the incident, only what took place afterwords. If fit the definition of a NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE. Humans are much more complex beings than currently thought. This is because we have four independent brains in our skull. Two on the brains on the left side are dominant and control us during the day and two are support brains that control us during our REM and NREM sleep. But in my case I experienced the death of my left side of my brain and my right side stepped in and kept me alive. But I was a very different person from the daytime brains.

So if you are experiencing sleep when stressed, if you either experienced a near death experience prior to birth or before you reached the age of around 12, then what you are describing may be an automatic reversal to allow your other brain to become involved. You are passing it off to your other brain.

I do not experience shutdowns. I wish I did sometimes, but I am all too acutely aware of the chaos happening around me.

Falling asleep suddenly sounds like narcolepsy. I don't really want to have narcolepsy. Imagine falling asleep while eating alone and drowning in your own food. I read H1N1 influenza can cause narcolepsy. If getting sick doesn't kill you it ends up ruining your whole life. If it isn't ruined already.

Full shutdowns for me I am in a floppy paralized state, have lost my vision and even if I could hear beyond the tinitus I could not make sense of words or if I did I could not reply. Forcing a replywhen recovering sends me into another shutdown. Am oddly fully aware of my surroundings so when people walk past and step on my fingers which often happens as I am often in the way and no one will drag me to a safer place, but being stepped on and I really feel it but can't speak or move so I have to endure it. Have had brothers kids use me as a trampoline and brother did nothing as he does not see it as an issue. He kinda blamed me for shutting down. Problem is pain is amplified in a shutdown and have no choice but to endure it.
Also amplified are the wind movements or the floor reacting to people walking past me so despite not beingable to hear properly or move or see, I am fully aware of my surroundings and all I can do is hope that no one steps on me as is a fear because I can't do anything about it.
Having something where one is not aware of ones surroundings seems a blessing. Going into a shutdown looks to others like a purposeful stubborn act of defience so no oneis sympathetic and is why people step on my fingers and don't care as they think I can say"Ow" and suddenly get up. Is because I go to the floor in a semi controlled way. Is not straight down like a faint.

Situational narcolepsy? When you're in certain situations that stress you out, it hits you.

That's interesting about H1N1 influenza. I had it and thankfully no lasting effects.