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Sleep Attacks

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Mahlon
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01 Jul 2011, 10:51 am

Farkle27 wrote:
My husband gets exhausted after a really intensely stressful event. When we were first married we'd have a row and he'd instantly fall asleep, it made me crazy. Now I just know he's spent and needs to recharge. I think anxiety is really taxing and maybe you aren't aware just how overwhelmed you get. I've learned to let my husband sleep as much as he wants. I can't relate to what it's like to have AS but I can empathize.


Wow this could have been written about me by my wife lol, though she still has trouble understanding why and how I get so exhausted by fights, arguments, and socializing, or when I become so frustrated trying and failing to convey ideas/thoughts to others.

I haven't had a meltdown in a very very long time I *think*, but shutdowns are still semi common for me, and I often feel the need to sleep more often than others.



syrella
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01 Jul 2011, 12:50 pm

jrjones9933 wrote:
I've had this happen in a lot of different circumstances. Things which make me angry or sad might instead make me sleepy. I've also had it happen in the car, usually after something stressful. I've learned to pull over at the next opportunity and deal with it. I don't need a long nap or anything, I just have to barely fall asleep to recover.

Yeah, I had it happen in the car before too. It sucks, because I normally don't like to stop for any reason. But, I'd rather stop for a little than get into an accident.

And agreed, I don't need to sleep long. Sometimes all it take is 5-10 minutes and I'm good again.


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persian85033
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01 Jul 2011, 1:22 pm

syrella wrote:
mb1984 wrote:
I'm not sure if it's what you mean...but when I worked if I was bored or stressed I would get these attacks where I was SO exhausted. It was as if I had been drugged, I sometimes would literally have to take a break and put my head down for a rest. I would yawn uncontrollably and my eyes would water, I was distracted and dizzy and disoriented. All I could think about was how tired I was. Sometimes I get a similar feeling at/shortly after social events.

I think that sounds like what I'm talking about. It can come on kind of suddenly (or also be a dull aching sort of feeling), but when it hits, it's hard to ignore.

I've been in class before taking notes when I had a sleep attack. When I woke up, I found that I'd been writing gibberish that ran off the page. :lol: I seriously tried everything I could to stay awake, too. I'd brought gum, I tried pinching myself, tried to stay interested, etc... but it caught up to me before the end of the class.

I think falling asleep is a fairly normal and I've heard other students talk about it. But it doesn't just happen in class. I get it pretty bad when I'm out and about, too.

I think maybe it's just that my brain goes right into sleep mode when its got too much information to deal with. Maybe it's a good thing, actually... I've been seeing all of these TV programs that suggest that sleep helps you learn. Perhaps I'm learning secretly while asleep. :wink: Though, of course, I'd rather the nap attacks come at a more proper time. And not when I'm out trying to do something important. xD


I've had sleep attacks at school and at work. And yet whenever I've had a sleep attack, I kind of do things automatically, as if I were awake, but not awake. Yet, I never make a mistake when this happens. You might just be right about learning while your asleep. Even I just fall asleep for a couple of minutes, when I wake up, I feel so refreshed. As if I'd just gotten up from a long nap.


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